A Time-Travelling Journey How People Talked About Replacement Door Handles 20 Years Ago
How to Replace Door Handles
The door handles in your home are an important element of your decor. A new handle can elevate your home's decor and bring your decor up to date.
Over time the knobs on your door could become stiff or even break. These are indicators that it's time to replace them. This guide will help you select the appropriate replacement door handle for your home.
Door Knobs
The handles on your doors can enhance the appearance of your home and make it easier for you to open and shut them. They are available in a variety of finishes, colors and types to complement your decor. If yours have started to show signs of wear or require an upgrade You can change them in just a few easy steps.
You'll need to find the spindle, or shaft through which the knob is inserted to the door. Some knobs have a tiny hole that you can put a narrow screwdriver into to remove the set screws holding the knob in place. Some have a tiny slot, or hole, that allows you to press a spring-activated detent pin with flathead. The pin opens the latch mechanism and lets you to pull or push the knob.
Once you have access to the spindle or shaft, take off the door knob and replace it with the new one. Make sure it is aligned correctly and ensure that the latch functions properly before tightening the set screws.
After replacing the knob, place the latch rod over the hole on the door. Interlock it with the rod system on the second knob. Make sure that the holes are aligned and then thread in the screws on the latch plate and tighten them.
Some people opt for a smooth or brushed metal finish on their door hardware to create modern, sleek design that matches other furnishings in their homes. Some prefer a rustic design that works well with farmhouse-style rooms. If you have someone in your family with mobility issues, you might want to choose an rim or lever lock, which requires less pressure to operate.
Other factors are being considered more and more for the design of door handles. Infection control and accessibility are two major issues that have led to the development of innovative new handle designs like those that can be operated with the forearm of a person.
Latch
The latch that holds the handle of your door open may wear out over time. Switching out the old latch to make room for a new handle can be an easy DIY project and will make a huge difference in how your door opens and closes.
Depending on what kind of handle you choose the latch may be a separate part or an integral part of the knob. In either case, the same process for removing and reinstalling will be used. The process of removing the old latch of place is fairly easy particularly if your door handle has what's called a "magic button". The button is located on the left side of the knob, this little pressure-slot is what you need to press to pop the latch right out of the handle and out of the latching mechanism.
If your handle does not have this button, the first step is to take off any cover plates that are positioned over the latch plate. They are typically rectangular or circular and can be removed using a screwdriver. door handles repair near me have a slot in which you can place your screwdriver, while others simply snap off.
Next, you will want to remove the two machine screws holding the latch and the inner plate to the door handle. You'll need to keep these shorter screws with an angled tip in a safe place in order to reuse them later. After the screws are removed, you can remove the latch plate as well as the mechanism from the hole, and then set it aside.
Now you can start on the new latch. Install the latch plate into the door hole and secure it with the hardware provided. Make sure that the square pin that is on the interior of the latch is pointing towards the latching mechanism inside the handle and that it lines up with the other screw chambers inside the door handle. Then, push the outside latch plate on and secure it using the screws provided.
Strike Plate
One of the most common reasons to replace the door handle is because it feels loose or isn't locking properly. This is often caused by misaligned components in the latching mechanism, such as the strike plate being too small or has moved upwards or downwards on the doorjamb over time. This project lets you replace your old strikeplate with an extended one, which can provide more security for your door and will keep it closed.
Apply a lipstick or other marking material on the latch bolt to check if it is the strike plate. Close the door, then try to latch it. If the mark is below the strike plate hole this indicates that your door won't latch due to the fact that the plate is too short. If the mark is higher or below the strikeplate hole, the strikeplate is likely to have been moved upwards or downwards on the doorjamb.
Depending on the door you have, you may be able to just screw the new strike plate into place over the old one using the screws included with it. However, you may need to pre-drill holes and then chisel out some of the wood to ensure it's a snug fit. If this is the situation Be careful not to cut too much wood or you could damage the strength of the doorjamb.
You can also try installing a new box strike plate, which will give the lock a stronger hold on the door and requires more force to open it. It typically requires two longer screws to fix the strike plate into the door frame. To accomplish this, you'll need to remove the current strike plate and then drill and chisel out the wood to make room for the new one.
This difficult-to-find strike plate was made to work with rim locks from the past, and it's made from durable solid brass in a heavy duty thickness. This kit comes with wood screws and machine screws, so you can select the appropriate hardware to suit your requirements. Be aware that wood screws have a pointy tip, whereas the machine screws are more blunt.