Deadbolt installation
Fitted properly to the door and the frame, including a strike plate and fixings that reach the framing rather than stopping at the trim.
- New deadbolt
- Upgrade existing
- Strike reinforcement
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain Locksmith for Door Security and Lock Upgrades
A lot of money gets spent on locks that are doing very little, because the lock was never the weak part of the door. This page is about the parts that actually carry the load, and what is worth paying for.
- Focus
- Deadbolts, lock upgrades, rekeying and repairs
- Availability
- Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Service model
- Mobile — assessed on the door itself
Where doors actually fail
The Lock Is Rarely the Weak Part
When an exterior door gives way, the lock itself is usually still intact. What fails is everything around it: the strike plate, the short screws holding it, and the thin edge of the door jamb those screws are biting into.
A deadbolt is only as good as what its bolt lands in. A heavy, well-made bolt throwing into a light strike plate held by three-quarter-inch screws in soft trim is a strong component bolted to a weak one. Fitting a reinforced strike plate with screws long enough to reach the structural framing behind the jamb costs very little and changes the arithmetic completely.
The same logic applies to bolt throw. A deadbolt that does not fully extend because the door has dropped or the hole is misaligned is providing a fraction of the protection you paid for, and nobody notices, because the key still turns.
- Strike plate
- Reinforced, and fixed into framing rather than trim.
- Screw length
- Long enough to reach structure behind the jamb.
- Full throw
- The bolt must extend completely, every time.
Have a look yourself
A five-minute review of your own front door
You can check all of this without tools. If several items come back badly, it is worth a call — and it is usually a cheaper fix than people expect.
If the door is a rental, raise these with the landlord or management company first. We will not alter hardware we have not been authorised to alter.
The lock and bolt
What the hardware is doing when you use it normally.
- Does the deadbolt throw fully without you lifting or pulling the door?
- Does the key turn smoothly, or does it need working at?
- Is there a deadbolt at all, or only a knob or lever lock?
- Does the latch catch cleanly when the door swings shut?
The frame and fixings
The parts nobody looks at, which are usually the ones that matter.
- Is the strike plate loose, or are the screw heads standing proud?
- Is the jamb split, soft or previously repaired around the strike?
- Is there a visible gap between door and frame along the lock edge?
- Do the hinges sag, so the door has to be lifted to close?
- On the least-used door, is the hardware older than everything else?
Services
Stone Mountain locksmith work
Lock replacement
New hardware where the existing lock is damaged, worn, or a lower grade than an exterior door deserves.
- Worn lock
- Security upgrade
- Damaged cylinder
Lock repair
Binding bolts, misaligned strikes and sagging doors corrected. Frequently the whole fix, with no new hardware needed.
- Stiff lock
- Latch misaligned
- Door dropped
Rekeying
Existing cylinders re-pinned to a new key, retiring every key cut before the visit without replacing hardware.
- New occupant
- Lost key
- One key for all doors
High-security locks
Stronger cylinders with pick and drill resistance and controlled key duplication, for doors where standard hardware is not enough.
- Restricted keys
- Drill resistance
- Grade upgrade
Lockouts
Homes and vehicles opened without damage where possible, at any hour, after identity and entitlement are established.
- Locked out
- Key inside
- Snapped key
Situations
What we get asked here
- A good deadbolt on a door frame that flexes when you push it
- Reinforce the strike and the fixings. The lock is already doing its part; the frame is not doing its own.
- A back door with only a knob lock and no deadbolt
- Fit one. The least-used door is very often the weakest point on the whole house.
- The deadbolt only throws if you push the door in with your hip
- The door or frame has moved. Adjusted rather than replaced, in most cases — and until it is, the bolt is not fully engaging.
- A tired original lock on a door that is otherwise sound
- Replace the hardware, keep the door. Frequently the best value upgrade available on an older house.
Service request
Book Stone Mountain Locksmith Work
Tell us how many doors, what is on them now, and what you want to be true when we leave. Then call (678) 585-6089.
Step 1
What needs service?
Step 2
What happened?
Choose a category above to see the options.
Step 3
When do you need help?
Step 4
Where is the service location?
Step 5
Job details
The details that matter depend on whether this is a vehicle, a home or a business.
Never share alarm codes, PINs, access-control credentials or passwords — a locksmith does not need them to quote your job.
Step 6
Who should we ask for?
Your service request
Start at step 1 — we'll assemble your request as you go.
Locksmith Lawrenceville Pro takes service requests by phone so a real person can qualify the job before anyone is dispatched. Nothing on this page is submitted anywhere — it just gets your details in order before you call.
Coverage
Serving Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain is in DeKalb County, south-west of Lawrenceville along the US 78 corridor. We serve it as a mobile locksmith market, which for this kind of work is essential — no assessment of a door, a frame or a strike plate can be made from a shop counter.
Nearby markets we also cover
All service areasQuestions
Stone Mountain locksmith questions
Is an expensive deadbolt worth it?
Only if it is fitted into something solid. A high-grade bolt landing in a light strike plate screwed into soft trim is a strong part attached to a weak one. Reinforcing the strike and using long fixings usually delivers more than upgrading the lock alone.
Can you add a deadbolt where there is not one?
Yes. That includes preparing the door and frame, aligning the bolt so it throws fully, and fitting a strike plate with screws long enough to reach the framing.
My deadbolt only works if I pull the door. Is that a problem?
Yes, and a common one. It normally means the bolt is not fully extending into the strike, so you are getting a fraction of the protection you paid for. It is usually an adjustment rather than a replacement.
What is a high-security lock?
Hardware with a stronger cylinder, resistance to picking and drilling, and controlled key duplication so copies cannot be cut casually. It is worth it on some doors and unnecessary on others — we will tell you which is which.
Do you rekey in Stone Mountain as well?
Yes, and it is often done in the same visit as hardware work. Repair what needs repairing, then bring every door onto a single new key.
Do you handle lockouts here at night?
Yes. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on (678) 585-6089.
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Check the frame, not just the lock.
If the door flexes, the deadbolt is not the whole answer. Call (678) 585-6089 and we will look at the whole door.
(678) 585-6089- Market
- Stone Mountain, GA — DeKalb County
- Hours
- Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Based at
- 3090 Lawrenceville Hwy, Lawrenceville, GA 30044