How to Lay Out a Lockset on a Door
Jigs are nice, but lockset templates work fine.
Replacing an old door slab with a new one may require laying out the lockset so it will line up with the strike plate on the existing jamb.
With the door hung, mark the centerline of the jamb’s strike plate, and transfer the line to the door. Using the template supplied with the lockset, locate the line that represents the edge of the door and fold the template at that line. Then, place the template on the edge of the door and align it with the mark you made representing the center of the strike plate.
Locksets are designed to accommodate both 2-3/4-in. and 2-3/8-in. backsets. The backset is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the hole. 2-3/8-in. is a common backset for interior doors, and what we went with here. With the template telling us where to mark, we mark the center of the hole using an awl.
For the layout of the latch, first measure the thickness of your door. Then, find the corresponding location on the template, and mark that with an awl as well.
Now, you’re set up to bore your holes.
For more information, check out these related door hardware videos:
