Wall Anchor Types and Strengths

I could reproduce 20 or 30 pages of anchor sizes, types and their strengths. It would drive both of us crazy. If you have a specific application and/or know the weight of what you intend to hang, you should take that with you when you go anchor shopping. If you visit a high quality fastener shop, they will have all of the tables/values at their fingertips.

Remember that anchors have two types of strength: shear and tension. Shear strength refers to the vertical load experienced by the anchor. In other words, if loaded too much, the bolt will tear or break off flush with the wall. Tension refers to the force required to pull it from the hole. Imagine an anchor in a concrete ceiling with weights attached directly to the anchor. These values can be very different! Ask if you are confused or unsure. Also, different metals (regular steel say vs. stainless steel) have different values for the same size/type anchor! You must pay attention. All values listed below are tension values.

The first value in each line represents the size of the anchor. The second value is its length. The final value is the amount of pull out force the anchor will resist.

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Locksets are used by each of us virtually everyday. They are one of those items that we constantly take for granted. Locksets provide us with convenience, privacy and security. However, many people do not realize that there is a wide range in features, quality, durability and function with respect to locksets. I believe this is due in part to the fact that we are exposed to locksets as children. They are those shiny knobs that are on every door. What could possibly be so difficult about locksets? Plenty!

Two Basic Types

Locksets are available in two different basic configurations: mortise and cylindrical. Once installed, it is difficult, from a distance, to distinguish between the two. However, they are vastly different in function and installation.

Mortise locksets are those that require a mortise in the edge of the door for installation purposes. The guts of the lockset are contained within a thin box or case which fits into the mortise. The mortise which needs to be created is often quite deep. It is not uncommon to create a cavity, 7/8 inch wide, six inches long and four inches deep. Believe me, that is a big hole in the edge of a door! This mortise must be created with precision. It requires a special tool to do it expertly with minimal chance of damaging the door.

Mortise locksets are usually very durable and can often last the lifetime of a house. Residential uses of these locksets are usually reserved for front doors, where you often wish to install a fancy lockset.

These locksets also offer a unique feature. Virtually every mortise lockset has a built-in heavy duty deadbolt. What's more, this deadbolt can be activated in conjunction with unlocking the standard door latch. You simply have to insert your key into one slot and turn the key a little more than one full turn.

Mortise locksets are often very expensive. They usually are solid brass with highly decorative finishes. The locking mechanism is very substantial and all parts are precision milled. They are not really overpriced when you compare them to other locksets.

So what are the holes for?

Those predrilled holes you commonly see in doors are created for cylindrical locksets. These are the locksets that most of us are familiar with. These locksets derive their name from the shape of the lockset mechanism.

Cylindrical locksets come in a variety of styles. There is also a wide range of quality and durability with these locksets. You can purchase some cylindrical locksets for as little as $8 to $10. That should tell you something!

These locksets have one tremendous advantage over mortise locksets. They can be easily and quickly installed by a rookie who has a little bit of patience and hand-eye coordination. The installation does not require expensive tools, especially if you order the door predrilled for both the lockset and the latch.

Because virtually every cylindrical lockset requires the same sized hole for the lockset and the latch, predrilling is the only way to go! There is generally only one measurement you need to specify. This is called the 'backset'. Backset is defined as the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the lockset hole. The two sizes most commonly used in residential work are 2 3/8 inch and 2 3/4 inch. Most residential locksets use the 2 3/8 inch backset.

Which one is right for me?

In my building career, I installed 50 to 100 cylindrical locksets for every mortise lockset. My own home contains 20 to 30 cylindrical locksets of varying quality and style. However, I did install a beautiful and durable mortise lockset in my front door.

Many people like the appearance of the thumb latch handle which is common on many mortise locksets. This same look is available on certain cylindrical locksets.

However, remember that cylindrical locksets almost always require a separate deadbolt lock for security purposes. This lock requires that you insert your key into an additional slot to unlock the deadbolt. Also, the deadbolt requires additional predrilled holes. My advice is to shop around and see which lockset will best serve your needs. Good luck on your next project!

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Mortise & Cylindrical Lock & Lockset Manufacturers

• Acorn Manufacturing Company
  * manufactures both mortise & cylindrical locksets.
• Baldwin Hardware Corp.
  * primary manufacturer of residential mortise locksets. Highly decorative styles available. Just recently offering a lifetime guarantee with respect to polished brass finish. They claim that finish will not tarnish.
• Kwikset Corp.
  * major player in residential cylindrical locksets.
• Master Lock Co.
  * major manufacturer of residential cylindrical locksets
• Omnia Industries, Inc.
  * manufactures cylindrical & mortise locksets - various styles of lever handles and standard knobs.
• Schlage Lock Co.
  * key player in cylindrical locksets
• Weier Lock
  * major player in residential cylindrical locksets.
• Weslock National, Inc.
  * cylindrical locksets

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Lockset Installation - This is a standard cylindrical lockset sporting a lever handle. The dead giveaway that it's NOT a mortise lockset is the presence of the two screws on the round brass plate. You'll only see these on one side of the lockset. Photo credit: Tim Carter 2024

Lockset Installation Tips & Required Tools

Cylindrical Locksets

A cylindrical lockset is comprised of two sections. This lockset fits into a large-diameter hole you drill on the face of the door.

Cylindrical locksets are, by far, the easiest to install. This is especially true if you replace an existing lockset or install a new one in a pre-drilled new door.

How Long Does it Take to Install One?

The installation time should not exceed 30 minutes if the large hole is drilled in the door.

Required Tools

You will need the following tools to install a typical cylindrical lockset:

• Measuring tape
• Drill
• 2-1/8 inch hole saw
• 7/8 boring bit
• 7/64 drill bit
• /2 inch wood chisel
• razor knife
• Phillips screwdriver,
• hammer

Installing a Cylindrical Lockset Without the Pre-Drilled Hole

If, by chance you are forced to install a cylindrical lockset from scratch, the first thing you need to do is drill the lockset and latch holes. To determine where the center of the holes are, use the template which is provided as part of the lockset package. There are two important considerations: the backset of the lockset and the height of the lockset off the floor. The backset is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the lockset hole. As I mentioned earlier, this dimension is commonly 2 3/8 or 2 3/4 inches. Doors that have glass or narrow stiles almost always require 2 3/8 inch backsets. If you use a larger size, the decorative rosette might overhang the stile on a paneled type door. Flush doors do not pose this problem. Commonly, the centerline height of a cylindrical lockset is 36 inches off the floor.

The layout of the lockset hole is critical. Almost all doors have a very slight bevel. Normally you would not realize this. If you have an accurate combination square, check for this bevel. The bevel is necessary, especially on thicker doors, so that the door does not hit the jamb when closing. Without a bevel, the gap between the door and the jamb, when the door is closed, would be objectionable.

Layout the holes starting from the longest edge. Be sure to subtract the bevel distance when you layout the centerline on the other side! When drilling for the lockset hole, use a standard hole saw. Slowly begin drilling from one side. Drill about 3/8 inch into the door.

Now, start to drill from the other side. This practice ensures that you will not splinter the face of the door, had you tried to drill entirely from one direction. Drill the hole in the edge of the door for the latch, being careful to make sure the drill is level and remains square to the door while you are drilling. This is not easy to do!! Take your time. If this latch hole is not drilled properly, assembly of the lockset will be impossible. The latch will be in a bind and will stick. This hole must be right!

Once you have drilled the holes, assemble the lockset. Check for smooth operation. If you did everything right, the lockset will operate just fine.

Installing the Strike Plate on the Door Jamb

Now it's time to install the strike plate. This is really somewhat simple. The most important part is to get the strike plate positioned on the jamb so that the door latches properly. If you position the strike plate incorrectly, one of two things may happen: set too shallow, the door will rattle against the door stop; set too deep, the door latch will not be able to enter the strikeplate.

This strikeplate has seen lots of use. More care could have been taken to make the hole for the latch cleaner. Photo credit: Tim Carter Copyright 2024

The tolerance is critical. You have only 1/16th to 1/8 inch to play with. When you are confident that you have the dimension right, place the strike plate on the jamb and lightly trace around it with a sharp razor knife. Do this carefully!!! I have used this method for years to create a very tight recess for the strike plate to fit into. Chisel out the necessary wood, drill the latch hole and install the strike plate. If you have taken your time, the operation will be a success.

Mortise Locksets

If you have never installed a mortise lockset before, I recommend that you not try to do it, unless you are a very skilled individual. These locksets require patience and precision layout. There is absolutely no room for error. You also need access to a special tool - a door mortise. This special tool creates the cavity for the lockset case. It is a powerful tool, and if used improperly, will ruin a $300 to $1,000 door in a matter of seconds!

Many of the installation steps are the same as in cylindrical locksets, however there are more of them. There are usually several different holes to drill on each side of the door. The holes are at different locations and are not always the same size. A master carpenter might spend four to six hours installing a mortise lockset. How long do you think it will take you?

Deadbolt Locks

CLICK HERE to read all about installing deadbolt locks.

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Tarnish Free Brass Hardware Manufacturers

The tarnish free brass hardware technology has been around for years. It did not get its start in the hardware industry. The machine tool industry actually pioneered tarnish free metal technology. It was first developed 25 years ago for special drill bits!

Baldwin Hardware has lead the charge in the hardware industry. Competition within the industry will force all others to adopt a tarnish-free brass hardware line, that you can be assured of! In the meantime, you can get a good variety of different tarnish free brass hardware from the following manufacturers. Don't hesitate to ask your local hardware distributor if they carry other tarnish-free brass hardware.

• Baldwin Hardware
• Schlage Lock
• Weiser Lock

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Cleaning Brass Products

Cleaning and polishing tarnished brass objects can be a real chore. There are numerous brass polishing/cleaning products on the market. Some of the compounds (ammonia based products - caustic!) will react and actually dissolve the brass. Other compounds (acidic compounds such as citric acid or Maleic or Tartaric) will not dissolve the brass. These compounds aggressively attack the compounds on top of the brass. The mild acids soften the compounds allowing you to easily remove them. The partially oxidized brass remains. Often you can polish this with minimal effort.

Brass restoration can be an ordeal if it is severely tarnished. In these instances you may have to use a two step process. The first step is to apply a caustic tarnish remover. Often these are brushed on and left to work. Some products require you to use a mild acid neutralizer to stop the caustic from dissolving the brass. This is vital! If you leave the brushed on solution on the brass, it can continue to eat into the metal. Always follow instructions!

Light tarnish can often be removed with simple liquids that react quickly with the oxidized brass. You will have to simply read the instructions on the can or jar to see if you feel the product will work on your brass object. Remember, the degree of tarnish determines the product you will use! Many off the shelf products work just fine.

If you have brass specialty shops in your city/town, I urge you to call or stop in. These stores always sell excellent brass cleaning and polishing compounds. Remember, the store owners deal in brass everyday. They know which products to recommend and the best methods to use for each product. Don't re-invent the wheel. Ask for advice.

• Brasso - A liquid for lightly tarnished surfaces
• Colonial Metal Polish - a liquid that contains very fine abrasives for tougher jobs.
• Gillespie's - a three part kit. Works great for heavily tarnished objects. Follow directions!
• Nev'r Dull - require work and leaves very fine brushed look due to the fine abrasives.
• Noxon - light tarnish disappears with a soft cloth.
• Parks - a two step process for heavy tarnish
• Tarn-X - another liquid that attacks light tarnish
• Red Bear - available at many fine brass shops. Works well and washes off with water.
• Wenol - in a tube like toothpaste. It contains no abrasives and works really well on light tarnish.

Remember: Wear cotton or rubber gloves in the final stages of cleaning and polishing. The oils from your hands will leave fingerprints that will show up months later! Always wash the brass with soap and water after cleaning to remove all polishing and cleaning compounds!

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Brass Restoration Tips

The first step in restoring tarnished brass is to remove any old clear coating that may inhibit you from attacking the tarnish. This can be easily accomplished with regular off the shelf paint strippers. Follow the directions on the can and you will remove the clear coating in less than an hour. Rinse the stripper off with water or whatever solvent the manufacturer recommends.

Heavy Tarnish

Brass objects that are severely tarnished will require a lot of work. Don't think you will complete this job in 15 or 20 minutes. You will undoubtedly have to use a caustic two or three step tarnish remover to cut through the tarnish.

Use judgment if you decide to use a cleaner or polish that contains fine abrasives. The same is true about using steel wool to help remove the tarnish. Abrasives and steel wool can and will cause fine scratches. The removal of the scratches can take considerable time and effort. It may be worth your time to use multiple applications of a non abrasive cleaner.

Wash and Rinse the Residue

Once you have successfully cleaned/removed the tarnish from the brass, you must neutralize and completely remove the chemical from the brass. Failure to do this will cause stains and spotting on the brass. Follow the cleaning instructions and use the recommended neutralizer or solvent.

