beautify your old garage door

Has your home's garage door lock become broken? You most likely want to have it replaced so that your garage door is secure again. It won't be too difficult to have the lock replaced on your home's garage door. Here are some tips for making it go very smoothly.

Measure The Lock

The first step is taking measurements so that the replacement lock you're buying has a similar size as the existing lock that is broken. Your garage door will have holes already in the door that are designed to fit a specific sized mechanism for the door. It is best getting a lock that's the exact same size so that it fits into the door with no issues. Take measurements of the diameter of the hole, or take the whole lock with you to compare it to models in the store. Getting the exact same size lock will eliminate the need to drill larger holes for the new lock or the risk of getting a lock that is too small.

Buy The Lock

Replacement locks are sold at local home improvement stores. Now is the time to get the type of lock that you want, with there being options for keys, a numerical pin, or fingerprint recognition to unlock the door. Pick the lock that is going to be ideal for your situation. For example, if you use your garage door to let other people into your home, a numerical pin lock would be best since you can revoke access by changing the pin. 

Replace The Lock

Open your door partially so you are able to easily access the lock. Using a screwdriver, remove all the screws holding your lock to the door. Look closely at how the pieces of the old lock fit into the holes, since you'll need to replicate that with the new lock. 

Insert the replacement lock in the same position as the old one. Then secure it in place using the supplied screws.

Test The Lock

Take a moment to test your new lock before losing the door. If something goes wrong, you could cause a big problem with having the garage door stuck shut in a locked position. Make sure that when the locking mechanism is activated that everything is working properly and that the key, pin, or fingerprint scan is unlocking the mechanism.

If you need assistance, don't be afraid to contact a local garage door contractor, such as Garage Doors Of Naples Inc, to handle all aspects of replacing the lock.