Deadbolt Installation

Not every deadbolt suits every door, and the wrong choice can leave you with a false sense of security. The three most common options our technicians fit on Toronto exterior doors are single-cylinder deadbolts, double-cylinder deadbolts, and jimmy proof deadbolts. Single-cylinder models are the everyday standard — keyed outside, thumb-turn inside — and work well on solid wood and steel doors where the lock is not near a glass panel. Double-cylinder variants require a key on both sides, which offers additional security on doors with sidelights or decorative glass but requires careful thought around emergency egress. Jimmy proof deadbolt installation is particularly popular in older Toronto walk-up apartments and semi-detached homes, where door frames have settled over decades and a surface-mounted interlocking rim lock provides a stronger hold against forced entry than a mortised bolt alone.

Beyond cylinder type, grade matters. Grade 1 locks — the highest ANSI rating — are what we recommend for any exterior door that faces a shared hallway, a laneway, or a street-level entry. Brands like Schlage and Kwikset produce well-tested Grade 1 deadbolts with hardened steel bolts and anti-pick, anti-drill protection. For properties requiring a step up from a standard deadbolt, a mortise lock is often the right answer. A mortise lock is set directly into a pocket cut into the door edge rather than through-bolted like a cylindrical lock, making it significantly more resistant to kick-in and prying. Our locksmiths are experienced with mortise lock installation on both heritage-style doors common in Toronto's older neighbourhoods and modern commercial-grade steel doors.

A professional deadbolt installation is not simply drilling a hole and dropping a lock in. Our technicians begin by evaluating the door material — solid wood, hollow-core, fibreglass, or steel — and the condition of the door frame and strike plate. The strike plate is where most forced entries succeed; a standard short-screw strike plate offers very little resistance. We fit reinforced strike plates with 3-inch screws that anchor into the stud behind the frame, which dramatically improves resistance to kick-in attacks without altering the look of the door.

From there, we measure and mark the bore hole and edge bore locations using a hole saw and chisel set, working carefully to avoid splitting older wood frames. Where an existing lock is being replaced, we check whether the new lock's backset — typically 2-3/8 inches or 2-3/4 inches — matches the existing prep so the bolt aligns cleanly with the strike. For new installations with no prior prep, we complete the full bore, mortise the faceplate flush with the door edge, and install the lock body, cylinder, and thumb-turn before testing the throw and alignment. Damage-free work is the goal wherever door and frame conditions allow, and we explain what to expect before we begin.

Residential deadbolts handle most doors well, but certain situations call for heavier hardware. If you operate a small business along a strip like Danforth Avenue or in a commercial unit in the Junction, a commercial locksmith assessment of your entry points is worth the conversation. Commercial exterior doors often have different prep cuts, thicker stiles, and higher daily use that wears out residential-grade locks faster. Our team installs commercial-grade deadbolts and mortise lock bodies from proven manufacturers, ensuring the bolt throw, cylinder quality, and strike plate all meet the demands of a business environment.

Mortise lock systems are also the right answer for many multi-unit residential buildings and older Toronto homes that were originally fitted with mortise hardware. Retrofitting a modern cylindrical deadbolt into a door prepared for a mortise lock without proper infill work leaves structural weaknesses in the door edge. Our technicians handle mortise lock replacements and upgrades correctly — filling, re-boring, or sourcing a compatible mortise deadbolt body depending on what the door requires. If your property also has door knob lock hardware that needs attention, we can assess and upgrade those at the same visit, consolidating your security work into a single call-out.

We do not publish flat rates for deadbolt work because honest pricing depends on several real variables: the type and grade of lock being installed, whether the door needs prep work or frame reinforcement, the time of day your call comes in (our technicians are available 24/7 including nights and weekends), the distance to your location within the Toronto service area, and whether additional hardware such as a reinforced strike plate or a new door knob lock is included. What we do commit to is an exact, up-front quote before any work begins — no surprises added to the final invoice.

When you call (647) 692-2560, one of our team members will ask a few quick questions about your door, your current lock situation, and your location so we can give you an accurate quote on the spot. If you're dealing with an urgent situation — a broken lock, a failed bolt, or a security concern after an attempted break-in — our emergency locksmith response means a trained technician can be with you the same day, any day of the week. We bring the equipment and a selection of stock hardware to most jobs, so there's rarely a need for a second visit to complete the work.