CRF Services Ltd

Door handle replacement, latches and simple locks

Door handle replacement is one of those jobs that seems trivial until you try it and find the new handle does not line up with the old holes, or the latch still sticks. CRF Services Ltd replaces internal door handles, latches, bathroom locks and simple cylinder or sash lock swaps around Rochester and Medway, usually as part of a list of jobs around the house. This is planned work, not an emergency locksmith service, so it is not for being locked out at night.

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Why is my interior door handle loose?

Most loose handles have one of three causes. The screws holding the handle plate to the door have worked loose or stripped their holes, the grub screw holding the handle onto the spindle has come out, or the spindle itself is worn. Tightening the screws often fixes it for a while, but if the holes are stripped they need plugging or the handle needs moving slightly to fresh timber. A handle that wobbles on a hollow door may need a bolt through fixing, as the screws have little to grip.

Why is my internal door handle not working or sticking?

A handle that turns but does not open the door usually means the latch inside the door has failed or the spindle has slipped out of it. A handle that sticks or does not spring back is often a weak or broken return spring in the handle, or a latch that is dry, painted over or out of line with the keep in the frame. Sometimes the door has dropped and the latch is binding on the keep, in which case the real fix is the door, as covered in the sticking door guide.

How to fix an internal door handle depends on which part has failed. Lubricating a latch helps if it is just dry. If the spring is gone, the handle is replaced. If the latch is broken, a new tubular latch of the same size goes in.

What is involved in replacing a handle

The old handle and latch are removed and the latch size checked, as latches come in different lengths and the handle has to match the spindle position. Lever on rose handles, lever on backplate and knobs each fit differently. Where a new handle has a different footprint, old screw holes are filled and the new one is fitted squarely. The keep in the frame is adjusted so the latch closes cleanly without rattling.

Lever and knob handles on internal doors
Tubular latches replaced
Bathroom thumb turn and release locks
Sash locks and simple cylinder swaps
Keeps and strike plates realigned
Matching handles throughout a house

Bathroom locks

A bathroom thumb turn lock has a turn on the inside and an emergency release on the outside, so a child who locks themselves in can be let out. Fitting one means cutting a deeper mortice than a plain latch, and getting the spindle spacing right for the handles. Replacing a failing bathroom lock is a common request in family homes.

Price of internal door handles

The cost depends mainly on the number of doors, whether the existing latch is reused, how different the new handles are from the old, and whether any doors need easing first. Handles themselves range widely in price; you can supply your own or ask for a recommendation. Doing every door in one visit is much better value than one at a time.

When the problem is the door

If the door drags, binds or will not latch however good the handle is, it needs attention itself. Easing, rehanging and new internal doors are covered on door fitting, and handles and locks are part of the wider carpentry service. Send a photo of each handle, the edge of the door and the keep through the contact page.

This work is part of our Carpentry service.

Common questions