What is a lock bolt (latch bolt and deadbolt)?
In Dutch, the tongue of a door lock or bolt is called a schoot. It is the moving part that slides out of the lock case and engages the strike plate in the door frame. Without it, a door cannot be properly closed or locked. A typical mortice lock has two of them:
- Latch bolt: the bevelled tongue that snaps into the strike plate by itself when you push the door shut, and retracts when you press the handle down. It keeps the door closed, but not locked.
- Deadbolt: the square tongue that is thrown with the key or a thumb turn. Only then is the door actually locked.
The Dutch word schoot has a few other building meanings. The vertical bar through the eye of a wall anchor is sometimes called a schoot (more often schieter, an anchor bar). It can also refer to the lower, shallower part of a kinked roof, for example on a bell-shaped spire, and in old texts to the chamfered side of a wall or sill.
Application
Practical tips on lock bolts:
- Always throw the deadbolt when you go out or at night. A door held only by the latch bolt can sometimes be pushed open with a flat object slid between door and frame.
- Door won’t latch? Check where the latch bolt hits the strike plate (scratch marks give it away). Often moving the strike plate a few millimetres or filing the opening slightly is enough.
- Deadbolt stiff? Usually the strike plate is out of line or the door has dropped. Don’t force the key; adjust the hinges or strike plate first.
- Maintenance: occasionally treat the bolts and lock case with a dry lubricant or suitable lock spray; grease attracts dust.
- Replacing: for a new mortice lock, measure the backset and forend size so it fits the existing mortice.
Related Terms
- Rim lock
- Multipoint lock
- Anti-burglar bolt
- Anchor bar
- Hanging a door
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