Keyed-Both-Sides Deadbolts in Lakewood: Where They Fit and Where They Don't

Double Cylinder Deadbolt Installation in Lakewood: what to expect

Fitting a double cylinder deadbolt is mostly standard door work with a few extra details. The door needs a 2-1/8-inch bore through the face and a 1-inch bore in the edge, a backset of 2-3/8 or 2-3/4 inches, and a thickness the lock supports, usually 1-3/8 to 1-3/4 inches; thicker doors need an extension kit. The interior cylinder sits farther out than a thumbturn, so we check clearance for curtains, door stops and security screens. Both cylinders are keyed alike, and high-security options from Medeco, Mul-T-Lock or ASSA Abloy add restricted keys that limit copies of the one key everyone depends on. The strike matters just as much: a box strike with 3-inch screws into the framing. We finish by testing from both sides with the key and agreeing where the key will live. If the glass sits too close to the bore or the stile is narrow, we explain the options before we drill, so nothing gets cut that cannot be undone.

How we can help in Lakewood

• Exit and code check before we drill. Our quote begins with a conversation: which door, how many exits, who sleeps where, what's on the other side of the glass. That tells us whether a double cylinder is a sound security measure or a hazard. We put the reasoning in plain language so you can decide with the facts.
• Workshops, detached garages and outbuildings. Tool rooms, shops and detached garages hold valuable gear, and many have glass doors. A double cylinder deadbolt stops the reach-in entry, and one key can match your other exterior locks. We check door thickness, install the lock and confirm no other latch sits within reach of the glass.
• Interior storage rooms and secured closets. A home office, a server closet or a storage room can use a double cylinder to stay locked from both sides. We confirm the room isn't a bedroom or the only route to an exit, then fit the lock, key it to a single key and set the strike so a pry bar has less to work with.
• Keying, spare keys and the key plan. Because one key does everything, how you store it matters as much as the lock. We suggest a spot near the door but away from the glass, and a spare in a separate place. For households with kids or older relatives, we plan more carefully so nobody has to hunt in an emergency.
• Strike, jamb and frame reinforcement. Reaching in is one way past a door; kicking it is another. We reinforce the strike side with a heavy plate and long screws and examine the jamb for rot or old repairs. If the frame is in poor condition, we tell you plainly before we bolt anything into it.

What's different about Lakewood

Shops in Lakewood's strip centers usually have aluminum storefront doors with narrow stiles that can't take a standard bore, plus rear doors that serve as the second exit. A double cylinder typically isn't an option on an exit door. We use hookbolt deadlocks, exit devices and code-compliant keyed locks, and suggest film or laminate on glass near the lock. We never trade away exit capacity for security.

Older homes in Lakewood frequently have wood doors with divided glass panes close to the lock, and some already carry a double cylinder from a previous owner. These doors are often the main exit, so we usually recommend a strong single-cylinder deadbolt and laminated glass in the pane nearest the lock. For a rear door that isn't the main route, a double cylinder can make sense. We check stile width before drilling, since old wood can split.

Apartment tenants in Lakewood often ask about double cylinders after a break-in on a balcony or glass door. In a rental unit, the main entry must keep working deadbolt hardware under California law, and tenants need to leave without a key in an emergency. We usually recommend reinforcing the strike, protecting glass and asking the landlord to approve any lock changes. Landlords can call us to remove an unauthorized double cylinder at turnover.

Situations this covers

• A seller in Lakewood learns during escrow that the buyer's inspector flagged the double cylinder on the front door as a safety concern. The key has been missing for years. We replace the lock with a single-cylinder deadbolt of the same brand, rekey it to match the garage entry, and give the agent a short note of what changed. The sale carries on without the issue.
• A landlord in Lakewood owns a duplex. After a break-in through a rear door's glass, he asks for double cylinder deadbolts on both back doors. We explain that tenants must be able to leave quickly without a key, and that heavier single-cylinder deadbolts with long-screw strikes address the break-in better. We install those, and he arranges laminated glass for the panes.
• A host with a guest house near Bolivar Park and McCormick Pool wants a double cylinder so visitors can't leave doors unlocked from inside. We explain why guests, who don't know the key plan, are the people most at risk in a fire. We install a keypad deadbolt with a keyed override and an inside thumbturn instead, so codes change between stays and nobody searches for a key in the dark.
• A family off Lakewood Boulevard has a mudroom door with a window beside the lock that opens to the side yard. The front door is their main exit, and the mudroom is rarely used to leave. After checking, we install a double cylinder deadbolt and hang a labeled key hook on the wall near the door, out of reach from the window and visible to everyone in the house.

From your call to the finished job

1. Talk through the door and the reason. Call (951) 903-3193 and tell us which door it is, what it's made of, where the glass sits and why you want a keyed-both-sides lock. A couple of photos help. We ask whether another exit exists, because that answer shapes everything that follows.
2. Check exits, glass and the people involved. We measure how far the glass is from the lock, test whether a hand could reach it, and note who uses the door. That tells us whether the double cylinder really adds security or only adds risk. You get a plain recommendation and the reasoning behind it.
3. Measure, quote and choose the hardware. Hardware choices come next. Standard double cylinder deadbolts from Kwikset or Schlage suit most doors, while heavier Grade 1 or restricted-key models suit higher-risk entries. We show you what fits your door, what each option adds and what the total will be.
4. Prepare the door. Doors with glass need careful drilling. We mask the panes, clamp the jig, cut a clean 2-1/8-inch bore and a 1-inch edge hole, and check that nothing intrudes on the glass stop. Wood chips and dust are cleaned up before we mount anything.
5. Fit both cylinders, key them and set the strike. We mount the bolt, then fit the exterior and interior cylinders through the tailpiece, aligned so the keyway sits upright when unlocked. Both are keyed alike to your key. Then the strike goes in: a box strike with 3-inch screws into the framing.
6. Test the lock and plan the key. The visit ends with an actual drill: door locked, key at the planned spot, you walking from the far side of the room. If that feels slow, we rethink the plan or the lock. We hand over keys and note the keyway and brand for your records.

Pricing factors

• Lock grade and brand. Double cylinder deadbolts come in standard, Grade 2 and Grade 1 versions, and the heavier the lock, the higher the price. Brand and finish matter too. We show two or three choices that fit your door and explain what each adds beyond price.
• Door prep and thickness. A door already bored for a 2-1/8-inch deadbolt costs less to prepare than one that needs both bores cut. Thick doors need extension kits. Glass doors take extra care with masking and jig work. We measure before quoting so the prep is included.
• Number of doors and scheduling. Visits inside our hours, 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. every day, can be scheduled around your day. Combining doors helps. Tell us how many doors, what each is made of and which need keying alike when you call.

Every job gets a clear quote before any work starts. Call (951) 903-3193 with the details and we'll tell you what to expect for your situation in Lakewood.

Common errors that cost time and money

• Buying a double cylinder deadbolt online without checking the door. The stile may be too narrow, the thickness may be wrong or the glass may leave no room for the bore. Returning a lock is cheaper than repairing a damaged door. Measure first, or have us check before you buy.
• Putting a double cylinder on the main exit and hiding the key far away. In a fire, that costs seconds nobody has. Households do it because a pane of glass worries them. Protect the glass instead and keep a normal thumbturn on the door your family relies on to leave.
• Installing one in a rental without telling the landlord. Leases usually restrict lock changes, and a double cylinder raises exit-safety concerns for the owner. Tenants may be asked to remove it at their own cost. Ask in writing, and propose a heavier strike or protected glass instead.

Practical tips before you call

• For an outbuilding, put the key on your main ring and a spare in the house. No one sleeps there, so exit planning is simple, but a lost key can lock you out of your own tools. Keying it alike with your other locks keeps the ring lighter.
• Never leave the key in the interior cylinder as a habit. A hand reaching through broken glass can turn it just like a thumbturn, and you've gained nothing over a single cylinder. If you can't keep the key somewhere else, a double cylinder isn't the right lock for that door.
• Don't count on a spare key under a mat or in a flowerpot for a keyed-both-sides door. It's the first place a burglar looks, and it doesn't help anyone leaving from inside. Leave the spare with a trusted neighbor or relative, or in a lockbox with its own code.
• Match the lock to your door thickness. Most double cylinder deadbolts expect 1-3/8 to 1-3/4 inches. Thicker doors need an extension kit, and kits are model-specific. Measure the door edge rather than the frame, and photograph the existing bores. We can bring the right kit if you give us the number.

Reaching Lakewood

Lakewood is about 62 miles from our San Bernardino base, roughly 68 minutes in light traffic via University Parkway to I-215 South. When you call, you get an arrival estimate based on where the technician is and the traffic at that moment.

Commercial jobs on busy stretches like Del Amo Boulevard sometimes need a parking plan, especially for storefront doors or roll-up gates. Let us know about loading zones, red curbs or parking structures before we arrive.

About Lakewood: The city covers about 9.5 square miles, with roughly 150 miles of streets, 300 miles of sidewalks and more than 36,000 trees along its streets and in its parks.

New or replacement locks in Lakewood?

Call (951) 903-3193 and tell us which doors and what kind of hardware you have in mind. If you already bought the lock, keep the box handy so we can check it fits the door, and we'll quote the install before any work starts.