Rubber or Cotton Gloves

The oils from your hands will stain polished brass. Once you have a piece of brass clean, you cannot handle it with bare hands. All polishing and buffing must be done with gloves of some type on your hands. Cotton work gloves will do just fine if you have completed all operations that involve moisture. If you are still using water or solvents, you might try rubber gloves.

Clear Coatings and Wax

Once the cleaned brass is perfectly polished, you need to protect it from oxygen and chemical attack. Clear lacquer or non-yellowing urethane will work. Lacquers seem to work best as they dry quickly. This will minimize dust in your finish. Spraying the finish is much more desirable than brushing. I would apply no less than 4 coats of lacquer. Follow the lacquer instructions.

Automotive wax applied to exterior brass fixtures will help maintain the finish. However, wax will prohibit further coats of lacquer. If you decide to use the wax method, you should apply a fresh coat of wax every 4 to 5 months. This can be a real maintenance nightmare.

You may choose to simply apply a fresh coat of lacquer every year instead. Normal weathering will attack the lacquer and break it down. If you applied 3 to 5 coats of lacquer from the start, your brass should never be exposed to oxygen or water-borne pollutants if you recoat it every 12 months. Simply clean and rebuff the fixture before you apply the new coat of lacquer.

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The two front porch sconces at my house are magnificent light fixtures. I remember the glow on my wife Kathy's face when I installed them 10 years ago. The splendid solid brass fixtures were polished to a mirror like finish. The brass resembled solidified honey.

Direct sunlight and rain have never touched the fixtures. However, they have lost their shine. Airborne pollutants and condensation have eaten pinholes in the clear lacquer coating. The tarnish that has developed was slow at first - barely detectable. Then within a period of six months it appeared that the fixtures developed a severe skin rash. It was too late...I now have to totally restore the fixtures.

Unstable Metals

Many metals are very unstable. Think of it. You just don't go up to upper Minnesota and find steel I beams growing out of the ground. A trip to the hills of Jamaica will not uncover aluminum cans or aluminum siding sprouting from the hillsides. On the contrary - aluminum, steel, copper, zinc and other metals look much different in their natural state. The metal ions are often coupled with other elements. Iron, for example, is often coupled with oxygen. The mineral hematite is simply 2 atoms of iron and 3 atoms of oxygen - Fe2O3. The iron is very happy in this state. Heck, it probably was like that for millions of years!

When we refine metals we change all that. We throw the iron ore into a blast furnace and strip away the oxygen atoms. We produce raw steel. The steel is very unhappy and wants to get back to its original state. It will readily do this in the presence of water. The result is rust! Rust is simply stable iron - Fe2O3.

Brass is no different. Brass is simply an alloy of copper and zinc. Both copper and zinc are unstable in their refined states. Combined they are still unstable. The tarnish that develops on brass is basically "rust". Tarnish and rust are actually protective coatings. When this film forms on the surface further oxidation or "rusting" is slowed down. The tarnish or rust hides the remaining pure metal from the outside elements. That is why each time we polish steel, brass, or sterling silver, it begins to tarnish again. The tarnish wants to protect the remaining pure metal.

The Tool Industry

Nearly 25 years ago, the tool industry developed a way to coat metals with stable metals. The coating helped improve performance and extend tool life. An ultra-thin layer of gold was applied to titanium nitride drill bits.

About five years ago, the light bulb went off in someone's head. They decided to try the same thing with brass. An alloy of nickel was used. Working in a vacuum, they applied an ultra-thin layer - forty millionths of an inch thick! - to the brass. Then a hardener was applied. Zirconium was added in the presence of nitrogen. The result was a metallic protective layer on the polished brass. The most interesting thing was that the layers of the metals were so thin, you could see through them! Tarnish free brass was here. It will soon be available in just about any form. Regular brass hardware and plumbing fixtures are readily available. Just about any brass piece will probably be able to be purchased with a lifetime tarnish-free guarantee.

In fact, I'll bet that within 10 years you will be able to take old brass objects like my porch lights and have them cleaned and coated with the magic metal films. It is just a matter of time before a company offers this service. The technology is here. All you will have to do is arrange the back and forth shipment!

