Morning all,

We're fitting a new 4-panel Victoruian door to the bathroom, and are
fitting a mortice lock.

Am I right in thinking it is a bad idea to fit the lock at the end of
the crossrail? I started drilling about 6 inches above that (basically
mid-height of the door) to fit the lock, and invoked merry hell from
SWMBO who is adamant that the handle should be level with the centre
of the cross rail. Admittedly the knobs on the other interior doors of
the house (in situ when we moved in) are central with the cross rail,
but surely fitting a mortice lock there would be a bad idea?

I need someone to reassure me that I'm not going crazy...

"GI Joe" wrote in message
ps.com...
Morning all,

We're fitting a new 4-panel Victoruian door to the bathroom, and are
fitting a mortice lock.

Am I right in thinking it is a bad idea to fit the lock at the end of
the crossrail? I started drilling about 6 inches above that (basically
mid-height of the door) to fit the lock, and invoked merry hell from
SWMBO who is adamant that the handle should be level with the centre
of the cross rail. Admittedly the knobs on the other interior doors of
the house (in situ when we moved in) are central with the cross rail,
but surely fitting a mortice lock there would be a bad idea?

I need someone to reassure me that I'm not going crazy...

Cutting away part of the joint holding the cross-rail is not a particularly
good idea. However, it rather depends on what sort of mortice lock you are
fitting and what you want from the door.

If the lock is something like this:

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...32217&id=24917

It is going to take quite a lot of strength from the joint. However, the
main concern about cutting into the joint is that it can make an external
door more susceptible to being kicked open. Whether you need to keep the
full strength in an internal door in the face of opposition from SWMBO and
in view of the fact it will make the door handle look odd is another matter.

OTOH if you fit the bathroom version of something like this

http://www.vandykes.com/product/02007891/

the impact on door strength is minimal and you still get the ability to lock
the door from inside, but open it with a screwdriver from outside.

Of course, if you are not worried about being able to open the door from
outside when locked, you could simply fit a bathroom rim latch, which only
needs a small hole through the door for the handle spindle. It is probably
because they have rim locks that the other doors have the handles where they
do.

Colin Bignell

On 30 Oct, 08:39, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname here.me.uk
wrote:
"GI Joe" wrote in message

ps.com...

Morning all,

We're fitting a new 4-panel Victoruian door to the bathroom, and are
fitting a mortice lock.

Am I right in thinking it is a bad idea to fit the lock at the end of
the crossrail? I started drilling about 6 inches above that (basically
mid-height of the door) to fit the lock, and invoked merry hell from
SWMBO who is adamant that the handle should be level with the centre
of the cross rail. Admittedly the knobs on the other interior doors of
the house (in situ when we moved in) are central with the cross rail,
but surely fitting a mortice lock there would be a bad idea?

I need someone to reassure me that I'm not going crazy...

Cutting away part of the joint holding the cross-rail is not a particularly
good idea. However, it rather depends on what sort of mortice lock you are
fitting and what you want from the door.

If the lock is something like this:

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...32217&id=24917

It's pretty much identical to this. It has to work with the handles
that someone wanted.

GI Joe wrote:
On 30 Oct, 08:39, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname here.me.uk
wrote:
"GI Joe" wrote in message

ps.com...

Morning all,
We're fitting a new 4-panel Victoruian door to the bathroom, and are
fitting a mortice lock.
Am I right in thinking it is a bad idea to fit the lock at the end of
the crossrail? I started drilling about 6 inches above that (basically
mid-height of the door) to fit the lock, and invoked merry hell from
SWMBO who is adamant that the handle should be level with the centre
of the cross rail. Admittedly the knobs on the other interior doors of
the house (in situ when we moved in) are central with the cross rail,
but surely fitting a mortice lock there would be a bad idea?
I need someone to reassure me that I'm not going crazy...
Cutting away part of the joint holding the cross-rail is not a particularly
good idea. However, it rather depends on what sort of mortice lock you are
fitting and what you want from the door.

If the lock is something like this:

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...32217&id=24917

It's pretty much identical to this. It has to work with the handles
that someone wanted.

Much will depend on the construction of the door as well. For many doors
these days they are made from a pair of surface skins and a stuffed wood
frame inside. So the locks etc can go anywhere near the centre without
there being any joints to compromise.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"GI Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
On 30 Oct, 08:39, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname here.me.uk
wrote:
"GI Joe" wrote in message

ps.com...

Morning all,

We're fitting a new 4-panel Victoruian door to the bathroom, and are
fitting a mortice lock.

