How do I fit a new door handle?

Changing a handle looks like a screwdriver job and frequently is not, because the new set assumes measurements the old one did not use. Ten minutes of measuring first avoids nearly all of it.

Safety

What you'll need

• Replacement handle set, matched to the existing measurements
• Screwdrivers, including a small one for grub screws
• Tape measure and a pencil
• Chisel, if the latch faceplate is a different size

Step by step

1. Measure the backset before buying.From the edge of the door to the centre of the spindle hole — commonly 44mm or 57mm on internal doors. Get this wrong and the new handle will not line up with the existing hole at all.
2. Check the spindle size.The square bar through the door, usually 8mm. Handle sets include one, but the length matters — too short and it does not engage both handles, too long and it stops them sitting flush.
3. Note the fixing centres.The distance between the screw holes on the rose or backplate. If it differs from the old set, the new screws land on solid timber, which is fine, or on the old holes, which is not.
4. Decide whether the latch is being changed too.If the existing latch works and the faceplate matches, leave it. If it is being replaced, measure the faceplate size and the latch case depth as well.
5. Take the old handle off carefully.Look for grub screws on the underside of the handle or around the rose — many are hidden and forcing a handle that is still fixed damages the door face.
6. Check the new handle against the door before fitting.Offer it up. The rose should cover the old fixing holes, the spindle should pass through cleanly, and the handle should clear the frame when turned.
7. Fit the latch first if it is new.Slide it into the edge mortice, mark round the faceplate, and pare a recess so it sits flush. The latch bolt's curved face must point towards the way the door closes.
8. Pass the spindle through and hold both handles.Get both sides on before fixing either. Trying to fit one at a time means the spindle drops out repeatedly.
9. Fix loosely, test, then tighten.Screws just started, then check the handle springs back and the latch retracts fully. Tightening fully before testing means undoing it again.
10. Do not overtighten.Overtightened roses bind the mechanism, which is the most common reason a new handle feels stiff or does not return. Snug, not forced.
11. Adjust the keep if the latch no longer engages.A new latch may sit slightly differently. Move the keep rather than the handle, or file the opening slightly.
12. Fit any grub screws last.They lock the handle to the spindle and stop it working loose. Missing this is why handles start to droop after a few months.

Tips

• Photograph the old handle and measure the backset before going shopping. Almost every failed handle replacement is a backset mismatch.
• Buy the latch and the handle as a set where possible. Mixing brands is where spindle and faceplate mismatches come from.
• If the new rose is smaller than the old one, the old fixing holes will show. Check before removing anything.

Common mistakes

• Buying a handle without measuring the backset — If it differs from the existing hole the handle simply will not line up, and correcting it means drilling a new spindle hole through the door.
• Overtightening the rose screws — It binds the mechanism so the handle feels stiff or does not spring back. Tighten only until snug.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask