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How to Replace Door Handles The door handles in your home are an essential element of your interior design. A new handle can bring your home's decor and interior 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 the knobs. This guide will help you choose the correct door handle replacement for your home. Door Knobs Door handles enhance the aesthetics of your house while making it easier for people to open and close doors. They come in a variety of finishes, colors and types to complement your decor. If yours is beginning to appear worn or simply require an upgrade replacing them is simple and can be completed in a few steps. You must locate the shaft, or spindle through which the knob is inserted to the door. Some knobs have a tiny hole that you can insert an incredibly small screwdriver to release the set screws holding the handle in place. Some have a small slot or hole that you can use a flathead screwdriver to push on a spring-activated pin, also known as a detent. When you press this pin it opens the latch mechanism and lets you pull or push the knob. After you have ahold of the shaft or spindle, remove the old door knob and replace it with the new one. Make sure it is aligned correctly and ensure whether the latch works before tightening new set screws. After you've replaced the knob, place the latch rod in position over the door's hole and lock it in place with the rod mechanism on the second knob. Make sure the holes are aligned and then thread in the latch plate screws and tighten them. Some people choose a smooth or brushed metal finish for their door hardware to give their home a sleek and contemporary style. It will complement the furniture they have. Others prefer a more rustic look which is great for farmhouse-styled spaces. If you have someone in your family with mobility issues, you might want to choose the lever or rim lock that require less pressure to operate. While aesthetics have been the main consideration when it comes to door handle design, other aspects are becoming more important too. Infection control and accessibility are two major issues that have led to the development of new designs for handle handles, such as ones which can be operated by a person's forearm. Latch The latch that keeps your door handle open will wear out due to the wear and tear of use. It is easy to change the latch on your door handle. This will make an enormous difference in the way it opens and closes. Depending on the kind of handle you have the latch could be part of the knob or it could be an individual piece attached to the door itself. In any case, you'll follow the same process for removing and replacing. The process of removing the old latch of place is fairly easy, especially if your door handle has what's known as 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 out of the handle and off of the latching mechanism. If your handle doesn't have this magical button the first step is to take off any cover plates that sit over the latch plate. These are usually rectangular or circular and can be removed using a screwdriver in order to remove them off the handle. Some have a tiny slot inside that you can slide your screwdriver, whereas others simply snap off. Then, unscrew the machine screws that attach the plate's inner and latch to the door handle. repairmywindowsanddoors are the screws that are shorter with a sharp tip and you'll need to keep these in a safe location to reuse them in subsequent steps. Once these are off you can pull the latch plate and mechanism out of the door's hole and put it away. You can now begin installing the new latch. Install the inside plate of the latch into the hole in the door and secure it using the hardware provided. Make sure that the square pin on interior of the latch faces the latching mechanism of the handle and is aligned with the other screw holes in the handle. Then, push the exterior latch plate onto and secure it using the screws supplied. Strike Plate One of the most frequent reasons for replacing the door handle is that it feels loose or doesn't lock properly. This is often caused by misaligned components in the latching mechanism, for example an unbalanced strike plate that is too short or moved up or down on the doorjamb with time. This project allows you to replace your old strikeplate with a more substantial one, which will provide better security for your door and will keep it shut. To check if the problem is caused by the strike plate, apply lipstick or a similar marking material to the bolt that is used to latch. Close the door and try to latch it. If the mark is below the strike plate's hole, it means that the plate is too small and the door will not latch. If the mark is higher or below the strikeplate hole, the strikeplate is likely to have been moved up or downward on the doorjamb. You might be able to screw the new strikeplate into the existing one using the screws that come with it, depending on the door. It is possible that you will need to drill holes first and then chisel a bit of wood to ensure a tight fit. If this is the situation, be careful to not chisel out too much wood or you may ruin the integrity of the doorjamb. Installing a new style box strike plate will give the lock a stronger grip on the doors and require more force to open them. It usually requires two larger screws to fix the strike plate into the door frame. To do this, you'll need to remove the current strike plate and then drill and chisel away the wood to create space for the new one. This hard-to-find strike plate is specifically designed to work with antique rim locks, and it's made from durable solid brass in the heavy duty thickness. This kit includes wood screws as well as machine screws, allowing you to pick the right hardware for your needs. Keep in mind that wood screws have a pointed tip whereas machine screws are blunter.