How to Replace Exterior Door Hardware
There is no need to hire a locksmith to replace a front door lockset. If you can handle a screwdriver, you can do the job yourself in less than an hour. Getting the correct size replacement is important. You can dismantle the mechanism and take the parts to the hardware store for comparison, or measure the thickness of the door and the distance from the center of the doorknob to the edge of the door. These measurements will allow the hardware assistant to select the correct replacement lockset. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Remove the two long screws in the round plate between the inside doorknob and the door by turning the screws counterclockwise with a Phillips screwdriver. These screws are long enough to hold the two halves of the doorknob mechanism together. Slide the inside doorknob from the square shaft.
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2
Pull the front doorknob from the door. The long square connecting shaft will slide out of a matching square hole in the latch mechanism, which is fitted through the edge of the door.
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3
Unscrew the two screws on the square latch plate mounted on the edge of the door. Slide the latch mechanism from the door.
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4
Insert the new latch mechanism into the edge of the door, with the quarter round part of the latch-bolt facing inwards. Settle the new latch plate into the square recess in the edge of the door. Secure the plate with two new screws supplied with the lockset kit using a Phillips screwdriver.
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5
Thread the square shaft attached to the front half of the doorknob through the matching hole in the latch sliding mechanism. Have a helper hold the doorknob with the round doorknob trim plate flush against the surface of the door.
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6
Align the square hole on the inside doorknob onto the square activating shaft, but don't push it onto the shaft all the way. Leaving a gap will allow you to see inside the hole. Insert the new long machine screws through the holes in the round interior doorknob mounting plate.
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Maneuver the ends of the screws onto the threaded holes on the ends of the protruding doorknob casting. Turn the screws by hand to ensure you don't cross thread them. Once the threads are started, tighten them securely with the Philips screwdriver.
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8
Close the front door with your helper inside the house. Insert the new key and lock the door. Make sure the handle doesn't turn and that the lock is secure. Have your helper unlock the door from the inside by twisting the thumb-turn mounted in the center of the interior doorknob counterclockwise. Open and close the door. Lock and unlock it with the key. Ask your helper to lock the door from the inside by twisting the thumb-turn clockwise. Try opening the door. If it's locked, your job is done.
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References
- Photo Credit door knob image by Michael Shake from Fotolia.com
