A deadbolt has a solid bolt and no spring latch: once thrown, only a key or thumb turn moves it back. That makes it much harder to slip or force than an ordinary latch, which is why so many South African front and back doors carry a deadbolt above the handle as a second lock. This page explains the types of deadbolts and deadlocks, thumb turn or key inside, how to fit one properly and what it costs. Send one free, no-obligation request and locksmiths near you quote you directly.
What a deadbolt is and the types
A latch springs back when pushed, so a card or a screwdriver can sometimes slip it. A deadbolt stays put. A usual bolt throw is about 25 mm into the frame.
- Tubular deadbolt: a round lock bored through the door, with a key cylinder outside and a thumb turn or key inside.
- Rim deadlock: a box screwed to the inside face of the door, with a keep on the frame. Quick to add to an existing door.
- Mortice deadlock: a lock case set into the door edge, with no handle. Strong, and often 5 lever.
- Nightlatch with deadlocking: a rim latch that can be held locked with the key, a common add-on lock.
Choosing a deadbolt lock: thumb turn or key inside
The big decision is the inside. A single cylinder deadbolt has a thumb turn inside, so you can get out quickly in a fire or emergency. A double cylinder deadbolt needs a key on both sides. It stops a burglar reaching through broken glass to turn the knob, but it slows your escape. If you choose key-only inside, keep a key near the door, out of reach from any glass, never left in the lock. A tubular deadbolt suits a solid timber door; a hollow door needs a rim lock or a new door.
Fitting a deadbolt properly
A deadbolt is only as strong as its frame. Good fitting means:
- A strike plate or keep fixed with long screws into the stud, not just the thin frame lining.
- A bolt that throws fully and smoothly, with no need to lift or push the door.
- The deadbolt set about a hand's width above the handle lock, so the two don't share one weak spot.
- Cylinders that match your other door locks, so one key can do both.
A misaligned bolt that only half throws is the most common fault a lock repair call finds.
Deadbolt prices and what to ask
Hardware stores list rim nightlatches, latch and deadlock combinations and similar add-on locks from about R175 to R490 each. Heavy mortice deadlocks and deadbolts with anti-snap or high-security cylinders cost more, and fitting is extra. Ask a locksmith whether the price covers boring the door, a reinforced keep and keying the deadbolt to your existing locks, and how many keys you get.
What to include in your request
- Say which doors need a deadbolt
- Say if the doors are solid timber or steel
- Choose a thumb turn or a key inside
- Ask for it keyed to your current locks
- Ask if a reinforced keep is included
Deadbolts and Deadlocks for different clients
- Homeowners: a second solid bolt above the handle on the front, back and kitchen doors
- Complexes, estates and body corporates: an extra deadbolt on unit doors, fitted to suit the body corporate's door finish
- Offices, shops and practices: deadlocks on back doors, storerooms and offices that are left closed overnight
- Landlords and letting agents: deadbolts with cylinders that can be rekeyed quickly when a tenant moves out
- Factories, warehouses and workshops: heavy mortice deadlocks on store, office and plant room doors in a yard
- Farms and smallholdings: deadlocks on the farmhouse doors and on stores holding feed, tools and chemicals
- Schools, clinics, churches and hostels: deadlocks on offices, dispensaries and storerooms within a master key plan
- Builders, shopfitters and contractors: door installers and builders fitting deadbolts as standard on outside doors
Frequently asked questions
Is a deadbolt worth adding to a front door?
What does a deadbolt lock cost?
Should my deadbolt need a key on the inside?
Can I fit a deadbolt myself?
Deadbolts and Deadlocks by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg