Change a Doorknob

3 Parts:

Materials Necessary

What You Need to Do to Change Your Doorknob

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Throughout your lifetime you're going to find many small chores that need to be accomplished. Some of them are things that you won't be able to tackle on your own, but many are truly DIY projects that may not take more than just a few minutes.

Whether you are changing the locks on your home after a move or just want a more visually appealing way to enter your bedroom, knowing the basics of how to change the knob makes the entire process go easier. Here is a simple set of instructions to change the doorknobs on your interior doors.

• Phillips screwdriver
  
• Replacement door handle
• Hammer
• Chisel

1. 1
   Determine which side of the door handle has the screws

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   This is traditionally on the inside of the door.

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2. 2
   Position yourself on the side with the screws, and brace the door open so you can work.

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3. 3
   Turn to the inside of the door, and remove the screws on this face plate

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   #There should be two screws, one above the pawl and one below it.

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4. 4
   When the screws come out, remove the face plate

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5. 5
   If the face plate is attached to the pawl and will not come loose, proceed to the next step.

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6. 6
   Remove the screws from the handle by turning them to the left

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   When you remove these screws, the handles on both sides of the door may fall off at the same time.

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7. 7
   In order to prevent damage to the floor, be prepared for this to happen

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   Pull off any additional pieces that are still hanging on either side of the door.

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8. 8
   Make note of which way the pawl is facing on the door at this point

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   Your new pawl will need to face the same direction in order for the door to shut properly.

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9. 9
   Use your screwdriver or your fingers to pull the pawl out of the door itself

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10. 10
    This must be slid out toward the edge of the door.At this point, you should have only a set of holes in the door

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11. 11
    There should be no additional pieces of the old doorknob remaining

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    Make certain all of the pieces have been removed.

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12. 12
    Make note of the direction the strike plate is facing on the door frame

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    #Remove the old strike plate by removing the two screws holding it in place.

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13. 13
    Place the new strike plate on the door frame, lining it up in the same direction that the old one was facing

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14. 14
    If the hole is too small, line up the screw holes and mark where the new edges are

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15. 15
    Use the hammer and chisel to widen the space

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16. 16
    Screw the new strike plate in place.

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17. 17
    Slide the new pawl into the door, with the pawl facing the same direction the original one did

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18. 18
    If the plate recess needs widening, use the hammer and chisel to widen it

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    #Slide the pawl into place and secure with the screws.

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19. 19
    Attach the new door handle by sliding the screws in through the pawl mechanism

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20. 20
    Line up the doorknob on the outside of the door

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    Tighten the screws in place.

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21. 21
    If a decorative plate is included, snap it in place.

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22. 22
    Test that the doorknob is lined up correctly and functions properly

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    Discard the old doorknob.

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If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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