PN# 500-18300
Page 2
Rev. D, 08/11
FIG. 2: IDENTIFICATION OF CYLINDRICAL DEADLATCH AND SPRINGLATCH
CYLINDRICAL DEADLATCH
CYLINDRICAL SPRINGLATCH
DEADLATCH PIN
SPRINGLATCH
2.2 HOLLOW METAL (STEEL) FRAME MOUNTING
Most steel door frames include a 4 7/8” ANSI strike. This type of door preparation allows
simple installation of the UnLatch. Remove the existing strike plate (it will be discarded) and
experimentally try to fit the UnLatch in the resulting cavity. In some cases the cavity will be
large enough to accommodate the UnLatch and you will have nothing to do but pull the wires up
the hollow door frame and screw the UnLatch into place. In other cases you will find a “dust
box” within the frame that will get in the way of the UnLatch. The dust box must be cleared
away to make room for the UnLatch. Generally a sabre saw or a drill with a fly cutting bit is the
most effective tool to do this. You can also find that the edge of the dry wall panel interferes
with the UnLatch. Simply chip away some of the dry wall with a screwdriver to make room.
Once you are able to fit the UnLatch into the frame, vacuum out any concrete dust and
metal shavings (these can work their way into the UnLatch mechanism and cause problems).
If the hollow metal frame has a 2 3/4” strike, installation of the UnLatch is still possible but it
is much more difficult. You will have to route out a larger strike plate recess to convert the door
preparation to 4 7/8 ANSI and this includes setting mounting tabs within the frame. Generally,
commercial locksmiths have the skills to perform this work.
2.3 WOOD FRAME MOUNTING
Installation in a wood frame is straightforward. It is a question of using a chisel to create a
space for the UnLatch behind the existing strike. The procedure depends on whether you have a
4 7/8” ANSI strike (commercial) or a 2 3/4” ANSI strike (residential) on the door. In the case
of a 4 7/8” ANSI strike, you will be using the existing holes that mount the strike to mount
the UnLatch. Remove the strike and place the template on the door (registering it to the strike
mounting holes). This will show you the space that must be chiseled out. As you get close to
finishing the chiseling job, experimentally try to fit the body of the UnLatch in the cavity. This
will avoid chiseling too big a space. A tight fit is preferred as it helps the solidity of the
mounting which is important if the door receives abuse. Normally, with a wood frame, the wires
will be run inside the wall. Simply drill from the back of the cavity you have created rearward
into the wall space to admit the wires into the walls. To mount the UnLatch to the wood frame,
use the two #12 x 1” flat head wood screws which have been furnished. Once you are able to fit
the UnLatch into the frame, vacuum out any concrete dust and metal shavings (these can
work their way into the UnLatch mechanism and cause problems)
In the case of a 2 3/4” ANSI strike, you will be using two new holes which are separated
more widely to mount the UnLatch. You will also have to perform two chiseling operations. You
will have to chisel a deep cavity for the body of the UnLatch and a shallow relief (3/32” or 2 MM
deep) to fit the UnLatch’s face plate flush with the frame surface. A template (see page 9 of
this manual) is provided to guide this chiseling but some work needs to be done to register the
template to the frame:
