Lock Installation in Marietta, GA
A new lockset only works if it fits the holes in your door and catches the frame every time. Peach Locksmith LLC handles lock installation in Marietta for new doors, finished additions and backyard gates, and replaces worn knobs and levers that have stopped latching. We measure the door before any hardware goes on it, then line up the latch and strike so the door closes with one clean click.
Check these four numbers before you shop for a lock
Lock installation means fitting a new lockset to a door so it latches every time. That starts with four measurements.
Backset, cross bore, edge bore and door thickness decide which hardware fits your door. Write them down before you buy a lock, or send them to us when you get in touch. Most inside doors run 1-3/8" thick and most outside doors run 1-3/4", and the two take different sets.
- BacksetFrom the door's edge to the center of the big hole. Most read 2-3/8" or 2-3/4".
- Cross boreThe big round hole through the face of the door where the lock body sits. Most are 2-1/8" wide.
- Edge boreThe smaller hole in the door's edge that the latch slides through. Often 1" wide.
Old knob, new hardware: lining up the holes right
A knob that won't fit is a common lock installation call. Here is what that call usually looks like.
A front door knob has stopped catching. The homeowner buys new hardware, takes the old knob off, and then the new one won't go on.
Most of the time, the holes are the issue. The new latch might sit too deep in the door, or the lock body won't slide into the cross bore. Many new latches adjust between 2-3/8" and 2-3/4", so a twist or slide of the latch face often fixes the depth with no drilling.
Some older doors were drilled smaller than today's common 2-1/8" cross bore. When that happens, the hole gets opened up with a boring jig, a clamp-on guide that keeps the bit straight. At the edge, some latches drive straight in and others need a shallow pocket chiseled for a flat faceplate.
What most homeowners don't realize about a knob that won't latch: the old knob is often fine. The latch and strike plate have drifted out of line, usually from the door sagging or swelling. If the strike plate sits a hair too high or low, no new knob will fix it.
So we line up the latch bolt and strike plate together. That careful fit is what turns a door lock replacement into a door that closes with one clean click.
The latch bolt is the angled metal tongue that clicks into the frame. The strike plate is the metal plate on the frame where it catches. When those two meet in the center, the door latches. When they don't, the lock gets blamed for a problem that lives in the door and frame.
Marietta weather moves wood doors
Every trip starts at our base on Austell Rd SW in Marietta, and local doors share a local habit: they move with the seasons.
No third-party dispatch. Crews leave from Marietta and reach metro homes within the scheduled window.
Marietta summers run hot and humid. Wood doors and frames soak up that moisture and swell a little. In winter, with the heat running, they dry out and shrink back.
That seasonal swing can pull the latch bolt off its mark on the strike plate. A lock that latched fine in January can start dragging in July, and the other way around.
So lock installation starts with how the door hangs, not just the holes. We watch the door swing, check for rubbing at the frame and sag at the top corner, and set the latch and strike with that movement in mind. Gates get the same thinking, since wood posts shift with the seasons too.
Tell us about your door and we'll talk it through
New door, addition or gate? Send the details and the four numbers if you have them.
You can check us out before anyone comes to your door. Our address is posted: 2108 Austell Rd SW, Marietta, GA 30008. Look it up on a map. That's where every trip starts.
Call 678-824-6578 or email info@peachlocksmithllc.com with your door's backset, cross bore, edge bore and thickness. If your knob isn't catching, describe what's happening and we'll talk it through.
One call or one email. That's the process.
We measure backset, bore and thickness before we drill
Four numbers get measured before any hardware touches the door. Every install follows the same habits.
- Four numbers firstbackset, cross bore, edge bore and door thickness are measured, then the hardware is matched to them
- Latch meets strikethe latch bolt should hit the center of the strike plate; if it doesn't, we adjust the plate, not just the lock
- The right grade for the jobANSI/BHMA grades rate how tough a lock is, from Grade 1, the strongest, to Grade 3, the lightest; a back entry door works harder than a pantry door
- Gates get outdoor thinkingwe plan for wood posts that shift with the seasons so the gate still closes in July
- Older doors checked before drillingsome older homes have mortise locks set in a deep pocket in the door's edge, and those take different hardware
- Screws tightened evenlyover-tightened lock body screws can bind the latch
- Tested with the door shuta latch that pulls back easily on an open door can drag once it's closed, so we test both ways and try the key from outside
Step by step: latch, strike, cylinder, test
Latch first, test last. Every install follows the same order.
Diagnostics
We start by measuring the four numbers. Then we watch the door swing. Does it rub the frame? Does it sag at the top corner? Some older homes, like those near Marietta Square, may have mortise locks, which take different hardware, so we check before anything gets drilled.
Implementation
Latch: set it to the right backset and seat the faceplate flush in the edge bore. Strike: line the strike plate up with the latch bolt, deepening the frame pocket if the latch needs room. Cylinder: slide the lock body through the cross bore, key side out, and tighten the screws evenly. On a new door, fresh holes get drilled with a jig, sized to the door thickness.
Post-service testing
We close the door several times. It should latch with one soft push. Then we turn the knob or lever with the door shut. Drag at this point means the latch is rubbing the strike. Last, we try the key from outside.
Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw and the towns around them
From our Marietta base, we install locks across Cobb County and beyond.
Our team covers Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Powder Springs, Austell, Mableton and Vinings. Farther out, we reach Roswell, Alpharetta, Decatur and surrounding communities. New lock installation in Marietta and gate lock installation across Cobb County are close to home for us.
- Smyrna
- Marietta
Lock installation questions
What should I measure before buying a new lock?
Measure four things: the backset, from the door's edge to the center of the big hole; the cross bore, the big hole through the face of the door; the edge bore, the smaller hole in the door's edge; and the door thickness. Most backsets read 2-3/8" or 2-3/4", most cross bores are 2-1/8", and most edge bores are about 1". Inside doors usually run 1-3/8" thick and outside doors 1-3/4".
Why won't my new door knob fit where the old one was?
Usually the holes don't match the new hardware. The latch may be set to the wrong backset, which many latches can adjust without drilling. The cross bore may be smaller than today's common 2-1/8", or the latch may need a faceplate pocket chiseled into the edge.
My knob turns fine but the door won't latch. Do I need a new lock?
Not always. Often the old knob is fine and the latch and strike plate have drifted out of line from the door sagging or swelling. If the strike plate sits a little too high or low, a new knob won't fix it. Lining up the latch bolt and strike plate together is what gets the door latching again.
Do you install locks on gates?
Yes. We handle gate lock installation in Cobb County and plan for wood posts that shift with the seasons, so the gate still closes in July.
Can you install a deadbolt or a smart lock instead?
Yes. Deadbolt installation and smart lock installation are both services we offer, along with high-security locks. Each has its own page if you want the details for that type of lock.
Other services we provide
Ready for a lock that fits? Call 678-824-6578
Call 678-824-6578 to book a lock fitted to your door.
Need to install a lock on a new door, or replace a knob that won't latch? Call 678-824-6578 or email info@peachlocksmithllc.com. Our base is 2108 Austell Rd SW, Marietta, GA 30008. Look us up, then reach out.