DIY do-it-yourself door handle repair

In detail: do-it-yourself repair of a door handle of an interior door from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

In the household, repairing doorknobs is a standard procedure. Sooner or later, any mechanism may fail, especially if it is actively used for a long time. If a door handle fails, it is not necessary to immediately replace it with the entire set of parts. There are many ways to quickly fix a doorknob on an interior door.

Image - DIY do-it-yourself repair of the door handle of an interior door

Unfortunately, any mechanism that lends itself to such an intense impact, like the handle of an interior door, sooner or later requires repair. This can be corrected both with the most commonplace movements, and with a complete replacement of a worn-out element.

It is not always possible to notice the problem in time, since some of them are so insignificant that people simply do not attach importance to them. Nevertheless, it is precisely because of this attitude that you often have to spend money on repairs and replacement of fittings.

The most common door handle problems are the following situations:

  • The handle is sticking. When you press the lever, resistance is felt, and in order to move it, you need to make efforts and perform additional manipulations such as twitching.
  • The latch is sticking... This applies to structures with a lock. In this case, the movement of the crossbars is impeded both when closing and opening the door.
  • Looseness. The handle leaves the canvas, wobbles and sags. The laxity of the entire locking mechanism may be observed.
  • The handle does not return to its original position... In this case, when you press the handle, it does not immediately return to its original position, although ideally it should immediately spring back. Moreover, such a defect can be observed both in relation to the lever itself, and in combination with the latch.
  • The tongue does not move... When you press the handle, the mechanism does not work, the latch tongue either does not hide, or sinks and does not protrude back.
Video (click to play).

To troubleshoot a door handle malfunction, you need to identify the exact problem

What to do if any part of the doorknob breaks? You can call a wizard who will quickly fix the breakdown. For those who are not afraid of household chores, you can use an alternative option - do it yourself repairs.

In order to make it easier to understand the mechanism, you should consider its design. First of all, it is worth highlighting the main types of products:

  • Swivel. This category includes regular round handles and nobs with a lock. To activate them, you need to turn the handle clockwise or counterclockwise.
  • Press. They differ in the presence of a lever. In order to hide the tongue, you must press on it and slide it down. This is the most widely used option.
  • Stationary. Such models are rarely used today. They are not related to the locking mechanism. These are staples or buttons simply screwed to the canvas.

Varieties of handle designs for interior doors

To fix a broken interior door handle, it is also important to know the main components of its mechanism. The basic design includes the following elements:

  • Lock... Internal mechanism that blocks the canvas in the opening. Its main element is a crossbar (latch, latch).
  • Square pin. It is brought out and drives the inner part, connecting with the handle.
  • Lever. This is the part of the handle that is subjected to force.
  • Decorative overlay. Disguises the fasteners and gives the door a pleasant appearance.
  • Reply part. Located on the box. This is the plate that covers the opening in the frame where the latchbolt fits.

If the handle breaks, try to sort out these parts and find the cause of the problem yourself.

Diagram of a push handle with a latch

So what if the handle breaks? Depending on what exactly caused the breakdown, there are many options for repairing fittings. The simplest situation is a banal jamming of the mechanism due to a lack of lubrication. In order to remedy the situation, you need to disassemble the handle and lubricate all moving parts. Sometimes it is enough to drop oil on the bolt and turn the handle several times to distribute the substance through the mechanism. In this simple way, you can eliminate squeaking, jamming when pressed, and also increase the life of the internal parts.

With a lack of lubrication, metal parts begin to rub over and fail. This is especially dangerous in case of clogging of the lock, since dust acts as an abrasive.

Also, in some cases, it is enough to tighten the fastening screws and correct the position of the fittings. This will eliminate looseness and return the parts to the correct position.

In simple cases of door handle breakage, it is enough just to tighten the fixing screws

How else can a doorknob be repaired? In order to find out the cause of the malfunction, you first need to disassemble the product. To do this, remove the decorative overlays. They are located just below the handle and mask the mounting bolts. It is enough to turn the caps several times, and they can be easily unscrewed. Then unscrew the bolts and carefully remove the handle itself. The inside of the mechanism will open to you. It is optional to retrieve it.

Pay attention to details such as the key washer and torsion spring. In order to inspect the washer, it is necessary to free it from the retaining rings. Very often, the cause of a malfunction is associated with a defect in this particular part. As for the spring, it drives the handle and tongue. If there is a problem with these fragments, check the condition and position of the spring.

If at this stage you could not figure out the situation, unscrew the plate at the end of the door and completely remove the mechanism for a more thorough inspection. If broken elements are identified, they must be replaced with new ones and then the handle will work normally again. Be sure to assemble the structure in the same form in which it was originally. In order not to get confused when dismantling, lay out the parts in the order in which you removed them from the door.

If the breakdown turned out to be so serious that you could not repair the handle, you can call the master or immediately replace the product with a new one. True, high-quality models are not so cheap.