Am I right in thinking it is a bad idea to fit the lock at the end of
the crossrail? I started drilling about 6 inches above that (basically
mid-height of the door) to fit the lock, and invoked merry hell from
SWMBO who is adamant that the handle should be level with the centre
of the cross rail. Admittedly the knobs on the other interior doors of
the house (in situ when we moved in) are central with the cross rail,
but surely fitting a mortice lock there would be a bad idea?

I need someone to reassure me that I'm not going crazy...

Cutting away part of the joint holding the cross-rail is not a
particularly
good idea. However, it rather depends on what sort of mortice lock you
are
fitting and what you want from the door.

If the lock is something like this:

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...32217&id=24917

It's pretty much identical to this. It has to work with the handles
that someone wanted.

Unless you want a combined door handle and bathroom lock mechanism on the
same plate, which is not very Victorian, the locks I mentioned can take most
handle types.

Colin Bignell

GI Joe wrote:
Morning all,

We're fitting a new 4-panel Victoruian door to the bathroom, and are
fitting a mortice lock.

Why would you want a mortice lock? What do you get up to in the bathroom?

Am I right in thinking it is a bad idea to fit the lock at the end of
the crossrail? I started drilling about 6 inches above that (basically
mid-height of the door) to fit the lock, and invoked merry hell from
SWMBO who is adamant that the handle should be level with the centre
of the cross rail. Admittedly the knobs on the other interior doors of
the house (in situ when we moved in) are central with the cross rail,
but surely fitting a mortice lock there would be a bad idea?

Accepted wisdom is that it would weaken the joint between the cross rail &
the side rail (can't recall correct terminology). However if its a modern
cheap door the whole thing is basically cardboard on a frame. There will be
a 'lock block' somewhere - which means an extra bit of wood to hold the
lock.

Fit a bathroom lock that can be opened from outside.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

I need someone to reassure me that I'm not going crazy...

On Oct 30, 10:31 pm, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:
GI Joe wrote:
Morning all,

We're fitting a new 4-panel Victoruian door to the bathroom, and are
fitting a mortice lock.

Why would you want a mortice lock? What do you get up to in the bathroom?

This is the lock that fits the handles that were chosen...

Am I right in thinking it is a bad idea to fit the lock at the end of
the crossrail? I started drilling about 6 inches above that (basically
mid-height of the door) to fit the lock, and invoked merry hell from
SWMBO who is adamant that the handle should be level with the centre
of the cross rail. Admittedly the knobs on the other interior doors of
the house (in situ when we moved in) are central with the cross rail,
but surely fitting a mortice lock there would be a bad idea?

Accepted wisdom is that it would weaken the joint between the cross rail &
the side rail (can't recall correct terminology). However if its a modern
cheap door the whole thing is basically cardboard on a frame. There will be
a 'lock block' somewhere - which means an extra bit of wood to hold the
lock.

The door wasn't exactly cheap, and there's no lock block to be seen.

Fit a bathroom lock that can be opened from outside.

It can be opened from the outside.

On Oct 31, 7:30 am, GI Joe wrote:
On Oct 30, 10:31 pm, "The Medway Handyman"

wrote:
GI Joe wrote:
Morning all,

We're fitting a new 4-panel Victoruian door to the bathroom, and are
fitting a mortice lock.

Why would you want a mortice lock? What do you get up to in the bathroom?

This is the lock that fits the handles that were chosen...

When you say "the lock", you imply that most locks won't fit the
chosen handles. That surprises me, I am not aware of any door handles
that don't work with a standard square rod through the lock.

On 31 Oct, 11:47, Martin Bonner wrote:
On Oct 31, 7:30 am, GI Joe wrote:

On Oct 30, 10:31 pm, "The Medway Handyman"

wrote:
GI Joe wrote:
Morning all,

We're fitting a new 4-panel Victoruian door to thebathroom, and are
fitting amorticelock.

Why would you want amorticelock? What do you get up to in thebathroom?

This is thelockthat fits the handles that were chosen...

When you say "thelock", you imply that most locks won't fit the
chosen handles. That surprises me, I am not aware of any door handles
that don't work with a standard square rod through thelock.

The handle is attached to a plate. The lock is some distance down from
the actual handle. It was either buy one of the long mortice locks or
fit two smaller but separate mechanisms, one for the handle action,
one for the lock.

Eg he

http://www.worldofbrass.co.uk/shop/i...s/t_han012.jpg