Mortise lock is one of the heaviest locks, primarily used to secure wooden doors. Replacing a mortise lock is relatively difficult and time-consuming because of the setup procedure. But if you have all the necessary tools (Door Wedge, Hammer, Tape Measure, Pencil, Screwdriver, Chisel, Pliers, and Drill) available, replacing a mortise lock won’t be difficult.
In this article, I have explain more details about replacing mortise lock, so read on to know more about it.
How Do You Replace a Mortise Lock?
If you have all the necessary tools, you are ready to replace the mortise lock. Following is the step-by-step procedure for replacing a mortise lock:
- Open the door and use a wood wedge to stop the door’s movement while you are working to replace the mortise lock.
- Use the screwdriver and remove all the screws of the old mortise lock attachment, such as spindles, handle and cover plate.
- To remove the lock cage, use the keys to set the deadbolt out.
- Use the pliers to hold the deadbolt, and pull out the lock cage.
- Take measurements of the lock cage (Case Depth, Backset and Fore-end )
- Hold the new lock cage and place it against the door to mark the euro cylinder hole with a pencil.
- Use the drill to make the keyhole larger, if necessary.
- Use the hammer and chisel to reshape the lock cage area (If the new lock cage does not fit into the old lock cage area).
- Put the lock cage into place and attach the handle and spindle.
- Use an Allen key to tighten the screw underneath the spindle.
- Hold the keyhole covers/escutcheons on both sides of the door to take measurements of the cylinder (edge-to-edge measurement). If the measurement is 60mm, you will require a 62mm cylinder.
- Push the cylinder into the hole and use the key to ensure the locks work perfectly.
- Use the screwdriver to secure all the necessary screws (while the bolt-lock is out).
- Place the escutcheons on both ends of the keyhole, use a tiny drill bit to make holes in the wood, and use screws to hold the escutcheons in place.
How to Replace a Mortise Lock Cylinder?
To replace the mortise lock cylinder, you will require a screwdriver and a drill. First, you need to open the cover plate of the lock. The cover plate is attached with two screws; use the screwdriver to open the screws from the cover plate. Once you open the screws of the cover plate, it will come out easily. Under the cover plate, there are two main screws that hold the cylinder in place.
Once again, use the screwdriver to unscrew the screws that are holding the cylinder. After unscrewing, the cylinder will come out easily when you pull it. Now take the new cylinder and slide it inside the door area and tighten the screws.
Before buying the new cylinder, take measurements of the old cylinder so that the new cylinder can easily fit in place without any reshaping on the door.
How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Mortise Lock?
If you hire a professional locksmith, the replacement cost of a mortise lock can be around 200$ on the low end and 500$ on the high end in the USA. Compared to other types of locks, the replacement cost of a mortise lock is higher because it takes more time and works to replace the lock.
In the USA, the average cost of hiring a locksmith start from 100$-200$. However, depending on the type of lock and the time it takes to replace or repair the lock, the cost may go high or low.
Cost of hiring a locksmith for mortise lock service.
| Service | Costs |
| Replace mortise lock and provide bunch of keys | 300$ to 500$ |
| Repair an old mortise lock | 100$ to 200$ |
| Rekey the mortise lock and replace 1 set of keys | 150$ to 250$ |
Losing or forgetting the key inside the house after locking the door is a frustrating experience. In this type of situation, anyone may need an emergency locksmith service. If you are living in the USA, you will easily find 24-hour locksmith services in your region. The cost of emergency locksmith services in the USA ranges from $50 to $100 per hour. The cost may rise if you hire a locksmith on the weekend or public holidays. However, if you want to open mortise lock without key on your own, read another article where I have explain everything step by step.
Before hiring a locksmith, always verify their identity from the website of the Federal Trade Commission. Also, go through the online customer review (locksmiths with more positive reviews usually provide better service)
How to Change Mortise Lock Set to a Cylinder Lock Set?
To change the mortise lock to a cylinder lock set, you will require the necessary tools to open the mortise lock and install the cylinder lock. Make sure that you have the following tools available:
- Screwdriver
- Wood Piece
- Wood Glue
- Drill with a hole cutter.
- Chisel
- Hammer
Once you have all the listed tools available, now you can follow the step-by-step procedure of changing the mortise lockset to a cylinder lock set.
- Step 1: Remove the old mortise lock using the screwdriver or impact wrench. The first section of the article explains step by step procedure for removing a mortise lock.
- Step 2: Take the measurement of the mortise lock cage and cut the wood piece according to the measurement.
- Step 3: Apply the wood glue on the wood piece & door gap and seal the door gap with the wood piece. (Wait at least 6 hours before moving to the next step).
- Step 4: Take the measurement of the lock deadbolt and use the whole cutter to make a hole in the door from the front according to the measurement.
- Step 5: Use the chisel and hammer to create a semicircular hole on the edge of the door (the hole should be in alignment with the cylinder hole)
- Step 6: Open the interior knob and rose of the new lock using the push-liver.
- Step 7: Insert the latch of the lock from the edge of the door and secure it in place with the screws.
- Step 8: Inset the exterior part of the knob from the door face and make it clap with the door latch.
- Step 9: Insert the mounting plate and use the two screws to keep the lock in place.
- Step 10: Correctly insert the interior rose and knob in place. In the lock body, there are signs that indicate proper attachment of the knob and rose with the cylinder.
Final Words
Replacing a mortise lock is not difficult and you can do it on your own if you have the necessary tools and knowledge. In this article, I have explained the procedure of replacing a mortise lock step by step. If you follow the procedure, replacing the mortise lock won’t be difficult for you.
However, if you don’t want to replace the lock on your own, you can hire a locksmith. A professional locksmith can charge around $200 to $500 to replace the mortise lock in the United States (including lock price and service charge).
Compared to other types of locks, mortise lock is difficult to install, and this is why locksmith charge more when it comes to replacing a mortise lock.