How to Change a Door Lock Cylinder in Shared Canteen Facilities

In many shared facilities, such as shared accommodation or shared offices, there is a canteen. These provide essential cooking facilities for anyone living/working here, ensuring there is always a place to cook some food or even just make a nice, warm drink. However, like any other part of these shared facilities, security needs to be taken seriously. So, what kind of lock do you have on the shared canteen door? Is it a door lock cylinder, or something more basic?

If you have a door lock cylinder, great – it’s among the best choices for modern doors. They can provide robust protection without making the door complicated to use. However, when the barrels of a lock wear out, it needs to be replaced. To give you some insight into how to change a door cylinder lock on your own, we contacted Locks & Hardware, the UK’s leading ironmongery suppliers for some advice.

Whether your shared canteen is in a shared living facility, a shared office space, a factory/warehouse, or even in a school, knowing how to replace the door lock cylinder is very useful. Use this guide as a starting point for DIY door lock cylinder replacement before you resort to calling a locksmith.

Why Shared Canteen Doors Require Regular Lock Replacements

Now, you might be wondering what makes the door for your canteen so special. Why is replacing the door lock cylinder in your canteen door more important – or more required – than other doors?

• For one, canteen doors tend to see a lot more day-to-day usage than other doors in the facility. That means that the door mechanisms, including the cylinder barrel lock, wear down.
• When the lock begins to wear down, it still slowly but surely starts to fail. That leaves you with a door that does not properly lock, or becomes increasingly easy to force open or break into.
• While wear and tear is an issue, there is also the risk of the lock no longer being safe. This could be down to the fact that the lock is outdated and no longer meets British Standards.
• If a key goes missing for your door lock cylinder, it should be re-keyed and replaced with a new cylinder barrel lock. Missing keys could be used to gain illegal entry to the canteen.
• Security requirements change on a regular basis, meaning that your locks might no longer meet the standard set out by your insurance provider or by your industry’s regulators.

So, compared with most other doors in a shared-use facility, the canteen door can become one of the most frequently used. Regular use means more wear and tear, resulting in the lock wearing out sooner than one in a less commonly used door. Then, there are potential worries with security or with your door no longer being quite up-to-date in terms of lock resistance and durability.

With this in mind, you can hopefully appreciate the importance of replacing your door lock cylinder. How do you go about replacing the barrel of a lock? This is often a pretty simple DIY task, thankfully!

Steps For Changing A Door Lock Cylinder In A Canteen Door

If your canteen door already uses a door lock cylinder, then replacing the present lock is quite easy. If you have a different lock type and want to switch to cylinder locks, you may need a locksmith. Also, if you wish to pair your new door lock cylinders with a security system, such as electronic or digital locking, you might want to call on the professionals.

Replacing a standard, already-fitted door lock cylinder, though, is pretty simple. To do this, all you need to do is the following:

Remove The Old Door Lock Cylinder

First, you’ll need to remove the old barrel from the lock. Start by removing any facings around the old lock to gain access to the cylinder. Then, put your key into the lock and turn it ever so slightly; this should unlock the door cylinder.

Underneath, you should find a small release hole that is close to the base of the doorknob. With a small paperclip or similar, insert this into the hole and pull on the doorknob slightly as you do so. This should slide the knob off, giving you access to the backplate. Take the backplate off, and then, whilst holding the key, give the cylinder a slight tug – this should remove the cylinder from the door.

On some door handles, you will instead need to remove a fastening screw underneath the lock mechanism. Unscrew this, and you should be able to get access to the cylinder lock for removal.

Now, measure the cylinder and get the exact measurements. Use these measurements to find a replacement model locally or online. Remember that most door lock cylinders come in standard sizes, so you should be able to find a suitable replacement pretty quickly.

Fitting The Replacement Door Lock Cylinder

With your replacement door lock cylinder in hand, you now need a Phillips-head (or flathead) screwdriver, as well as a key compatible with your new door lock cylinder.

With the old cylinder removed, insert your key into the new door lock cylinder and turn it slightly to unlock it. Now align this with the hole left by the cylinder locks you removed. Slide this gently into place; if you feel any excessive struggling, start again.

The fit should be smooth and friction-free. Once the new cylinder barrel lock is in place, tighten the screws that hold it. Then, reinstall any facings or coverings, such as doorknobs, that you removed earlier.

Give everything a test; make sure that the door opens, closes, locks and unlocks properly. If you find any friction or similar, start again from scratch until you can operate the door without any issues.

Remember, though: DIY door lock cylinder replacement can be more challenging than you might think. If you run into any issues and feel like you are compromising door functionality or canteen security, call a locksmith.

Fresh Locks In Shared Environments For Peace Of Mind

Hopefully, you can now see the benefit of having new door lock cylinders installed – as well as the ease with which you can replace the locks in most circumstances. The benefits are clear, aren’t they?

Fresh locks improve security standards and eliminate the risk of missing keys being used to enter your canteen without permission. Invest in a new door lock cylinder for your canteen door, and you can make it much easier to maintain a higher overall security standard.