<b>From both a security and convenience standpoint, it bothers me that my apartment here doesn't have a peephole in the front door. Is it easy to install one?</b> This job is very straightforward. You will find peepholes at any good hardware shop (especially one that specialises in door handles and locks). You'll need one that is adjustable to fit doors of different thicknesses and, if you care about matching, will want one in the same colour metal as your door handle. What you need <b>Step 1:</b> Ensure that you have the appropriately sized drill bit. It will be a relatively large diameter one. The packaging for the peephole should tell you what size you will need but, if it doesn't, simply match the diameter of the peephole barrel (not the outside edge of the lens part) to the bit. <b>Step 2:</b> Measure and mark the right position. Have the shortest adult in the household stand by the door, and mark it at their eye level. A tall person can bend down to see through the peephole, but it should be easy for a shorter person to look through without having to strain to reach it. At the level of your mark, measure across the door to find its mid point. Put some gaffer tape over this spot so that you can drill without the door splintering too much. Do the same (measure, mark and tape) on the outside of the door. <b>Step 3:</b> Drill through the door with light pressure, but don't force it. If the door is hollow inside you will feel the drill break through the first layer. Keep going until you have drilled through the second layer of wood on the outside of the door. Once finished, gently peel off the tape. Step 4: Insert the peephole. Adjustable size peepholes will unscrew into two parts. Take the part with the lens and put it into the hole on the outside of the door. Put the other part through the inside of the door. The inside half of the peephole should have a slot across it that you can use to help screw both parts together. I used a metal plaster spatula, which has a thin blade, to tighten them together, but anything that fits across the slot will do. Once the peephole has been well tightened, take a look through it and admire your new view.
