Replace an internal door handle and latch

Use this guide when a handle is loose, droops, sticks or the door will not stay shut. You need a screwdriver set, a tape measure and possibly a sharp chisel; this covers ordinary internal doors, not fire doors with special hardware or external locks.

Step by step

1. Diagnose and measure before buying

   Check whether the problem is the handle (droops or wobbles), the latch (does not spring out) or the alignment (latch springs but misses the keep plate on the frame). Remove one handle by unscrewing its rose or backplate and slide out the spindle, the square bar through the door. Unscrew the latch faceplate on the door edge and pull the latch out. Measure the faceplate height, the latch case depth and the backset (edge of the door to the centre of the spindle hole), and take a photo, so the new latch fits the existing cut-outs.