How to Replace Door Handles

The door handles of your home are an essential element of your interior design. A new handle will elevate your home and bring your decor up to date.

Over time, your knobs on your doors may begin to feel stiff and even break. These are indicators that it's time to replace the knobs. This guide will help you pick the appropriate replacement door handle for your home.

Door Knobs

Door double glazing window handles can enhance the appearance of your home while also making it easier for people to open and close doors. They come in a variety of finishes, colors and styles to complement your decor. If yours are starting to show signs of wear or just need an upgrade, replacing them is relatively simple and can be done in just a few steps.

You need to locate the shaft, or spindle through which the knob is inserted to the door. Some have a small hole that you can put an incredibly small screwdriver to loosen the set screws that hold the upvc handle window in place. Some have a small slot or hole that allows you to press the spring-activated detent pin using a flathead. This pin lets go of the latch mechanism and allows you 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. Check that the latch functions properly before tightening the set screws.

After replacing the knob, put the rod for the latch into the hole on the door. Interlock it with the rod system on the second knob. Ensure that the holes are in alignment, then tighten the screws for the latch plate.

Some people choose a smooth or brushed metal finish for the door hardware to give their home a modern and sleek appearance. This can be matched with their other furniture. Some prefer a rustic look that goes well with farmhouse-styled rooms. If you have someone in your family with mobility issues, you may prefer a lever style or rim lock, which requires less pressure to operate.

While aesthetics have been the primary consideration for door handle design, other aspects are becoming more important as well. Accessibility and infection control are key considerations in the creation of new designs for handles. For instance some handles can be operated with an arm.

Latch

The latch that holds the handle of your door open can wear down as time passes. It is simple to replace the latch on your door handle. This will result in huge differences in how it opens and closes.

Depending on what kind of handle you choose the latch can be a separate piece or a part of the knob. In either scenario, the same procedure for removing and reinstalling will apply. It's easy to remove the old aluminium window handles latch, particularly if you have doors with a "magic" button. Located on the side of the knob, this tiny pressure-slot is the one you need to press to pop the latch right out of the handle and off of the latching mechanism.

If your handle does not have this magic 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 by using a screwdriver to pry them off the window handle upvc. Some have a small hole in them that you can slide your screwdriver into, while others snap off.

Then, unscrew the machine screws that secure the plate's inner and latch to the Euro Door Handles handle. These are the screws with a sharp point - you will need to keep these in a secure location to reuse them in subsequent steps. After the screws are removed, you can take the latch plate as well as the mechanism from the hole and put it aside.

Now you can start on the new latch. Install the latch plate into the door hole and secure it using the hardware supplied. Make sure that the square pin on interior of the latch faces the latching mechanism inside the handle and is aligned with the other screw holes in the handle. Then push the exterior latch plate onto the handle and secure it with the provided screws.

Strike Plate

One of the most common reasons for replacing the door handle is because it feels loose or doesn't lock properly. This is often due to malfunctioning components of the latching mechanism, for example an unbalanced strike plate that is too small or shifted upwards or downwards on the doorjamb as time passes. This easy project allows you to replace your existing strike plate with a new, larger one that will provide better security and will keep your door shut.

Apply a lipstick or other marking material on the latch bolt to determine if it's the strike plate. Close the door and try to latch it. If the mark is below your strike plate hole, it means that the plate is too small and the door will not latch. If the mark is above the strike plate hole, it's most likely that the strike plate has been moved upwards or downwards on the doorjamb.

Depending on the upvc door locks and handles you have, you may be able to just attach the new strike plate into the existing one using the screws that come with it. However, you might need to drill holes first, and then chisel some of the wood to make sure it's a good fit. If this is the case, you must be cautious not to chisel too deeply or you could cause damage to the integrity of your doorjamb.

Installing a new box-style strike plate will provide the lock with a stronger grip on the doors and require more force to open them. Typically, it requires two longer screws to secure the strike plate to the door frame. To do this, you'll have to remove the existing strike plate, then drill and chisel out the wood to make space for the new one.

This hard-to find strike plate is made of solid brass and has a heavy-duty thickness. It's designed to be used on antique rim locks. It comes with both wood screws and machine screws, which means you'll have the correct hardware for the job. Make sure to note that wood screws have a sharp tip, whereas the machine ones are more blunt.