Fitting Rack Bolts

There are several reasons why you might want to fit Rack Bolts to your door rather than other types of bolt. They are very secure whilst being unobtrusive and because the mechanism is embedded in the wood of the door, they are difficult for an intruder to tamper with. They can be used on both doors and windows and are particularly good when used in conjunction with a mortise or rim lock.

The first thing you need to do is measure the size of the bolt (although it should be stated on the packaging) and find a wood drill bit to exactly match. You want the hole to be as closely fitting as possible so that there is little movement when the bolt is in the hole.

Drill your hole at the required height to the depth of the bolt. Measue from the front of the faceplate of the bolt to the keyhole in the shaft of the bolt and transfer that measurement onto the face of the door using a Try Square. Take your time to make sure that the hole for the key is going to line up with the keyhole in the bolt.

With the keyhole measured and marked correctly, drill the keyhole (usually with a 10mm drill bit). Slide the bolt into place and make sure the key meets the keyhole in the bolt. Leave this in place for a moment while you mark the position of the faceplate. chisel out the recess for the faceplate with a small woodworking chisel. Now reinsert the bolt and screw the faceplate into the recess. Mark the holes for the keyhole plate and screw the keyhole plate into place.

Now close the door and operate the bolt to make a mark on the doorframe. This will show you exaclty where you need to drill the hole (16mm usually) in the frame which will take the bolt in its locked position. Drill out this hole and fit the lock plate over it. This should also be recessed for the best finish. Once this is done test the bolt again with the door in the closed position.

If fitting a rack bolt to a window, follow the instructions above but consider fitting the bolt so that it locks into the top or bottom of the frame rather than the middle rail, as this will be more secure. Window rack bolts are usually smaller than those designed for doors, but are essentially the same.