HOW TO CHANGE DOOR HANDLES & HINGES

Whether you’re planning on some necessary maintenance on your doors or have decided to update your door handles, replacing your door hinges is a great way to ensure all of your door hardware has the same finish. 

The type of door hinges you use will be dependent on the door you are working on. 

• For doors you want to open easily up to 180 degrees, such as emergency or fire doors, you’ll need to install parliament hinges.
• Flush hinges are one of the most versatile hinge types and can be used for anything with a ‘flush’ or flat surface. This could be anything from cabinets to internal doors. 
• Hard-wearing and made from strong, galvanised materials, tee hinges are generally used for external doors such as wooden doors or gates for the garden. 
• Finally, double action hinges, sometimes known as spring hinges, allow a door to open up to 180 degrees in both directions and come back to center automatically.

First, wedge your door open so that the entire hinge is exposed using the blocks of wood or door stop. You won’t need to remove the door so these tools will ensure the door stays put while you replace the hinges.

Check new hinges fit the old ones in the frame. If not, mark on where new ones will sit and chisel away the extra wood.

Screw each hinge in place with one (centre) screw. The hinge knuckle should stick out from the frame edge.

Prop the door in the door frame using wedges to ensure correct gap at the bottom.

Mark where the top and bottom of the hinges sit on the door.

NOTE: Moulded, real wood veneer, foil, hardboard and MDF hollowcore doors should have 2 hinges. Feature and primed doors should have 3 hinges.

FIXING HINGES TO THE DOOR

Unscrew hinges and lay them on the edge of the door, lining up with the pencil marks. Draw around the hinge.

Chisel out the middle to the same depth as hinge flap.

Check hinge fits flush and fix with one (centre) screw per hinge.

Replacing a door handle or door knob just requires a new door handle set and a flat-head screwdriver. Whether you want to fix a worn-out door knob or upgrade the appearance of a door with a new handle, replacing the existing handle is something that is usually hassle-free. Pick up a new door handle set that you like from IBT and get your screwdriver ready to go—soon enough, your door will have a whole new look and feel!

Open up the door about halfway, so you can easily access both sides of the door handle. Push a door stop under the bottom edge of the door to keep it from moving and closing while you replace the handle. Look for a small slot in the side of the door knob or door handle where it connects to the cover plate or look on the side of the cover plate where it sits flush against the door. Insert the tip of a flat-head screwdriver into the slot and apply pressure with the tip of the screwdriver, then pull the handle or door knob off.

The cover plates are the round or rectangular plates that sit against the door between the handle or door knob and the door itself. These parts are there to hide the inner workings of the door handle and give it an attractive appearance. Try unscrewing the knobs or handles if you don’t see this type of pressure slot. Different handles come off in different ways.

Some types of handles might not come off separately. If yours don’t seem like you can pull or screw them off, skip this step. For instance, if your handle has a rectangular plate, the handle might be attached to the plate and will just come off when you remove the whole plate. Remove any screws that are holding the cover plates in place on either side of the door using a flat-head screwdriver. 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.

Not all cover plates have screws holding them in place. 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. Some round types of cover plates might screw on, so try turning the cover plate itself counterclockwise if you can’t remove it by unscrewing it or prying it off. 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 inner plates are what sit directly under the cover plates you just removed. These hold the door handle’s latching mechanism in place inside the hole in 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. 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.

You should now just have holes in your door, into which you can install a new door handle.

Measure the distance from the floor to mark on the door where the latch needs to sit.

Hold the latch against the drill bit and mark the depth of the latch on the drill bit using masking tape. Drill into the door to the depth indicated by the tape.

Chisel out any remaining debris.

Insert the latch and pencil round the outside. Chisel out the recess so that the latch sits flush.

Hold the latch in position, but on the outside of the door. Put your pencil through the hole and make a mark. This is where the handle spindle will go. Make sure you mark this on both sides.

Drill the hole for the handle spindle.

Insert the latch and fix into place.

Insert the spindle through the hole and screw the door handle into place.