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Welcome to this simple guide to brief you on the basics of changing a door handle. Door handles see a lot of action, and the most handled handles will eventually begin to look their age. However, the door handles in your home’s interior set the pace for the entire home’s look, so it is worth investing a little time and love into the whole project.
The good news is that this is an especially easy task and a lot of fun for the novice and professional DIY enthusiast alike. Grab your tool belt and replacement knob and let’s get right into it with our simple step by step guide to changing a doorknob.
Page Contents
Remove the Old Door Handle
To begin, let’s take out the screws holding the existing knob in place. These may be visible from the faceplate, but if they are not, look for a small notch on the side of a plate which can be twisted to loosen the handle. Some door handles will have screws on either side of the door that will need to be properly removed before the knob falls off. Buy door handle multi packs to replace yours, for a fresh look.
Take off the Plate and Latch
There will be a small slot somewhere on the edge of the plate. Simply insert the screwdriver’s flat head into the slot and twist with a little effort. The plate should pop off easily. Underneath you will find some more screws holding the knob in place, remove these. You will then be able to release the old latch. Then look for the strike plate on the side of the door, release these screws as well.
Check the Backseat
To make sure the new knob will fit the door frame and bore, measure the backset. This is the distance from the center of that big hole or bore that holds the knob to the edge of the door.
Fit your New Door Furniture
Slide the new latch into the door and screw it in place with your hand, you can then tighten with the drill. Then insert the first side of the knob into position and insert the latch into the mechanism. You can then place the other side of the knob on the door and fasten it in place with the screws provided.
Fix Up Old Holes
If there are any marks or holes made by the previous doorknob, they should be addressed before you finish your work. Fill in any holes with door putty and touch them up with the right tone of paint if possible. Finally, the faceplate must be screwed into position.
In these scenarios, sometimes, there is also a need to replace or repair a doorknob lever, which stands to be another subject, yet equally important to learn when you are talking about replacing the door handles. In these cases, you are supposed to remove the faceplate – people also call it as rosette or trim plate – in order to access the internal components. In this regard, it is important to learn the removal procedure, which varies with regard to level handle model and design, but we can lean onto basic steps that can work for all types. It is easy to remove the doorknob lever with simple household tools. Typically, the faceplates and levers are followed by spring-loaded mechanisms or are mounted with screws, whereas in some cases, it follows both. Forgoing along with that, you need to see the device and choose tools accordingly.
Material to Be Used in the Process
- Allen wrenches
- Screwdrivers (Philips or flat-head)
- Thin, rigid blade, or putty knife
- Nail or awl
The Mechanism That Involves Screws:
- Firstly, the inspection of faceplate and lever on both the door sides is required. Now, on the lever shaft, situate the single mounting screw, whereas, on the faceplate, locate more than one screws. It depends, the screw can be flat-headed, cross headed, or hexagonal. Check if the screws are visible or not on the plate, shaft, or both – if it isn’t visible, follow the next section.
- To remove the shaft screw, turn the hex wrench or screwdriver counterclockwise.
- Pull the lever outward from the shaft in order to remove it.
- For removing the faceplate screw, turn the screwdriver counterclockwise.
- Now, for removing the faceplate, grasp and pull outward along the shaft. In case if you find it difficult to remove it y hand, then you can use a flat-head screwdriver and insert it beneath the edge of the plate – the point where it touches the door surface and then pries outward with slight pressure.
- If you desire to remove the faceplate and lever on either side, repeat the process.
Mechanisms With no Screw Involvement
- Begin by inspecting the lever shaft and situate the hole or slot. It depends on the faceplate’s model if the hole or slot is present inside the rim or can be below the shaft.
- Insert an awl, small screwdriver or nail into the hole and push it inwardly, at the same time, pull the lever with your hand in an outward direction along the shaft. You should know that you can be provided with some special tools in some lever assemblies for the purpose.
- Inspect the point where the edge of the faceplate meets the door’s surface and find the narrow notch on any base side. It is certain that some models may not have this feature but one can still pry off.
- Use a screwdriver with a flat head putty knife or any other tool similar to it and insert it under the faceplate edge, or into the notch, and pry outward with light pressure. Meanwhile, from the interior mounting ring, the plate will unsnap. By an outward pull, it will be removed.
- For either side, repeat the process – if desired.
Nevertheless, you should keep in mind not to force the screws by applying immense pressure to the, if they are creating trouble in turning. If you think there is a need to do so, apply some oil – commonly available at home and leave it for some while until it penetrates and lubricates it while making it workable.
