Taking the Lock Off: Patching the Frame and Putting the Deadbolt Back

When a vacant property is ready for people again, the InvinciBolt Lock comes off and the original deadbolt goes back in. Removing the lock leaves holes in the door frame: screw holes and the hole the bolt went into. This page covers filling them and putting the original deadbolt back.

Before you start

• Have the original deadbolt, its strike plate and all its screws. Bagging them together when you first take the deadbolt out saves a search later.
• Gather a wood filler or two-part epoxy filler rated for exterior use, a putty knife, sandpaper (coarse and fine), primer, paint to match, and a drill with small bits.
• Read the filler’s label for drying time. DAP, for example, gives about 2 to 6 hours for shallow repairs and about 36 hours for deeper fills of its Plastic Wood-X filler.

1. Unlock and remove the InvinciBolt Lock

Unlock it from outside, take it off by reversing the steps in the install video, and store it with its keys for the next vacancy.

2. Fill the holes

• Small screw holes. A wood filler is enough for cosmetic holes. Overfill slightly because filler shrinks, and build deep holes up in thin layers, letting each dry.
• Screw holes you will reuse. If a screw needs to bite again in the same spot, This Old House’s carpenter fills the hole with short pieces of dowel coated in two-part epoxy, cuts them flush once the epoxy cures, and drills a small pilot hole for the new screw.
• The larger bolt hole. This Old House recommends two-part epoxy fillers for large and structural repairs, and Fine Homebuilding notes epoxy is the only filler that is also a reliable adhesive. For a big opening, start with a snug-fitting wood patch glued in place and fill around it.
• Outdoors. Use a filler rated for exterior use and paint or coat the repair so it lasts.

3. Sand, prime and paint

Sand the patch smooth, starting with coarse paper and finishing fine. Cured epoxy can be harder than the wood around it, so sand carefully to avoid dishing the surrounding wood. Prime the patch, then paint it to match the frame.

4. Put the deadbolt back

1. Slide the bolt into the hole in the edge of the door, with its faceplate flush, and screw it in.
2. Fit the outside cylinder and inside thumbturn through the face of the door, lined up with the bolt, and tighten the mounting screws evenly without overtightening. If they are hard to tighten, check that the bolt is in correctly.
3. Screw the strike plate to the frame. Use long screws that reach the framing; Kwikset says to use longer screws if the old holes are worn. Drive them gently so you don’t pull the jamb out of line.
4. Test it: the bolt should slide fully into the strike, and the lock should work smoothly from both sides with the door closed.

Follow the instructions for your own deadbolt where they differ. For a stronger frame while you are at it, see How to Strengthen an Entry Door.