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I'd like to ask for suggestions of materials. I have a metal door, painted in white. A bigger lock (jimmy-proof lock) was replaced with a smaller lock (regular deadbolt) but ended up leaving several marks and uneven finish. I already tried to plaster and paint but doesn't look good enough. Questions:

  • I assume I did not dedicate good effort to do a good plastering and painting. Would you consider that insisting with plaster would be able to achieve a good result? It seems to me I won't be able to get the plaster to be levelled with the rest of the door (there are hole from the jimmy-proof lock too), plus I don't have the exact color anymore, so even if I plaster correctly, the color will look weird unless I paint the whole door and frame again.
  • I'm thinking of putting a square-sized material underneath the new lock, so it covers the surroundings where the defects are. This will end up serving as a base for the new smaller lock, hiding the imperfections on the door. It might look good actually, it will create a second perfect layer for the new lock and I see some locks even come with a bigger base with this same effect. What materials, in white, opaque, do you recommend that I can cut to the square-shaped size I need including drilling a hole so the new lock can pass through? Acrylic sheet comes to my mind, but I'd like to hear suggestions!

Thank you!

igorjrr
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metal door != plaster

Plaster (or I suspect, drywall patching compound) is for drywall. Would work somewhat on wood. Metal? Not so much.

I wouldn't use a white cover - it won't be exactly the same white, unless you paint it too. I'd recommend a metal cover in the same (or similar) finish as the lock. Something like this plate goes around the front back and side of the door:

enter image description here

or something like this circle to cover up just the area around the lock: enter image description here

manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
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  • Thanks! In fact the patching held well, it was just not enough to create a smooth surface (I ran out of it) so it is not even. The round metal is interesting, but it seems it won't cover the whole area needed. I wouldn't mind a different tone of white as long as it is smooth and you can see it's a different surface (would create a pleasant aesthetics). My doubt was really about what materials I could consider. Acrylic is one option. – igorjrr Sep 06 '19 at 17:16
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    Any kind of patching compound is not likely going to survive the jarring forces of a door closing for very long. The plate shown above is commonly called an "escutcheon" and is the go-to solution for situations like this. Most hardware stores or locksmiths sell them. – JRaef Sep 06 '19 at 18:40
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    Auto body filler would probably hold up well if bonded to bare metal. – isherwood Sep 06 '19 at 20:05