The Complete Guide on How to Remove Door Handle

Sometimes your door handle starts misbehaving to let you know that in a few days you’ll need to go over some replacement job. Or perhaps you’re just being nice to your home maintenance schemes by removing and changing things that need it.

Now no matter what the circumstances for you are, removing the door handle is not always supers straightforward. But luckily, even the most complicated design should not take more than 15 minutes to get out. Today let’s go through how to remove door handle the right way so that you can get over such needs easily and without any confusion.

Here’s How to Remove Door Handle Explained in a Simple Way

After you are done choosing and buying the front door hadleset, going to hardware store to get a few more stuffs could be necessary. If you don’t know about how to remove front door handle at all, then let me tell you, even if this thing is pretty simple from the usual look, there’s no way you’ll be able to successfully do it without right tools. So, don’t sleep over the necessity of gathering all required tools before starting anything at all.

Get these Essential Tools on Hand

• A Philip head screw
• Stiff wire or paper clip
• A flat head screwdriver

Find the Screw to Unfasten it

Removing the latch and doorknob becomes simple when you have screw visible on it. But that might not be the case with a few door handle systems. That’s when locating the screw becomes important. The first spot that you need to check for mountings screws is its collar. This area is also sometimes familiar as the rose. On the very inside side of door, you should be able to see this part that stays surrounding knob. The screw can be on sides.

If you manage to find the visible screws, start by unfastening it. This is for removing the screw out from lock system. Hold the knob using your hands. Make sure you hold it firmly. Then get the Philips head screwdriver and rotate screw in an anti-clockwise direction. This will gradually release the knob assembly. And you should be able to take it out from the door.

The part that connects knob’s interior and exterior is knob itself. So, when you are done unfastening, make sure to carefully slide the interior knob off spindle. You need to pay attention while it detaches from the exterior knob.

In some cases, it can be on the top or bottom. If you have looked enough and still no screw can be seen, then probably your door handle system has no visible screws. I’ll discuss in later sections what you need to do in such scenarios.

Detach the Latch Plate as Well as Striker Plate

dissembling the whole lock mechanism needs you to think about removing latch plate from door slab. There should be a mounting screw here as well that holds the latch plate onto door edge. You simply need to locate it first.

And then using the earlier Philips head screwdriver, unfasten these screws. Sometimes the latch plate disagrees to come out of door without force. In that case, you can pry it out but do so gently.

Once the screws are out of chat, you can easily remove latch system by pulling it through door’s side. Next, you need to target the striker plate. Here also you need to locate screws. The striker plate usually stays on doorjamb for receiving latch whenever you try to close door.

In the striker, look for two screws. These are responsible for holding it in place. Bring the Philips head screwdriver for unfastening these screws. And once you get those out, the striker plate is free.

Moving on to Recessed Fasteners

Now comes the part that relates to those who have a handle system without visible screws. In that case, you need to find out the hidden screws for removing it. Focus on the doorknob shaft’s bottom area. There should be a hole or thin slot here. It usually locates toward this area. In some cases, it could be the spot where knob and rose meets.

Once you find it out, time to check if the recessed lock system comes with a screw or detent for being hold in place. The hole that I was talking about should hide a screw. Or perhaps there can be a spring-loaded button, which is familiar as a detent. You need a tiny torchlight to peak through the hole. And see if it’s a screw or a detent we are dealing with.

Getting the Screw or Detent out

Now it’s time to worry about getting the recessed lock system out. No matter if it’s there with screw support or simply because of detent in a tiny slot. If you can see the screw head is hex-shaped, then a tiny Allen wrench will be more than enough to loosen it.

If the screw is flat-headed, a compatible screwdriver is what you need for detaching it. Place the screwdriver on top of screw head and move it counterclockwise. This should unfasten the screw and you’ll easily remove it. One critical tip here is focusing on the small hole shape. Does it look like a slot? Then there’s a good chance that the screw inside will have a flathead.

Now in case, it’s a detent we are talking about, things are a bit complicating. However still simple if you manage to get a paper clip. A firm wire can also be helpful here. Insert the clip or wire inside this hole. Make sure you are holding the doorknob by your hand. Focus on pressing the detent spring with wire or clip. Once you do so, the doorknob will release instantly.

You need to carefully pull the handle a bit. So that it releases the knob from slab. In case it’s a replacement for door knob lock system that you are working for, then make sure to get the latch and strike plate out previously as I’ve explained already. Also, don’t forget to find out thoroughly about how to replace door handle.

Related Guide:

• How to Install Kwikset Front Door Handle Set Keyed Both Sides!
• How to Install a Door Handle Set | Step By Step DIY Guide
• The Ultimate Guide How To Take A Door Knob Off Easily

Conclusion

And that was quite everything about how to remove door handle. This wasn’t hard, right? Well, even if some of you believe it is, while doing the process things should fall into place if you’ve understood the basic ideas well. If your knob has previous paint, then removing it can be a bit daunting.

It would help if you manage to scrape or scrub the paint away. In some cases, you don’t get access to mounting screws or slots because of this paint solely. Also, when you are getting the door handle out, pay attention to keeping things safe. You don’t want to be in a rush and cause harm to your door, its frame, or any part at all.