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How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

This post explains how to choose and install a knob handle for interior doors, offering key tips for selecting the right one to suit your desired look, as well as installation instructions. The benefits of investing in high quality hardware include increased home security, improved durability, and a more aesthetically pleasing look to your home. Having the right tools and a knack for DIY projects is necessary to properly install the handle, and will therefore save you money on installation.

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In all the variety of choice of door fittings, there is a product that allows you to save your budget and time – this is a latch handle (knob). The invention, unique in its practicality and versatility, has gained immense popularity among buyers. Professional installers told how to choose a quality knob and install it correctly.

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

Choice of fittings

The latch handle or simply knob is a convenient invention that solves many problems of choosing accessories. This is a ready-to-install and operate kit, consisting of a handle and a latch, combined in one product. Choosing a knob, the buyer relieves himself of the need to look for the desired lock or latch, select a handle, complete this set with overlays or a retainer and understand the recommendations for installing each individual element. Thus, the knob is a convenient alternative to the handle with an interior lock or latch in a compact design..

Conceptually, knobs are divided into two types: knob (lever) and rounded. The choice of shape is a matter of taste and convenience.

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

Functionally, knobs are of three types: with fixation on the turn signal (for sanitary facilities), with a key (for dressing rooms and bedrooms), without additional fixation.

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door1 – without additional fixation; 2 – with fixation on the turn signal; 3 – with key

Knobs, like all mechanical products, have their own operational and quality characteristics..

When choosing a quality product for many years, pay attention to the following parameters:

  1. Service resource. How many test cycles the product has performed flawlessly (test – mean time between failures). Trouble-free operation for 250,000 cycles corresponds to the highest class 4 of performance according to GOST. The longer the service life of the product, the longer it will last. If there is no such information, it means that the manufacturer did not test the mechanism’s performance..
  2. Manufacturing materials. Brass, ZAM, hard wood are the best options, and a high-quality coating will save the product from abrasion and corrosion. Good knobs are electroplated and have a protective varnish layer. The quality of the final polish is of great importance as it provides the knob with a flawless appearance. Highest polishing standard – grade A polishing.
  3. Guarantee period. The more the manufacturer is confident in the quality of his products, the more time he is ready to bear the warranty. 1 year is the minimum warranty period for similar products. The most reliable knobs will last 5-7 years or more.

High-quality knobs have the following characteristics: service life of more than 300,000 cycles, 7-year manufacturer’s warranty, grade A polishing.

Installing the latch handle (knob)

Required tools for installation:

  • a hammer;
  • milling cutter and / or chisel;
  • drill, feather drill 24 mm, crown (wood cutter) 50 mm;
  • screwdriver;
  • carpentry pencil;
  • template for the router;
  • support for the door leaf;
  • construction knife;
  • roulette.

Determine the location of the knob and make the markup

The installation height of a knob or other doorknob may vary depending on wishes. The standard level of the handle is considered to be a height of 90-110 cm.

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

At the end of the door, a point is marked, according to the selected height, a latch from the knob is applied to it (pressed by the tongue to the point) and the perimeter of its front plate is circled.

We make a recess under the front plate of the knob in the door leaf

The cut depth is determined by the thickness of the face plate. Specialists use a professional router that provides perfectly straight edges of the hole and a special template for inserting a latch or lock. The required cutting depth is set on the milling cutter, the template is fixed for milling. The experience of the craftsmen eliminates the risk of damage to the door during installation.

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

In the absence of a router, a chisel is used. It must be borne in mind that in this case the risk of damage to the door leaf is quite high.

Before making a deepening with a chisel, it is necessary to cut the previously marked perimeter of the front strip with a construction knife to the depth of the veneer or laminate. This will ensure a smooth cut edge and limit the chisel movement when cutting a groove..

Cut corners are processed with an angular or straight chisel.

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

Council. It is more convenient to first make a hole for the latch at the end of the door, and only then a hole for the knob mechanism. In this case, the process of drilling with a crown will be easier, since sawdust, pouring out through the hole in the end, will not interfere with the deepening of the crown into the canvas..

We make a hole for the latch tongue

There are two ways to determine the location of the hole for the latch tongue on the end of the door:

  1. Mark the tab on the latch with chalk and attach the latch to the previously prepared groove, the chalk will leave an imprint in the area of ​​the tab.
  2. Attach the latch with the end of the face plate first to the larger side of the recess made and mark the location of the tongue along the ruler, repeat the procedure on the smaller side of the recess. The intersection of the markings – the location of the latch tongue.

Next, a drill of the required diameter is selected and a hole is drilled to the depth of the latch. A 24 mm core drill is most often suitable..

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

We get the following result:

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

Preparing a hole for the handle mechanism

Determine how far the hole should be from the end of the canvas. Some knobs have a range of adjustment (bekset from 40 to 70 mm). We choose a convenient distance from the end, taking into account the presence of door glazing, drawing, knots on the canvases from the solid wood and other factors. We apply the latch to the door, aligning the front strip flush with the end, mark a point inside the hole for the square of the handle – it will be the reference center.

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

A similar marking must be done on the other side of the canvas. Some manufacturers attach a ready-made layout template to the fittings..

Next, you need a special tool – a wood cutter (crown) with a diameter of 50 mm (in the case of drilling one hole for the square of the handle and tie). The center of the circle will be the point marked earlier.

The main hole for the mechanism is being sampled.

Council. It is correct to do this in two stages – first we deepen the crown from one side to the middle of the canvas, then from the other. This will avoid uneven cut and splitting of the coating of the canvas (veneer, laminate or enamel).

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

This process must be performed with special care, since such a hole is large enough to hide installation defects under the hardware socket in case of an error..

We fix the latch in the door leaf

We fix the latch mechanism with two self-tapping screws, pre-drilling the holes for the self-tapping screws with a drill with a thin drill.

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

Assembling the latch handle on the door

Place the square of the handle in a special hole in one half of the knob mechanism. We place the mechanism on one side of the door, connect the structure with the second half of the mechanism on the back of the door.

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

The handles are fixed with ties (screws) through and through, through the door leaf. If the knob has a hidden fastening, that is, the screws are hidden under the decorative cover (most often this is found with better quality fittings), it is necessary to remove the handle and the cover from the base of the knob. After that, the screed is carried out with screws of the two halves of the product.

After fixing the product, the final assembly of the knob takes place, the pads and the handle are returned to their place.

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

Installing the striker

We mark the installation location of the striker. This can be done in two ways:

  1. Using chalk on the latch tongue, which will leave a mark on the door frame where the hole needs to be positioned.
  2. We measure the distance, similar to the marking on the canvas, so that the mating part is placed strictly opposite the latch tongue.

A hole is drilled for the tongue. A drill similar to the one that produced a hole for the latch in the blade, most often the diameter of a pen drill is 24 mm.

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

A striker is installed on the resulting hole and fixed with self-tapping screws. The locations of the self-tapping screws are pre-drilled with a thin drill.

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

Snap handle installation complete.

How to choose and install a knob handle for an interior door

If high-quality fittings are selected, and the installation is carried out competently and professionally, then the operation of the door will be comfortable and pleasant.

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Comments: 1
  1. Stella Turner

    Can anyone offer advice on selecting and properly installing a knob handle for an interior door? I’m not sure where to begin and want to make sure I choose the right one for my door. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

    Reply
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