You may have had a couple of failed DIY home repair projects before. That is why whenever there is something that needs a little fixing at home, you hesitate. It is true that there are projects that are better left to professionals. But there are also a lot of little repair tasks that you can easily take on. One of those is replacing your doorknobs.
Doorknobs can give your doors an updated look, and it takes no time to do a replacement. Before you head to the hardware store to get yourself a new knob, remove the one you want to remove first. Doing so will give you an idea of the type of replacement you would have to find. It would also be helpful to bring the old knob so you can easily compare.
- How to remove a doorknob? Simple. Grab your Phillips screwdriver and start removing the screws that hold the knob in place. There will be knobs that require you to remove the screws from the other side as well.
- Pull the knobs apart once the screws are removed. The knobs would come off easily along with the plate covering the hole. You will also find a square peg connecting the two knobs and sliding into a square hole in the latch. This will also come out with the knobs.
- If the latch did not come out with the knobs when you removed them, you can just slide it out. There are latches that will slide from the edge of the door easily. There are others, though, that would need removing of two screws that attach it to the door.
- Measure the distance from the hole’s center to the edge of the door. This is what we call the backset. Make sure the new knob you get is also designed to work with your measurements.
- You can start installing the new knob by knowing what style of latch plate will be needed. You might have to swap the standard rectangular plate for a round one. Insert the latch into the edge of the door. Secure with the provided screws if necessary.
- You would notice that half of your knob has the square steel peg. That’s the first one you should insert into the door and place the square peg through the latch mechanism. Once that is done, align the other half with the square pin and screw holes.
- Secure the new doorknob using the two screws that are included in the package. Attach the new strike plate to the door frame. Now you have your new knob installed!
It may not be that easy to do the first time you try, but you’ll surely get it in a couple of tries. In no time, replacing your old or broken doorknobs will be no trouble at all!
