Preparing the DoorBefore installing the peephole, you must decide its location on the door. The best way to determine this is to stand at the door, looking straight ahead, then make a pencil mark on the door at eye level.
If other members of your household will be using the peephole, the hole should be drilled so that the shortest family member can easily reach it. Another option is to install two peepholes, one at adult viewing height, and the second one at child's height. The hole is best located in the center of the door, through the stile - the vertical center section of the door.
Installing Door Viewer In Steel Door Hardware
DrillingTo install the peephole, you will need a drill equipped with a hole saw with a pilot bit in the center. Peepholes vary in size, so measure the sleeve of the peephole to be certain what size hole you need to make. Begin drilling from the inside of the door, starting on low speed and holding the drill as steady as possible. It’s important to stop drilling immediately once the pilot bit comes through to the other side of the door to prevent splintering.
Remove the hole saw from the inside of the door and then bore into the same hole from the outside of the door. You are now ready to attach the two sections of the peephole. This is easiest to do by standing with the door open, so you can reach both sides of the door at the same time. Types of PeepholesOlder styles of peepholes limited a viewer’s vision to whatever was straight ahead, preventing him from seeing an intruder who might be lurking out of view. Newer peepholes are equipped with a prism on the exterior of the door, giving the person inside a wide-angle view of the doorstep area.
Some peepholes allow the observer a distortion-free view of the outside even from several feet away from the door. On some peepholes, the view is optimized for easy use by visually impaired or handicapped individuals.