How to change a door handle

Over time, doors, doorknobs and handles begin to wear out and become hard to operate or just look shabby – like this 20-year-old bathroom knob. But replacing them is easy. Most passage, privacy or entrance sets are sold as complete packs, and they’re quick, simple and cheap to fit.

Door levers are left-handed, right-handed or universal. To determine what you need, look at the door from outside the house or room. If the hinges are on the left, look for a left-handed or universal lever. If the hinges are on the right, you need a right-handed or universal model.

Measure the bore hole.

You’ll need to know the bore hole’s diameter to get the right sized knob. Measure across the circular hole at its widest point, i.e. start at the bottom of the hole and pull the tape until you hit the top of the hole. There’s your diameter.

There are 3 main sizes to take when measuring a door handle. Next is the distance between the centre of the top screw to the centre of the bottom screw. Finally the length of the handle plate, top to bottom.

All handles, pulls, latches, locks, and other operable parts of the door should measure between 34 inches and 48 inches above the floor.

Available on latch, lock or bathroom plate, our chrome door handles on backplate can be fitted to new doors or replace existing door handles. The integrated backplate neatly conceals the appearance of old screw holes in the door.

Top Screw Above uPVC Door Handles

Measurement A is known as the PZ. This is taken from the centre of the handle to the centre of the keyhole. Most common PZ is 92mm. Overall length is less important but you may need this to ensure you cover the area where your old handles once where.

If you stand to the outside of your door and the hinge is on your right then you would need a right-handed handle. If the hinge is to your left then you need a left-handed handle.

The industry standards are usually 44 mm/ 57mm / 82mm / 107mm / 130mm. Ideally you will try and choose the backset measurement that sites the door handle in the middle of the door stile. A shorter backset is recommended if you’re using a glazed door.

What is the difference between Type A and Type B uPVC door handles? Answer: Type A has a screw under the handle and at the bottom of the backplate, thye distance between screws is 122mm and overall length of plate is 220mm. Type B has screws top and bottom, 211mm between screws and 240mm overall length of plate.

A multipoint locking system is a type of door hardware that locks at different points in the door — typically the top, middle and bottom. Instead of one deadbolt, it has three. So all three deadbolts respond to the same key turn — no need to stretch or bend down to lock different parts of the door.

Measure the distance between the two screws from the centre of each screw. This will give you your ‘fixing centres‘ and is the measurement you need when buying your new handles. This isn’t how long the handle is but is the measurement between the screws used to fix the handles to your kitchen cabinets.

Installing a new uPVC door handle is just as easy as it was removing your old one. Firstly you will put in your new spindle, once this is done you‘re ready to put on the new handle and screw it into place making sure you do not over-tighten the screws. Your new handle should now be installed.

Install a door knob: national average cost

The national average materials cost to install a door knob is $41.45 per knob, with a range between $32.24 to $50.66. The total price for labor and materials per knob is $122.72, coming in between $70.91 to $174.53.

As well as locks, locksmiths can often also repair or replace other hardware on both doors and windows such as handles, hinges, door closers etc.

Replace Faulty/Broken uPVC Door Handle – a floppy door handle at fault may cost from £20 for a replacement handle plus labour, a high security handle will cost from £40 plus labour.