Installing door handle

As a person who has recently upgraded from living in a garage to living in a half-constructed house, the novelty of having multiple doors to open and close on a whim cannot be overstated. Listen, when you spend a year living in square feet with another human being and a cat, privacy becomes a moot point.

It consists of a latch assembly, a handle attached to the cylinder, a second handle and face plate. Most doors come with space removed to accommodate the face plate. Once the latch assembly is in place, wait until the rest of the handle is installed to screw the face plate in place. With the latch assembly in place, slide the door handle with the attached cylinder into place.

Install the round drive-in faceplate over the latch and push down to secure. Slide the latch and drive-in faceplate into the cross bore with the bevel facing the door jam, and push in until tight.

Use a hammer with a block of wood between it and the latch to gently pound it into place until flush with the edge of the door without damaging the hardware. If your new door handle attaches to the door at a point below the lower borehole like ours , you may need to drill another hole to accommodate. Line up the spindle on the back of the handle with the slot in the latch, sliding any mechanisms up or down as needed to fit the handle onto the door. Line up the inside handle or lever so that the screw holes align vertically with the threaded posts on the back of the outside handle.

If your inside handle is a lever, make sure that the lever is pointing away from the door jamb. Secure with screws. If your outside handle is attached to the door by a lower spindle like ours , attach a washer, screw, and cover to secure and finish the spindle on the inside of the door.

Repeat the procedure above for creating a faceplate indent if your lock calls for one and your door does not already have one. Fit the latch bolt into the upper cross bore, making sure the top is facing up there is usually an arrow on the latch bolt to indicate. Screw the faceplate in to secure. Install the deadbolt mechanisms on the inside and outside, making sure the keyed cylinder part is on the outside of the door. The inside thumb turn should point up when unlocked, and point towards the door jamb when locked.

Insert the edge of your screwdriver under the plates and pry them up gently until they pop off, then remove them and set them aside. Some might just snap into place, so you can just pry them right off using your screwdriver.

Look for a slot on the side or bottom of the cover plate that you can slide your screwdriver into to pry it off. Take out the screws holding the latch and inner plates in place. Unscrew and remove the screws holding the latch in place on the inside edge of the door.

Take out the screws that hold the inner plates in place on either side of the door. The latch is the angled metal piece that moves in and out of the hole on the inside edge of the door. When you close the door, this latch hooks into a hole in the door frame to keep the door closed.

Turning the door handle moves this latch in, so you can open the door. Pull out the latch plate and door latch mechanism. Carefully pull the latch plate and mechanism out from the hole on the inside edge of the door and set it aside. Remove the plates from either side of the door and set them aside as well. Part 2. Choose a new door handle that fits on your door.

Use a tape measure to measure from the inside edge of the door to the center of the hole in the door to get the backset measurement, then choose a handle that fits this backset. Pick a new handle or knob with cover plates that are the same shape and size as the old ones to cover up any marks in the surface of your door that the old plates made, such as screw holes and scratches. Position the latch in the hole on the inside edge of the door so that the smooth angled part faces in the same direction as the door closes in.

Slide the latch mechanism into the hole until the latch plate rests flush against the inside edge of the door in the old latch recess. Line up the cylinders on the insides of the inner plates with the corresponding holes in the latch mechanism and slide them into place.

Fasten the plates flush against the door using the provided screws and your screwdriver. Put the cover plates in place on top of the inner plates.

Slide the new cover plates on and press them against the inner plates until they snap into place. Attach any provided screws that hold the plates in place using your screwdriver.

Press the new knobs or handles into place. Do the same for the inner knob or handle. If you see threads on the door handle mechanism cylinders, screw the knobs or handles on instead of pressing them into place.

They will already be in place after you attach the new cover plates to the door. Replace any other locks and deadbolts on the door if you want them to match. Choose new locks and deadbolts that match your door handle to update the appearance of all the hardware on the door. For example, if you have a silver deadbolt lock on your front door and you just replaced the old handle with a new silver handle, the difference might not be that noticeable.