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Q: I observed that my next-door neighbor just recently had a security door set up on his front door, and it leaves me feeling a little susceptible. How can I set up one on my front door without it looking like an amateur did it?

A: This is truly a simple job, so don't let it frighten you.

There are security doors readily available to fit every taste and budget plan. You can get a fundamental door with steel bars and a screen for about $150 or pay as much as $300 for an elegant design.

The door will come in 3 pieces: the door/hinge jamb, the side jamb and the head jamb. If all works out, you'll be locking the new door in about an hour.

Initially, determine which method the door needs to swing (the doorknob on the security door need to be on the exact same side as the doorknob on the front door).

Install the doorknob and deadbolt into the holes in the door. Before you do this though, take a look at the front door and see if the doorknobs will hit each other, preventing the security door from closing. You might think about putting the doorknob in the top hole of the security door and setting up the deadbolt in the bottom hole. By doing this, the doorknobs will miss out on each other.

Hold the security door up to your front door to confirm that the doorknobs will not get in touch with each other. Mark the place of the top hole and eliminate the security door.

You'll be using one-way screws (they feature the door), which use a standard screw slot. These screws permit you to tighten the screws, however make their removal really hard.

Use a bar of soap and run the threads of the screws over it. The soap will make the screws easier to drive in.

Partially drive a screw into the top hole of the hinge-side jamb. Because the door comes connected to this jamb, the door will be a little jagged up until you plumb it. Use a level and as you hold the level against the jamb, press the door until the level shows it's plumb.

Mark the staying holes, and drill pilot holes. Drive the screws on this jamb halfway.

Extend the bolt on the lock and take the strike-side jamb and place it on the bolt and the latch of the doorknob. Close the door and raise the strike-side jamb somewhat so that when the lock is engaged, it will not strike the jamb. Plumb this jamb with the level, mark the holes, drill pilot holes and drive the three screws halfway.

As you are setting up the strike-side jamb, often test that the latch and the bolt from the lock quickly enter the jamb. Totally drive the screws into the frame.

Lastly, place the plugs into the ends of the head jamb and mark, drive and drill the holes so that the head jamb will rest about 1/8 of an inch above the door.

If you find you have scratched the system throughout installation, retouch the scratches with paint or those locations will rust.

Mike Klimek is a certified specialist and owner of Las Vegas Handyman. Questions might be sent by e-mail to handymanoflasvegas@msn.com. Or, mail to 4710 W. Dewey Drive, No. 100, Las Vegas, NV 89118. His web address is www.handymanoflasvegas.com.

Do-it-yourself

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