Watch Out: What Replacement Door Handles Is Taking Over And What We Can Do About It

How to Replace Door Handles The door handles in your home are an essential part of the design. A new handle can elevate your home and bring your decor up to date. Over time the knobs on your door may become stiff or even break. These are indications that it's time to replace them. This guide will help you select the best door handle replacement for your home. upvc replacement door handles on your doors will improve the look of your home and allow you to shut and open them. They come in a variety of finishes, colors, and styles to complement your decor. If yours is beginning to show signs of wear or require an upgrade it is possible to replace them in a few easy steps. You need to locate the shaft, or spindle, through which the knob is attached to the door. Some have a small hole that you can put the screwdriver with a small diameter to loosen the set screws that hold the knob in place. Some have a slot or hole in which can be used with the flathead screwdriver on a spring-activated pin called a detent. This pin releases the latch mechanism and lets you to pull or push the knob. Once you have the spindle or shaft, in your hand Remove the knob and replace it. Make sure you align it properly and verify that the latch functions properly before tightening the new set screws. After replacing the knob, you can place the rod that is attached to the latch over the hole on the door. Interlock it with the rod system on the second knob. Make sure the holes are aligned, then tighten the screws on the latch plate. Some people opt for a smooth or brushed finish for their door hardware for modern, sleek design that complements other furniture in their homes. Others prefer a more rustic style, which pairs well with rustic-styled rooms. If you have someone in your family who has mobility issues, you might prefer an rim or lever lock that requires less pressure to operate. Other aspects are being taken into consideration more and more in the design of door handles. Accessibility and control of infections are two major issues that have led to the creation of new designs for handle handles like those that can be operated with a person's forearm. Latch The latch that opens your door will wear out due to the wear and tear of use. Changing out the old latch to fit an entirely new handle can be an easy DIY task and it can make a big change in the way your door opens and closes. Depending on what type of handle you use the latch may be a separate part or a part of the knob. In either case, you'll need to follow the same steps to remove and replace. Removing the old latch of place is fairly easy particularly if your door handle has what is known as a “magic button”. It is located on the opposite side of the knob, this tiny pressure-slot is what you need to press to pull the latch right out of the handle and out of the latching mechanism. If your handle doesn't have this button the first step is to take off any cover plates that are positioned over the latch plate. These are usually rectangular or circular and can be removed by using a screwdriver to pull them off the handle. Some have a slot in which you can insert your screwdriver, whereas others simply snap off. Then, loosen the machine screws that attach the plate's inner and latch to the door handle. You will need to store these screws with an angled tip in a safe location in order to reuse them later. Once these are off, you can take the latch plate and mechanism out of the hole in the door and put it away. You can now begin installing the new latch. Insert the latch plate into the door hole and secure it using the hardware supplied. Make sure that the square pin on the interior of the latch is facing the latching mechanism inside the handle, and that it lines up with the other screw chambers in the door handle. Then, push the exterior latch plate on and secure it with the screws provided. Strike Plate It is not uncommon to replace a door handle when it feels loose, or doesn't lock properly. This is often caused by misaligned components in the latching mechanism, for example the strike plate being too small or shifted upwards or downwards on the doorjamb with time. This simple project will allow you to replace your existing strike plate with a new, longer one that will provide better security and will keep your door shut. Apply some lipstick or other marking material on the bolt that you are using to check if it is the strike plate. Close the door and attempt to latch it. If the mark is lower than your strike plate hole, it indicates that the plate is too small and the door won't latch. If the mark is above the strike plate hole, it's most likely that the strike plate has been moved up or down on the doorjamb. You might be able to put the new strikeplate in place over the existing one by using the screws supplied with it, depending on the door. You may need to first drill holes and then chisel the wood to ensure a tight fit. If this is the case Be careful not to chisel out too much wood or you could damage the integrity of the doorjamb. Installing a new style box strike plate will give the lock a stronger grip on doors and require more force to open the doors. Typically, it requires two longer screws that anchor the strike plate to the frame of the door. It is necessary remove the previous strike plate, then drill and chisel the wood to create space for the new one. This difficult-to-find strike plate is made of solid brass and has a thick, heavy-duty. It's designed to be used on antique rim locks. This kit comes with wood screws as well as machine screws so you can select the appropriate hardware to suit your requirements. Keep in mind that wood screws have a pointed tip whereas machine screws are blunter.