How To Fit An Exterior Door Handle

I had to fix it.

How to fit an exterior door handle.

My front door knob was broken and i couldn t open the door from the inside or outside. For example if your old door handle had rectangular cover plates it s probably best to stick to a new handle with similar rectangular cover plates rather than switching to. 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. Installing an exterior door that is insulated and made of steel can be heavy and cumbersome due to the weight of the materials.

The posts for the handle s lock cylinder and thumb latch should easily slide into the dead bolt and latch bolt assemblies. It should feel slightly snug when the two parts join. Here s how i did it. Align the spindle on the back of the assembly with the throughbolt and the slot in the latch.

Install the exterior handle photo by ryan benyi. Here is the handleset i bought. Remove the old door knob latch and strike plate. With the new dead bolt and latch bolt in place fit the handle over the door s existing holes.

If you have not already removed the old door knob and latch take it out before you begin installing the new one. Next you ll install the outside handle assembly. Place the exterior handle on the door by inserting the spindle or axle on the handle through the latch cylinder at 90 degrees. Depending on the door you may also need to remove the strike plate to take it out remove the top and bottom screws with a screwdriver and lift it carefully out of the door.

Slide the adjustable throughbolt up or down as needed and press the handleset onto the door. 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. If the deadbolt comes with an interior plate and a decorative outer plate with a recessed screw just place the interior plate over the hole from the inside. If you choose to install a front door made of steel you will need a helper.

Measure both the door and rough opening to make sure the door is the right size. Most door handles have a standard backset of 60 mm or 70 mm so you shouldn t have any trouble finding a new door handle that fits in the existing holes in your door. Step 4 secure the interior hardware photo by ryan benyi. Insert the exterior part of the lock into the door by feeding the long metal piece through the opening in the center of the bolt.