Deadbolt with a non-standard 2" backset

November 26, 2017 11:13 AM

My backdoor has a hole for a deadbolt, but it's at 2", not US-standard 2 3/8". The previous owners put a "fake" deadbolt there with the latch, but without actually drilling for the bolt itself so it doesn't work. It's not an important door and I live in a very safe area. What are my best options for making it functional?

I already have some sliding bolts on the inside, but want to put a keyed deadbolt there that actually works. You can find them with a 2" backset, but those are more expensive and wouldn't be keyed to my existing key. I bought a cheap, Schlage standard deadbolt that the hardware store keyed to my key before realizing the measurements were off.

I think my options are:

1. Return the one I bought (if I can) and buy a 2" one

2. Somehow adjust the existing hole to accommodate the hardware I've already bought. Is that possible?

3. Create a brand new hole in the door and start from scratch with standard measurements. I don't particularly care what the door ends up looking like.

posted by idb to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

Best answer: Purchasing the correct 2" compatible lockset seems like the best choice. I would figure you can swap out the tumbler to match your key if you stick with the same brand and series.
posted by humboldt32 at 11:24 AM on November 26, 2017

Best answer: You probably can't swap the one you bought now you've had it keyed, but it'll always be useful sometime in the future. Get the correct sized one and get that keyed, it'll be way easier. Cutting additional holes in a door to accommodate the wrong sized lockset will often damage the door beyond repair, if it's even possible.
posted by tillsbury at 12:22 PM on November 26, 2017

Best answer: I used this Ryobi door lock installation kit to expand a hole for a larger deadbolt. It has a jig that makes it very easy to get things aligned right.
posted by ShooBoo at 12:56 PM on November 26, 2017

Best answer: You could drill a new hole using SooBoo's kit, and cover up the off-center hole with a Door Reinforcer.
posted by Marky at 3:23 PM on November 26, 2017

Best answer: If I am understanding the situation correctly, can you just cut the bucket end off the guard that catches the deadbolt and drill a further 3/8 inch into your door jam for the deadbolt to extend into ?

As a side note, re-keying a door is actually not very hard and quite cheep. I did all our doors in an hour or so for about 20 dollars.
posted by Oceanic Trench at 12:58 AM on November 27, 2017

what Marky said
posted by patnok at 3:23 PM on November 27, 2017

I have re-drilled a 2" deadbolt to a larger size. You can use a kit like the one SooBoo linked, but I recommend clamping a piece of thin plywood over the area so that the center bit part of the hole saw has something to anchor in to until the outer circular part gets started.
posted by thejanna at 10:48 AM on November 28, 2017 [1 favorite]