Regular Restoration

For now I'm stuck with restoring my brass fixtures. Outdoor brass suffers and tarnishes more readily than indoor brass. The reason is simple. Moisture accelerates the chemical reaction that results in tarnish. Couple that with the destructive forces of ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight and you have a real problem.

UV rays can erode and blast apart the resins that make up clear lacquer coatings on decorative brass. The naked eye can't see this happening. However, it happens the instant you hang those fixtures or brass house numbers. What's worse is that you do not know the quality of the lacquer that was used at the brass factory. Perhaps a cheap lacquer was used. Perhaps only two coats were applied. All this in an effort to save money.

If you want to minimize restoration work on your existing or new brass, then you must coat the brass with 3 to 5 coats of clear lacquer before you place it outside. Spray lacquers are easy to apply and dry rapidly. Experiment on a scrap piece of metal before spraying the real piece.

Exterior brass needs to be recoated each year to prevent tarnish. Don't let your brass get away from you like mine did!

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Security is a major concern for many people. Our current society is such that you need to lock up your possessions to protect them and yourself. Standard door locks offer minimal protection. Deadbolt locks help attain a higher level of protection against intruders. They can't offer complete protection as a determined burglar or thief can and will get into your home. If you don't believe me, ask a seasoned police officer!

New Options

Have you purchased or leased a new car lately? If so, you received a little gizmo that allows you to lock and unlock your car doors from a distance. Some even start your car remotely! You can now get similar features on deadbolt locks. The technology has been integrated so that the little gizmo on your key chain operates your house locks, your garage door opener and even the indoor lights of your house. The next 10 years and beyond are going to be exciting times for electronically excited people!

The remote operated dead bolt locks are very interesting. They are battery operated and have built-in audible and visual alert features that tell you if the deadbolt actually locked. There are lots of other cool features as well.

The lighted deadbolts are handy for those dark locations. I have struggled in my own garage on a moonless night to try to get the key into the lock slot. The lighted deadbolt emits a handsome glow that circles the key slot. It is a very simple yet handy feature.

Security Basics

Before you try to thwart the thieves, I suggest you call your local police department. Large police departments have special crime prevention sections and officers who specialize in door security. They will gladly tell you the things that work and those that are a waste of money. Often the police will perform a free security analysis of your home and tell you where the weak link(s) are in your security armor. Don't hesitate to call your police department! It is a great way to see your tax dollars at work! Besides, the police want to help you before a crime, not after one has happened.

Code Problems

Building codes affect deadbolt locks. Some codes prohibit or restrict the use of certain types of deadbolt locks. The locks I am talking about are those that are classified as double cylinder locks. These are the ones that require a key to operate the lock on both sides of the door. These locks are often used in doors that have glass or glass sidelights. Standard single cylinder locks have a twist knob on the inside of the door. A thief will simply break the glass, reach in and twist the knob. Double cylinder locks prevent this type of entry.

They also prevent rapid escape from the house in the event of a fire or some other problem. Simply keeping the key in the lock does little good since a thief will break the glass and turn the key! Before you consider such a lock on your door, check with the building code individuals and fire officials in your area. Ask them if there is an approved method of installing a double cylinder deadbolt lockset in your town.

Professional Installation?

If you have never done this type of job before, I would surely not start with your front door! I am not saying you can't do this job. I am saying that deadbolt lock installation is a somewhat difficult task. If you drill the holes crooked or mis-align them, you will have big problems. Accurately chiseling the mortises required for the bolt and its keeper require skill.

If you decide to tackle the installation yourself - which I think is admirable! - then you might want to practice your drilling and chiseling techniques on some scrap wood or an old door or similar sized piece of wood. Get the feel of a chisel. See how difficult it is to use a spade bit or a hole saw.

Be sure to use a very sharp pencil to make you marks. Double check all dimensions before you drill anything! Once you drill a hole, it is really hard to enlarge it or move it.

Reinforcing the Jamb

Deadbolt locks are only as strong as what they connect to. Almost every lock kit comes with a special hidden steel keeper plate that is installed in the door jamb. Be sure to use this plate and the long, heavy screws that attach this plate to the rough door jamb hidden behind the regular door jamb.

Also look for deadbolt locks that have a 1 inch long bolt. These tend to be stronger.

Visit your local library. Get a copy of the September 1998 Consumer Reports. They had an excellent article on house alarms, dead bolt locks and home security tips!

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