First of all, let’s examine the contents of your standard Push-Button Release Kit, shall we? Here are the standard contents, along with short descriptions of which is which:
1. Lock Box (2″ x 6″ metal box)
2. Push Rod (11″ long round rod, usually gold)
3. Strike Pin (2″ long x 5/8″ diameter round pin, usually silver, may be inside Cardboard Slip)
4. Cardboard Slip (4″ long round cardboard)
5. Flange (1 1/2″ diameter aluminum cover)
6. Button (3/4″ diameter aluminum button)
7. Mounting screws (usually 4 small screws in a small plastic bag)
8. Plastic Guard (2 1/2″ diameter plastic cover)
The tools and unsupplied parts you’ll need are:
1. Knife
2. Pencil
3. Long 1/2″ Drill Bit (this needs to be long enough to go through your building wall)
4. Drill
5. 1/4″-3/8″ screws for the Lock Box holes, washers if needed.
6. Drill bit for those screws
7. Hammer
8. Ruler
9. Heavy duty Bolt Cutters or a Grinder, which can cut through a 1/4″ metal rod.
So let’s get to it!
1. Attach the Strike Pin to your window guard
The Strike Pin (3) should be permanently mounted on or near the outer metal framing of the window guard -referred to from now on as WG- on the side of the WG’s “door” opposite of the hinge, near the middle (the same place where a doorknob is located on a door). It should extend outward from the WG toward the wall, so that it will later slip into the Lock Box tip-first when closed.
IMPORTANT: The Strike Pin should point straight as possible, ie not pointing slightly up, down, to the left, or to the right. The straighter it is, the smoother its operation later.
The back of the Strike Pin has threads for a 1/4″ bolt, so a common way of affixing the strike pin to your WG is by first attaching a 1/4″ bolt it, then screwing the Strike Pin into that. Still, you don’t want people being able to simply unscrew the bolt from the outside, so it is important that you permanently fix it to the WG. This is most often done by spot welding the attached Strike Pin in place, but if a welder isn’t handy, any way the bolt can be made unturnable will work, such as using one-way bolts.
2. Mount the Window Guard
If it isn’t already, it’s time to mount the WG on your window. Attach the Lock Box (1) to the end of your pin so that it locks in place. If it won’t, make sure it is unlocked first by pushing the end of the Push Rod (2) into the smaller hole of the Lock Box first. This Lock Box will be mounted to the outer wall of your building, so you need to install the WG in a position where the Lock Box can be mounted using the top and bottom screw holes, and cannot be pryed off (such as when it sits off the edge of a window frame).
The other thing to keep in mind here is that there will be an approximately 1/2″ hole drilled through your wall positioned in the middle of the Lock Box, and on the inside of the building, a 1 5/8″ diameter Flange will mount to the wall around that hole. So when you put up the WG, you want the Lock Box to be near the window opening, but far enough to allow for this 1/2″ hole to be drilled through the wall, and hopefully be clear of any inner wall obstructions (like inside framing) for a 1 5/8″ diameter around the hole center.
3. Mark your hole
With the Strike Pin attached to your WG, and the WG attached to your building, the rest is relatively simple!
Now we need to mark where the hole will be drilled through the wall so that it matches the small hole on the back of the Lock Box. First, push the Push Rod (2) into the Lock Box hole so it releases from the Strike Pin, and remove it. Place the Cardboard Slip (4) all the way onto the Strike Pin, and cut off the end with a knife so the cardboard only barely extends beyond the Strike Pin. Close the WG door slowly until the circle of cardboard meets the wall, then use a pencil to draw a circle where it lands.
4. Drill
Technically a 3/8″ drill bit will be big enough for the Push Rod to fit into, but I recommend a 1/2″ bit, which leaves more room for error, and is covered up just fine. Using the circle you just marked, drill a hole straight through your building wall until you breach the other side.
At this point, reattach the Lock Box to the WG and hold it closed. Someone from the inside should be able to put their eye through the newly drilled hole and see the ENTIRE small hole of the Lock Box. If it is partially covered, drill out the hole until there’s a clear path to it.
5. Mount the Lock Box
If it isn’t already, reattach the Lock Box to the WG and hold it closed. Mark the upper and lower holes of the Lock Box with your trusty pencil, then open the WG and drill them with the drill bit (NOT the huge one!) that matches the screws you’re going to use to mount the Lock Box, which don’t come with the kit. These screws should be between 1/4″ and 3/8″, and should be about 2″ to 3″ long.
With your 2 holes drilled above and below your BIG one, remove the Lock Box from the WG (you know how by now, right?), place it on the wall, and mount it with your screws. Screw them in until they’re snug, but do not completely tighten just yet.
6. Align the Lock Box
Slowly close the WG towards your mounted Lock Box, being careful NOT to lock it in place. What’s that? You say the Strike Pin isn’t lining up? Take a chill pill, I’m getting there.
With your hammer, smack the Lock Box just enough to move it in the direction it needs to go. If it won’t budge, you screwed it in a bit too tight and will need to loosen it. When it is lined up properly, you may lock it in place to ensure it works. It can be unlocked, of course, by sticking the Push Rod (2) through the hole in the wall until it releases. Note that you may need to “fish” around for the smaller hole in the Lock Box to push it in all the way.
When everything is lined up, tighten the Lock Box screws all the way. If everything is well aligned, the Push Rod should easily open the WG and the WG should easily lock in place. Even after the screws are tightened, you may be able to use the hammer for final adjustments.
7. Cut the Push Rod
Alright, now to the inside of the building! Close the WG until locked, then stick the Push Rod (2) THREADS FIRST all the way into the hole, and then all the way into the Lock Box’s hole (which you’ll probably have to “fish” for) until it cannot go any further, WITHOUT unlocking it.
IMPORTANT: You MUST be sure the Push Rod is all the way inside the Lock Box, even though it is sometimes hard to tell. To be sure, try unlocking and re-locking the WG a few times, so you know the Push Rod is at the end.
Once the Push Rod is in as far as it can go, mark the Push Rod with a pencil or marker at 5/8″ beyond the inside wall face. That is, we want to cut the Push Rod so that only 5/8″ of it extends out of your wall.
Once you have your mark, use a pair of bolt cutters or a grinder to cut the Push Rod at your mark. If you inserted it correctly, the excess you’re cutting off should NOT be the threaded end.
8. Install the Button
Flip the Push Rod so the threads are facing you again, and screw the Button (6) onto the end of it. Then insert the Push Rod back into the wall and inside the Lock Box hole as before. If it doesn’t extend far enough, you probably cut the Push Rod too short and will need to try again with another one. Place the Flange (5) around the Button and push the Flange (not the Button) all the way against the wall, as if it were screwed in. If the WG unlocks, the Push Rod is slightly too long, and you’ll need to cut it a little more. If not, a simple push of the Button should do the trick!
Just screw in the Flange to the wall using the Screws (7) provided, and you’re finished!
Optionally, the Plastic Guard (8) may be installed over the Button and Flange using the other 2 screws provided.
And that’s about it!