How to Change a Doorknob

Give your door a new look - installing a new doorknob is easy using a few basic tools. Most (but not all) door mechanisms are interchangeable.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Doorknob Kits
• Phillips And/or Flat-head Screwdriver Sets

1. Detach the trim (the ring of metal between both doorknobs and the door) by removing the two screws that hold it on. Sometimes the trim has to be gently pried off rather than unscrewed.

2. Remove two more screws under the trim. These are long screws that attach the two doorknobs on either side of the door.

3. Pull the doorknobs apart and remove them from the door.

4. Remove the two screws that hold the bolt (the locking mechanism), which remains attached to the door, and extract the bolt.

5. Look at the metal strike plate attached to the frame around the door (this is what catches the bolt). If the strike plate is not loose and is the right color, leave it there. Otherwise, detach it from the doorjamb by removing its screws.

6. Insert the new bolt into the door and screw it into place. Remember to face the slanted side toward the direction the door closes in.

7. Place a trim piece between one new doorknob and the door, and insert the doorknob (use the doorknob whose mechanism fits into the bolt's mechanism - usually a square hole).

8. Insert the other doorknob and trim piece on the other side of the door, making sure the two are aligned so that the long screws can hold them together.

9. Tighten the screws gradually, alternating each one so that the doorknobs come together evenly.

Tips & Warnings

• As you remove the various parts, put them back together in the same positions they were in, including screws. This will prove invaluable if when you're done the new doorknobs don't work well - or at all.
• If you get in trouble, remember that there are plenty of other doorknobs around the house. Take them apart if you need to, just to remind yourself how they fit together.
• If the new bolt mechanism or strike plate feels loose, replace the screws with longer ones, or stuff tiny strips of cardboard or wood into the old holes.
• Go slowly. Unless you've done this before, there are potentially lots of little parts that can be confusing.

on 11/22/2005 If you can't seem to get past step one, you probably have older doorknobs which require another step.

Step 0:

On one side of the door (between the doorknob and the trim), there will be a small slit on the cylinder. Inside this slit is the end of the spring which holds the doorknob in place. Push the spring in the slot with a small flathead screwdriver to disengage it, then gently pry the trim off. The knob should slide off easily. You will then see the screws mentioned in step 1.

on 11/22/2005 Make sure you have enough time to finish the job. Don't put yourself in the position of having to leave the house with a missing doorknob on an exterior door.