Door handles and their attractive designs play a vital role in providing an extra luxurious feel to the house's interior designs. These door handles can be bought online or from the marketplaces. In most cases, people hire people to install these door handles in their homes.
But if you are an independent person and even want to install home décor and door handles yourself, then you have landed in the right place. If you are wondering how to fit door handles, then you would be glad to know that nowadays, most door handles come with installation guides, and these can be used to fit the door handles efficiently.
Since most door handles are the same in assembly and installation and vary in their designs, there is a general method of installation that could be used.
There is no need to hire a person to fit your door handles. Let's explore how to fit internal door handles yourself with ease.
5 Steps To Prepare The Door For The Installation Of The Door Handle
If you are trying to fit the internal door handles for the first time and need to learn about the process, don't worry. Following are the steps that can be followed to prepare a door for the installation of a door handle.
Step 01: Measuring The Location Of Where You Want The Door Handle
Although most home designs have a predetermined location where all the home locks are installed, you can also look at the guide that comes with the lock to decide the location. In most cases, the door handles are placed at the measurement of 41 inches from the floor.
This measurement can greatly vary depending on your home's architecture. Therefore, a rule of thumb is to measure the location of other locks in the house. This way, you can use their location as a reference when installing a new door handle.
Step 02: Attaching The Door Handles Kits Template To The Door
The door handles, whether they are brass door handles or metallic ones, sometimes come with a kit for installation or fitting instructions available online. After determining the location, you can attach the door handle kit at that location and, with the help of masking tape, put a mark where you want to drill.
The drilling locations and sizes are different for different door handle designs. Thus, it is always a good idea to explore the guide that comes with the door handle and read it along with the process for better results.
However if the pack does not come with a kit, there are many youtube videos and fitting instructions that will advise you how to fit the door handle properly.
We also recommend not to try and install-cut the door while its on its hinges. This could result in your level handle and lock not being cut parallel to each other.
Step 03: Placing A Wedge To Keep The Door In Place And Drilling
When installing the door handles on the home doors, it is essential to keep them still. Any movement can cause miscalibration, which can result in defective outcomes. Using a wedge, in this case, would be the best solution. You can place it at the bottom of the door to keep it in place.
Once you know that the door isn't moving, carefully drill a preliminary hole at the side of the door. The drill must be kept level with the floor to avoid any visible damage to the door. The manual guide with the door handle can also be used to determine the location of the drilled hole.
Step 04: Drilling Larger Holes Into The Preliminary Holes
In the previous step, you made preliminary holes to mark the holes' points. Now is the time to make that preliminary hole larger by drilling it with the exact size drill bit that is mentioned in the specific kit instructions.
If you want to know how to put a door handle back on efficiently, then follow the instructions carefully here. Make sure that you are not drilling the hole all the way to the other side of the door. Also, keep the drill level to the floor to avoid any damage to the door.
Step 05: Use A 20mm Spade Bit To Drill Holes Into The Front, Back, And Narrow Portion Of The Door
Now is the time for one of the most important steps of how to install the front door handle: creating the spindle holes at the front, back, and narrower portion of the door. The size of the spade bit is usually mentioned in the kit instructions, but it is usually 20mm, so you can also use that.
The spindle holes are essential as they are the ones where the door handle will actually be inserted. Extra care is needed to make this spindle hole at the narrow part of the door because of its lower surface area. Be very cautious doing that to avoid making a crack in the door.
How Do You Install A Door Handle: A Step-By-Step Guide
As you have read in the previous half of the article, we have prepared the door for the installation of a door handle. Now, we can follow the following steps actually to fit a door handle:
Step 01: Marking The Door Handle Faceplate On The Door
In this step, the door handle latch is set into its hole. This is done by marking or tracing the outline of the door's faceplate. Make sure that there are no extra marks, and remove them before the door handle is installed.
Step 02: Chiseling The Faceplate Outline
Once you trace the faceplate outline on the door, use a chisel and a hammer to chisel it out. Place the chisel at a 45-degree angle to remove the wood from the faceplate outline. However, the chiseling depth is mentioned in most of the kit instructions, so you can also check it from there.
The primary purpose of chiseling the faceplate outline is to fit the faceplate in the chiseled area, which will provide a good fixture. It is important to follow the instructions given with the kit, as in many cases, the chiseling depth is different for different kinds of faceplates.
Step 03: Screwing The Faceplate Into The Narrower Part
Once the faceplate outline is chiseled, you can screw the faceplate into the narrower part of the door in the drilled holes that we made earlier in the process. If you are wondering how to fit a door handle, this is the most crucial step to follow. Use the screwing machine cautiously and level to the floor.
Step 04: Placing The Door Handles In The Spindle Holes
Since you have done the majority of the steps, now is the time to screw the two handles into the door, making sure that they are aligned horizontally and vertically. After fitting the door handles in the spindle holes, make sure to turn the knobs to see if they work correctly or not.
Step 05: Finally, Attach The Strike Plate To The Door Jamb
Aligning the strike plate with the faceplate, use a 2mm drill bit to create pilot holes, and make two holes in the stroker plate. To check the alignment, shut down the door and see if the door handle fits nicely or not.
Conclusion
Are you wondering how to fit door handles and exhausted by the thought? Don't worry—we have your back. We have listed some of the easiest steps for installing internal door handles at your home, ensuring that they fit perfectly and serve their purpose efficiently.
FAQs
How do you fit door handles easily?
The door handles are pretty easy to install. In most cases, these brass door handles come with a kit instruction that can be followed step by step to fit these handles properly. Some of the main steps in installing the brass handles are deciding the location, making drill holes, and then fitting the door handles in it.
What is the best location to put a door handle?
It totally depends on the door size and height. However, in most cases, the door handles are placed 34 to 48 inches from the floor. They shouldn't be higher than 48 inches, as it becomes uncomfortable to open them.
Are door handles installable on any door?
No, there is actually no standard size that comes in the market for the door knobs. Therefore, you have the complete freedom to choose the door handle and the knob size according to your need.