Adding Dead Bolt to Steel Door

[AviationMan]

Is it possible to add a dead bolt to this style of insulated door? I want to use one of these nest locks, I also have to have a keyed Knox Box for fire.

 

[The Cobbler]

answer is yes. is that a commercial hollow metal door ?

 

[AviationMan]

answer is yes. is that a commercial hollow metal door ?

I believe it's insulated.

 

[rayra]

Hollow or insulated, doesn't matter. Either should be constructed with a wood perimeter frame thru which your added lock is mounted.

 

[The Cobbler]

if it's commercial hollow metal door it will all be steel, no wood

 

[wayne55]

Just have to use a holesaw capable of drilling metal. I added several deadbolts to my house that has metal
doors, although they are not what you would call industrial.

 

[CraigStu]

Can you find a model # anywhere on the door. My concern is that a lot of doors only have interior wood or whatever in certain areas. At the conventional latch and deadbolt locations the inside may be filled for 4-5 inches in from the edge. The rest of the door perimeter may only be filled in 2 inches from the edge.

 

[steaks&anvils]

The door manufacturer information should be on a tag on the door edge, hinge side, near the top. It will list manufacturer, fire rating etc.

 

[rjn2649]

It's probably hollow. Get an Ames door lock support. They are made for hollow doors. Just keep in mind you are probably adding THE LOOK of security, more than any real security. Yeah it might slow someone down, but cheap hollow steel doors bend easy enough.....

 

[D-train]

The two steel exterior doors that I bored into DID NOT have wood in the area where a deadbolt would go. (cost effective design) I had to hunt for the lock support mentioned above.

 

[The Cobbler]

I usually use a few pcs pf wood blocking for lock support

 

[adsinnott1]

The thing makes life simple: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EEX5UY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I added a dead bolt to my steel insulated man door into my garage with it. If you drill and there ends up not being any wood then just get the support mentioned above.

 

[Pate]

If the door doesn’t have a knockout for the latch prep on the edge of the door then you have 2 options. You will need to use a drive-in latch (round face) or a dull metal chisel to form the prep. We have a tool to make the prep, but it’s not cost effective to buy unless you use it multiple times. The Ames door support or a block of wood is needed to keep the door from compressing when tightening down on the screws. The main issue we run into on steel doors is the lock loosens up and the drive-in latch lets the whole thing slide out and smash into the frame. If you do go with a standard face I also highly recommend you rivet the latch in instead of using the 2 screws in the face.

 

[The Cobbler]

^^^ Lots of good points, I concur with all of them .
The dull chisel works well to form the metal style to recess the latch . Take your time, don't be too aggressive & you can achieve quite good results!

 

[The Cobbler]

Another point on the hollow metal doors, I always tack weld the seams . if you don't they tend to rack over the years and become floppy like a sail .