Peephole / Door Viewer Installation
2010-09-03 Initial Post
Today I installed a Defender Security 160 Degree Glass Lens Door Viewer - Solid Brass (model U-9983) that I purchased from Home Depot. They also sell the Schlage brand, but I didn't want that brand because Schlage uses plastic for the lens. Defender Security uses glass (at least in the model I got). I read a few how-to articles on installing a door viewer and thought I was prepared and that it would be easy. It actually ended up taking ~45 minutes by the time I was done cleaning up. I also ran into a few unexpected issues.
I have a steel door with a foam core (looked like Styrofoam) and the foam just got all over both sides of the door after I drilled the holes. I had to spend some time cleaning that mess up. Here are some things to note when installing a door viewer:
- Make sure you get the correct drill bit for the type of door--you must use a bit made for metal if your door is metal. An easy way to confirm if a door is metal (steel) is to see if a magnet will stick to it.
- I needed to make a 1/2 in hole and the directions advised making a 1/8 in pilot hole first. I would suggest to go even further and make a second pilot hole with a bit size somewhere between 1/8 and 1/2 in.
- I don't know the correct term, but after drilling the 1/2 in hole, the steel on both ends flared out on the edges (like a bullet exit wound). I used the end (in closed position) of some pliers to gently push the edges back flush with the door (be careful not to scratch the door). After I did that, the door viewer sat more flush with the door and the installation looked a lot better.
- The hole on the interior side of the door still looked messy, so I'll need to take the door viewer out, put a little bit of white caulk around the edge, put the door viewer back on, and then smooth out the caulk. That's something I can do later since it's not urgent.
- The hole on the exterior side of the door was fine, but the metal shards from drilling had scratched a small area above the hole. I used a black Sharpie marker to touch up the scratched area--it's not a perfect color match, but good enough for me.
- I think a fiberglass door would be the easiest to drill a hole in. I had drilled a few holes into a fiberglass door when I installed a kick plate and it was easy to drill through.
- For wood, I would be very careful to not splinter the area around the hole. I think a spade bit might help mitigate splinters. If you don't use a spade bit, then use at least two pilot holes. Check with someone at the hardware store to see which bit would be best.
I'll need to caulk the edge--particularly the upper left.
I had to touch up the area above the hole. Not a perfect match, but good enough.
