Bathroom thumb turn locks are mostly used for privacy reasons on bathroom doors and bedroom doors. A thumb turn lock is the ideal lock to be installed in homes where elderly people, children or individuals with disabilities live. This type of lock will give you enough privacy whilst you are in the restroom, and safety knowing that if there is an emergency the door can be opened from the outside.

At Ironmongery Experts, we have available a wide selection of thumb turn handles perfect to be used with our bathroom locks and bathroom bolts. Our best-selling thumbturn handle is the satin stainless steel turn and release handle, which has a coin slot on the external side for emergency release and an indicator displaying vacancy of the door. This thumb turn handle should be used in conjunction with a mortice lock, such as our Florentine horizontal bathroom lock to allow for privacy locking.

If you want to install a bathroom thumb turn lock on a new door, continue reading our guide below. In case you require to replace an old thumb turn lock, it will be easier to purchase a new bathroom lock, remove the existing hardware and alter the holes, if need be.

Materials

• Bathroom thumb turn handle
• Bathroom door lock or bolt
• Wood chisel
• Hammer
• Drill
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Screwdriver
• Screws
• Tape
• Vacuum cleaner
• Door stop

Fitting the door lock.

To begin, place a door stop to ensure that the door is locked in place. Then, hold either the door lock or door bolt against the edge of the door. Mark the top and bottom of the door lock with a pencil. Measure the centre point of the door and draw a vertical line between the two marked points.

Then, you’ll have to create a hole for the door lock or bolt. To do this, you’ll need a drill and a drill bit. To only drill enough for the size of the door lock, place the drill bit on top of the door lock and measure the length of the door lock. Wrap a little bit of tape on the drill bit to mark the depth of your lock, this will let you know when to stop drilling.

Drill a series of holes on the vertical line that you had previously drawn and be careful not to go outside the edge markings. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove the wood shavings from the hole.

Use a wood chisel to round out the edges of the holes. Position the body of the door lock over the slot and use a pencil to mark the edges of the face plate of the lock. With a chisel and a hammer, make several cuts in the wood where you’ve done your marks. Take your time with this step, as it requires concentration and patience.

Once you have a deep enough hole for the lock plate to sit in, remove any wood shavings with a vacuum cleaner.

Fitting the door handle.

Place the door lock against the face of the door on both sides and pencil in the hole on the door lock where the door handle has to be drilled into. Drill two holes through where you made the marks. Remove wood shavings.

Next, fit the door lock in the hole and screw it into place. Finally, place the thumb turn handle through the holes and secure them with screws. Test the handle to make sure the door is locking and unlocking properly.

If you require any other door locks or door handles, feel free to browse our wide range of ironmongery products. In case you have any question regarding our products, email our team at info@ironmongeryexperts.co.uk or give our team a call on 01376 557 561.

Disclaimer

At Ironmongery Experts we strongly advise that you always take safety precautions into consideration when undertaking a DIY project. We also strongly suggest that you closely read and follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer of any building materials, products or tools you use for your projects.

We try our best to provide clear and correct instructions within our articles, so you can easily complete any DIY project you desire. However, please note that the information we provide should only be used as a guideline and that some information within the text may not be entirely accurate.

When using our articles for information and advice, please note that is your own responsibility to determine your capabilities when undertaking and executing the task you wish to complete.

Before starting a DIY task, we strongly recommend that you educate yourself of any existing building, gas, water and electrical works regulations. We believe it is in your best interest to complete further research and/or contact the necessary professional body should you have any further concerns.

We also strongly recommend that a qualified tradesperson completes the relevant safety tests and checks on any DIY you have completed.