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How to Change your Locks in Five Simple Steps


Changing locks in your home sounds so simple, and it can be if you know what youre doing. Of course there are on the market different styles of handles, and certain styles have different locking mechanisms. Each style has its own unique function, so if youre going to change your lock, know what type works best and why. Read on and learn a little about how to change a basic lock, and other style issues and uses.

You need to know what youre using your lock for before changing out the lock. Here are a few styles that youll want to consider.

1. Free through Passage Handles. If you need to change the handles in your house for a closet then you wont have to fool with locks on this one. Its free through exactly as the name sates. You can buy them in a knob type handle style, or a lever type that is very popular. Of course make sure that you dont need one a lock before purchasing a free through handle. Any medications that are stored will need to be locked if you have small children around.
2. Privacy Door Knobs. Commonly used in the areas of a bedroom or bathroom where privacy is most desired. The lock on these doors are made where you can unlock the door from the inside by turning an extra switch, or just by turning the knob.
3. Entrance Locks. This type of lock is very popular for a garage door or anywhere that youll want limited access to areas that might have dangerous chemicals, or sharp machinery or tools. The style is not totally secure because if its used on fencing around a pool someone can hop the fence, and get right into the area youre trying to keep closed. Consider enclosing any area like this with a much taller fencing system for better security.
4. Decorative Door Knobs. These types of knobs are used for spicing up the look of your house. Popular places for placement are on French doors. You can use them on pantries too as long as you dont have anything in there thats hazardous. Theres no lock on these, so make sure that youll use them in the correct way. Handles can be placed on both sides of the door, but youve got a choice of having them only on one side too. A cap in a matching color is on the other side with fake trim.
5. Security Single Deadbolt Lock. This lock is good for any entrance door to the home, such as a front or back door. You can put them on interior doors that lead from a garage to inside of the house too. Its advisable to use this type of lock with doors that dont have glass panes or side lights. It would be very easy to enter by just breaking the glass and reaching in to turn the knob. It has one cylinder on the outside. Youll enter by using a key from the outside of the door.
6. Security Double Deadbolt Lock. Use this type of lock when you want extra strength and security for you doors. This deadbolt lock can be locked from the inside or outside of the door using a key. Other types of locking mechanisms can be added for security such as a chain too.
7. Decorative Deadbolt and Latch Set. This type can be made as either a knob or handle type. Its a deadbolt lock and a door latch in one. You can use the two configurations by themselves too. It just depends on your needs.

Now that youve got an idea about the different types of styles and their locking mechanisms youll need to figure out if the door handle that youve got now is appropriate, or if you just want a new style of lock and handle to replace the older one.

Considerations for changing your lock are below. If youre upgrading your lock these are a few tips that will come in handy when doing it.

Latch plate. The latch plate hole might not be deep enough for a better quality latch. The latch plate is on the interior part of your door. Open it and remove the existing latch plate.
Try fitting the new latch plate into the old hole. If it doesnt fit flush with the hole, youll need to chisel out the old hole to a deeper depth.
Check to make sure that the plunger for the deadbolt matches up with the hole in the door frame. The lock wont do any good for security if the holes dont line up.
For extra security add longer screws to the pre drilled areas on the plate.
Readjust if needed for security purposes.

While it is possible to purchase foreclosure homes for up to 50 percent below market value, steals like these are not typical and much homework must be done before buying foreclosure homes.

What is Wainscoting and Why is it so Popular?


Wainscoting has been a popular form of wall coating for more than a hundred years. Essentially, wainscoting is paneling that is used on the lower half of walls inside your house. It can be made of wood, marble, ceramic tile, heavy fabric, or newer materials like wood combinations or plastic. The dictionary definition suggests that wainscoting is any paneling treatment that rests between the baseboard and the chair rail. The most popular of these, even today, is wood. The most popular of the wood constructions is tongue in groove boards, but any type of decorative panel (even old doors in some cases) could serve this purpose. Originally, wood wainscoting was made of wood wagon siding, which is why it was so popular. The material was around in a plentiful supply, and that is why so many people used it in their homes.

Wainscoting can be of any height, but at its lowest level, wainscots are an extension of the baseboard that runs the length of the room. Most baseboards run up to eight inches up the height of the wall. They are usually one board with a decorative upper edge. For rooms that need a bit more, though, home builders find it both better and easier to finish the top with a separate piece, which is where wainscoting comes into play. This style was commonly seen in homes built before eighteen forty.

Traditional wainscoting, though, is usually a bit higher. It usually runs anywhere from forty-eight inches to fifty-four inches in height. It is used to protect and decorate the area. This taller style of wainscoting began its popularity in the mid-nineteenth century. This traditional style was usually tongue-and-groove boards running vertically up the wall and nailed in place. It was used to hide wall joints in the past, but now it is simply used for its durability.

There are even higher levels of wainscot. These began to appear in fashion in the dining rooms of the nineteen hundreds. They could run as high as sixty to seventy two inches. The panels were sold as eighteen to twenty-four inch pieces, and they were usually separated by three inch molding. The most popular building material for these at the time was cloth. It was usually burlap, grasscloth, or a heavy linen material. Most were rich colors.

While wainscot history has some interesting points, the future for wainscoting still looks good. People love the inexpensive nature of wainscot. It is possible to supply an entire room of quality wood wainscot for as little as one hundred and fifty dollars. People also love the look of wainscoting. It offers elegance, as many expensive homes use it in the original construction now. Not only does it offer an elegant look, but it also brings an element of the past into play. Because so many homes used to have wainscoting, people identify with it as an older building material. It can, therefore, offer a look of rich history to a new construction home. People also love the durability of wainscoting. If you have children or pets, walls in rooms that are highly trafficked take a serious beating. In the dining room, the kids hit the wall with their chairs every time they leave the table. In the hallways, kids leave their hand prints on the wall. In the basement, the dog hits the wall with his paws as he's headed for the door. Wainscoting can offer your wall protection from these kinds of accidents. It usually cleans up with a damp cloth, and in just a few short minutes, it can look as good as it did the day you installed it. Moreover, in older homes, it can protect your walls from getting damp. Because older construction homes are not subject to building codes the way new construction homes are, they sometimes need extra materials to protect them from environmental problems. Wainscoting can help maintain the plaster on the walls in the dampest of situations, and it can even cover uneven wall surfaces offering a smooth look to room.

Wainscoting has spent more than one hundred years in the popular spotlight, and it looks as if it will continue its fame into the next one hundred years.