Residential & Commercial Security - Locks, Keys & Dead Bolts - Replace front door interior latch w/ deadbolt

I have a Schlage front door lock with a thumb latch on the inside. The door has a lot of glass, so I would like to replace the latch with a deadbolt on the inside. I bought a schlage deadbolt at the home center store with the same finish, thinking I could just drop the new deadbolt into the old opening, but found it didn't fit the exterior decorator plate. Trying to just put the interior side of the deadbolt in place of the latch won't work, as the piece of metal that connects the two sides is wider on the old latch.

Can I find a place to get an interior deadbolt replacement for just the latch? I would rather not buy an entire new front door lock. At this point, I may be down to tossing the decorator plate, paint the area that is now exposed, and just put in the new deadbolt, but if possible, I would like to keep the decorator plate.

thanks

Deadbolts are designed to be an additional protection item not a replacement for a knob set.You aren't going to find any sort of hybrid set up or any easy ability to create one.Deadbolts also generally have stronger strikes and bolts.I suggest you have someone install the lock you bought as a whole in addition to your knob set.

Thanks for taking the time to offer your input, but I must not have been clear.

I have a standard front door set already installed. Bottom part is a thumb latch on the outside and knob on the inside, nothing needs to be changed on this. Above these unkeyed latches, there is a separate deadbolt, keyed only on the outside, that came with the same lockset. The same front door lockset comes with a double keyed deadbolt if I wanted to buy a complete replacement at $150-200.

The deadbolt part of the lockset looks just like a standard single key deadbolt. I just want to replace it with a double keyed deadbolt.

Every deadbolt I have installed in the past had standard parts on the inside that made the inside latch on a single keyed deadbolt interchangeable with the inside deadbolt on a double keyed deadbolt. This one is just like all the rest, except that the tail piece (?) that connects the inside latch to the outside lock is wider and won't fit into the slot on the inside piece of the deadbolt I bought. I could just grind it down to fit, but I would rather not modify the lock, even something as simple as this straight piece of metal. I wold rather find the interior deadbolt that fits the same lock as if I had bought the double keyed front door set in the first place.

Hope this clarifies. This is nothing that can't be bought off the shelf if I had been thinking ahead at the time.

Is the lock you bought the exact same brand and model of the lock you have?If not that is your problem.

And age/family of locks makes a big difference as well. You could try calling Schlage..but I'd probably stop by a local locksmith shop and ask for advice. As you said it may be a simple as one new part.

btw...you know some places have regulations and codes about a thumb turn being required on the primary entrance? If the door is a relatively new unit..its probably a lot tougher than you think.

Thanks for the replies.

spdavid: yes, the current front door lockset is a Schlage, as is the deadbolt that I bought for the replacement.

gunguy45: I was wondering if Schlage changed their design recently, the front door set was purchased about a year ago. We live outside the city so we don't have the code issue, so we are balancing the safety from a break in with that of exiting in a fire. I think the locksmith shop will be my next stop.

thanks, guys.

And age/family of locks makes a big difference as well. You could try calling Schlage..but I'd probably stop by a local locksmith shop and ask for advice. As you said it may be a simple as one new part.

btw...you know some places have regulations and codes about a thumb turn being required on the primary entrance? If the door is a relatively new unit..its probably a lot tougher than you think.


For a primary entrance door, the international building code, that virtually all cities and counties across America subscribe to, categorically state that you must have single cylinder only.

There are life safety codes and ADA codes to also consider.

If you want to increase the security of your door and still comply with the regulations, you might consider installing polycarbonate glazing over the glass. This will prevent the glass from breaking impeding anyone from reaching in to un-snib the turnbutton.

You can purchase Schlage single and double cylinder latches (not deadbolts) These are not entrance knobs or levers but are almost identical to a deadbolt but with a latch.

There are multiple different series of Schlage products, so there are different styles and mechanisms. Largely they have not changed the tailpiece designs. But Grade 3 is different to Grade 2 and Grade 1.

A pic of your existing setup would tell a thousand words.