Whether for aesthetic reasons or security reasons, replacing the hardware on your doors is a relatively easy job, and in most cases, the only tools required will be a tape measure, a Phillips screwdriver and perhaps a flat-head screwdriver. Modern locks may include electronic keypads, or you may be able to replace the door lock and still use the key from your previous lock.
Before you go to the hardware store to pick out your new door hardware, it is important to measure the hole size and setback of your existing locks. Removing the existing doorknob can usually be done by removing two screws from the interior side with the Phillips screwdriver. (Some doorknobs or handles may require a small Allen wrench, or perhaps a small screwdriver, to remove a plate covering the screws that hold the doorknob in place.) When the screws are removed, the interior and the exterior knobs should easily separate.
After the knob is removed, remove the two screws holding the latch (or throw) from the edge of the door. The latch will be able to be removed.
Typically, the diameter of the hole that the knob goes into is 2 1/8 inches. This could vary, particularly with older homes or perhaps with custom doors. Also with older homes or custom doors, the thickness of the door could be an issue. If the door is less than 1 3/8 inches, a custom plate or door reinforcer could be required. These variances are generally rare, but it is good to know there are solutions should they come up.
Now measure the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the hole from which you withdrew the knob. Note that some latches may have the setback stamped on them, but if not, use the tape measure or a ruler to measure from the edge of the door to the center of the hole. Standard doorknobs will have a backset of either 2 3/4 or 2 3/8 inches. If you have any question about the backset, just carry the old latch with you to the hardware store.
Installing the new knob and latch begins with the installation of the latch. It should fit easily into the existing hole in the side of the door. Slide it into the door, making sure to orient it correctly so the beveled edge of the latch will hit the striker plate on the door jam. The hole for inserting the doorknob spindle should be in the center of the larger hole in the door.
Now insert the new knob into the hole in the door. You will need to line up the screw holes and the spindle in the center of the doorknob with the holes in the latch mechanism. Make sure you have the proper knob on the inside of the door. The two long screws will be inserted from the inside to hold the new doorknob in place. Snug the screws down and make sure both the interior and exterior knobs turn the latch freely. Also push down on the latch from the side of the door to affirm that the spring inside the latch is working properly.
You may choose to install the new striker plate that comes with the lockset in place of the old one. It is a simple installation requiring the removal of two screws that hold the striker plate in place in the door jam. Some people choose to replace the short screws that come with the striker plate with longer (perhaps 3-inch) screws for possible added security of having the screws reach a framing stud instead of just being in the door jam.
Today, there are a lot of choices in locksets, including electronic keyless locks and locks that may be adjustable to your existing keys without having to “re-key” the locks by changing out the small pins inside the lock. Review these options at your hardware store, but the basic replacement steps for your existing lockset should remain the same.
Written by Bill Smith
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