Antique doorknobs can start to slip over time. Vintage hardware such as doorknobs, locks and hinges add character and charm to any home, whether it’s old or new. Antique and vintage doorknobs are collectible items; highly sought after for period homes, historic buildings and admired by collectors for artistic design and craftsmanship. With many years of use, vintage doorknobs can start to slip when turned. Eventually, this can lead to the doorknob just spinning without opening the latch that secures the door. However, with a little cleaning and repair work, vintage doorknobs can often be restored to function properly without having to be replaced. Tightening the Set Screw If you’re lucky, a malfunctioning vintage doorknob might only need to have the set screw tightened. If this is the case, your repair job can be done in literally a matter of a few seconds. The most time-consuming part may be trying to locate your flat head screwdriver. Once you find this tool, look for a small hole near the base of the knob.
Check to see if the screw is still in place. If so, use the screwdriver to tighten the screw. Be careful not to over tighten because you might strip the screw. If the doorknob still slips after tightening the set screw, it may be necessary to replace the spindle. Replacing the Spindle The doorknob assembly is held together by a long, skinny metal piece called a spindle. The spindle is threaded and the doorknobs are screwed on. The spindle also contains flat grooves, which allow the set screw to “grab on” to the spindle. Heavy use of a doorknob with loose set screws can damage the spindle over time. When this occurs, tightening the screw will be ineffective. To replace the spindle, you will first need to remove doorknobs. Loosen the set screw on one doorknob until the knob turns easily by itself. Keep turning the knob to unscrew it from the spindle. Once the knob is off, grab the opposite doorknob and pull the spindle out of the door. Unscrew the second doorknob and screw it back on to a new spindle that is the same size as the one you are replacing.
Take the old spindle to a hardware store and ask for assistance if necessary. You can also find replacement vintage doorknob parts online. Cleaning Vintage Doorknob Hardware A thorough cleaning of vintage hardware can help improve its appearance and how it functions. It is not uncommon to find old doors that were once painted without the hardware being removed or covered beforehand. In order to remove the hardware from the door, it may be necessary to use a utility knife to score the paint around metal plates and lock mechanisms that may have become sealed to the door. Once removed, place the hardware in a crockpot filled with water and add a couple of tablespoons of liquid laundry detergent. Cover and cook on medium heat overnight. Carefully remove the hardware and peel the paint off. Use a nylon brush for stubborn paint. Apply a protective coating of beeswax polish using a soft cloth. Cleaning Glass Doorknobs Do not submerge glass door knobs in hot water, as the heat may cause the glass to crack.
To remove paint from glass door knobs, heat a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water. Bring the mixture to a boil and then remove from the heat. Carefully dip the end of a soft rag into the vinegar mixture. Rub the rag on the glass doorknob until the paint comes off. Rubber gloves may help insulate your hands from the heat of the rag. You can also use a razor blade to gently remove the softened paint. Scrape very delicately to avoid scratching the glass. Where to Find Vintage Doorknob Hardware and Parts If you need to find replacement parts for vintage doorknob hardware, eBay is one of the best online resources. You may also find what you need from one of the handful of antique hardware renovation and restoration websites you’ll find from a keyword search of antique doorknobs or antique hardware. Finding the right parts will also depend on knowing the hand of the door. When you face the door, the side that contains the hinges will determine whether it is a right or left hand. In other words, if the hinges are on your right side and you push the door away from you to open it, the door is a right-hand door.
If you pull the door towards you to open it, the door is a right-hand reverse. If you'd like help identifying your antique or vintage doorknobs, you can check the doorknob description page on the Antique Doorknob Collectors of America website. The classification is based on a system developed by Leonard Blumin, and can also be found in his book, "Victorian Decorative Art." /Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionYou get up in the morning and wander throughout your house, placidly breezing in and out of doorways without a second thought when thud! The one that resists you. You try, you try again, no success. It is ripe for a Door Knob Repair San Diego but you just haven’t had a chance to ring your trusty locksmiths down the road. Instead you tug and push, simultaneously twist and jiggle, on the odd furious occasion you even test your martial art skills by karate-chopping the door, only to bitterly injure your hand, wrist, foot, and quite possibly that vase that you had standing near the entrance.
At times like these it is time to conquer your nemesis, not under your own strength, which by now is probably all used up and you’ve worked yourself into a fury, but by the might of your finger; the one that dials the number of 7 Day Locksmith, San Diego, CA. We are no cowboys, that lock will surrender to us come what may. We have years of wonderful locksmith experience to back us up. No Door Knobs are too difficult or stubborn for us. Not even the one that you swear has been secretly laughing at you behind your back. Let us handle it. We will do a great job quickly and will even leave you a shiny door knob that functions perfectly in it’s place. What more can you ask from your friendly neighbourhood Locksmith?!Like all opponents, the humble door knob has it’s strengths and it’s weaknesses, and we know every one of them. It is a relatively simple mechanism that does it’s job most impressively. You may take for granted the fact that just having a working knob on your door makes it infinitely easier to open than prising a larger than life, flat piece of wood or similar material, pushed closed, open with your fingertips.
Also due to it’s once closed stays closed power, it is extremely good at making your house more energy efficient, as less warm air will escape through a closed door as opposed to an open door. So don’t think that you can put off closing the door just because it jams, it may be costing you more than you think! Door Knobs are not scary for us. We know that people can have problems due to many different reasons, which is why our experts are trained in the art of deduction. Some of the commoner problems we have dealt with include the handle sticking in the open position; not returning back to the original closed position. This is caused by one of five problems:The spring in the mechanism was cheap and has failed, we are sorry, come to us for a better quality latch.The most common varieties of Interior Door Knobs come in all shapes and sizes but usually have very similar mechanisms on the inside. Usually when you turn the knob, it pulls a cylinder, which is connected to a spindle or bolt, pulling it in the same direction.
Turn the knob, the latch bolt is retracted into the door, let the knob go and the reverse happens. The spring returns the latch to it’s original state, protruding proudly out of the door, or hidden inside the door frame. The square or rectangular backplate can host a variety of different jobs. If you want a keyhole cover, where are you going to put it? Locks can be placed through and inside the backplate, with the keyhole for functional use. If it is a bathroom lock, you can have your backplate adorned with a turn and release knob, the kind that is most compatible with a bathroom lock. Or you can have a simple latch lock which allows the backplate to be plain. You see, there is more than meets the eye with our Interior Door Knobs. But let us worry about the mechanisms while you browse the aesthetic features; do you prefer a brass, brown mineral, wood, Victorian bronze, cut glass or white porcelain door knob to replace your arch-rival?Call for our Door Knob Repair service today and we will sort your difficult door knob problems out in the same day or night, if that’s when you want us.
You will not feel sad when you replace the offending article that probably caused you way more trouble than it was worth, and put a shiny new one in it’s place. We will have you breezing through your door ways once again as our highly trained professional team get on the job. You have round the clock service from Locksmith San Diego, and you will never have to wait long for a response as we are in almost 70 addresses in San Diego, CA, alone. We are sure that you will love our range of interior door knobs as you browse through the desired aesthetics available. You may even feel tempted to break your other door knobs to be able to change to that complete set of new, functional, highly stylish knobs that you have had your eye on since the last time you used our services. We will not judge you if you want to replace a perfectly healthy door knob for the sake of interior design, on the contrary, changing a functioning door knob is cheaper and easier to do than repairing a problematic one.