When to Replace Door Handles

If your house doorknobs are loose, rattling, or simply don't work as well as they used to, you can get and install a replacement on your own in less than an hour. The first thing to do is take a measurement from the center of your current doorknob to the front edge of the door so that you can buy a new doorknob that will fit with the existing hole in the door. This measurement is called the "setback" and is usually in the ballpark of 2 inches. Go to your local hardware store, pick a new knob with the same setback measurements, and head home. Now you have to remove the old knob so you can install the new one. Grab a screwdriver and unscrew the two screws on each side of the doorknob on the inside of the door. This will free the interior and exterior door knobs and you should pull them out so that you can see the locking mechanism inside door. Use your screwdriver again to loosen the screws holding the lock in place and take that out as well. Now, you can put in your new locking mechanism in the same place as the old one and use your screwdriver to attach it with the two screws provided. Next, slide the new exterior knob into the knob hole and through the hole in the locking mechanism. Your new knob should come with two long screws that fit into two holes on the interior knob. Put the screws in their holes and then hold the exterior knob with one hand while you slide the interior knob into the knob hole. Guide the interior knob so that the two screws align with the receiving holes of the exterior knob. Then, simply tighten the two screws on the interior knob and test your new doorknob.