How to Replace a Front Door Handle in 5 Minutes!

You can replace your front door handle set in just a few minutes and use basic tools. It’s fast and easy - let us show you how!
#frontdoorknob #handleset #schlage #kwikset
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You may want to change your front or exterior door handle because you want a new look, or the unit is wearing out and not performing dependably. That’s why we made the change - the unit was wearing out, and would lock us out from time to time, even though we had unlocked it from the outside and went out the door to water plants or get the mail.
We put off the replacement simply because of frugality. The switch should have been 4 or 5 years before to match the bronze-colored electronic “keyless” deadbolt that was installed just above it. Brass and Bronze don’t play that well together, but somehow we got used to it.
Our lockset of choice is a good consumer brand, Schlage®. Pronounced “SCH-leg” you can verify this by visiting their video on pronunciation:
• Schlage Pronunciation
While we believe the Schlage® brand is of higher quality than other brands we’ve found in home improvement centers, the way that different brands are installed on your front door is essentially the same.
There is no loss of face by reading over the instructions for your particular handle set to see that any idiosyncrasies of your handle are addressed and that installation goes smoothly.
Here are some common facts related to doors themselves any good manufacturer will address this by having their product be adaptable to various sizes.
To start with, U.S. doors are typically 1-⅜” (35mm) or 1-¾” (44mm) thick. Our experience is that most exterior doors are 1-¾” (44 mm) thick, but could be slightly thicker. So, make sure what you buy can be installed on your door.
Next, is what is called the backset. This is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the hole where the lockset or door handle will be installed. The two common sizes in the U.S. are 2-⅜” (60mm) and 2-¾” (70mm). Most good handles can accommodate either.
Next, is the distance down from the center of the main mounting hole for the handle and latch, to the bottom hole where the bottom end of the handle will be attached to the door using the bottom bolt. This can vary a bit. Adjustability comes in handy here as well. The Schlage® unit adjusts from 8-⅜” (213mm) to 9-⅞” (251mm). Handy!
You’ll only need a medium-length #2 Phillips screwdriver to do this remove and replace. You can use a cordless drill-driver, be sure not to overtighten if you do. Easy does it!
To replace, work from the edge in and from the top down. This will keep things in place until you remove them.
Remove the two screws that are holding in the latch/backset assembly. Then remove loosen the two screws that are adjacent to the interior handle, remove the interior knob or lever, and set it aside. Remove the through-bolt at the bottom of the handle while holding the handle on the outside (this avoids having it drop off the door) and then set it aside.
Now, remove the latch/back-set.
You now have a “clean” door to install the new unit. Simply reverse your steps, but don’t tighten fasteners until everything is installed. Install the latch/backset first, taking care to orient the tapered side of the latch correctly, that is, towards the outside of the house.
Now install the outside handle, but don’t put the bottom bolt in yet. Align the posts and the blade that operates the latch, and slide them through the backset. Then place the inside knob or lever and align the blade and screw holes. Place the screws in from both sides of the base of the inside knob or lever and tighten them enough to hold the whole assembly together. Insert the bottom through bolt, and thread it into the decorative fastener on the inside of the door, but leave it loose.
Do a final check to see that everything is aligned and operates properly. This includes the latch extending and retracting its full distance, the thumb-lever presses down completely and extends and retracts the latch properly, and the inside knob or lever operates correctly and rotates back to the neutral position without any binding.
Now tighten each fastener, checking for proper operation as you do. Over-tightening in any area will likely cause binding. So, if something doesn’t operate smoothly, loosen the fastener for that area of the handle set slightly to see if it will solve the problem. It most likely will.
Explaining the process seems lengthy, but this entire process takes about 5 minutes. It’s that easy.
JUST DO IT YOURSELF!
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[@staceycfe]

Not sure how you knew I was thinking about replacing my front door handle, but your video popped up this morning in perfect timing. Thanks brother!.

[@DirtFarmerJay]

Glad the episode showed up just in time!

[@MatthewHoworko]

Thank you for the detailed video! Saved us a good amount of time and money!

[@DirtFarmerJay]

You're welcome!

[@stevedutky5138]

Love this guy! If you remove knob it's easier to get to the inside screws: 1. Grab a thin stiff steel rod like a turkey skewer. 2. Turn the knob so that the slot on the collar lines up with the one on the shaft. 3. Push the rod into the hole inside the slot. 4. Pull back the knob to pop it off.

[@audiophileman7047]

Very nice, I'm getting ready to replace all the locks in my 35 yo home. Changing the handle/knobs and dead bolt locks isn't hard at all. I like to have one key that opens all of the locks. This is where the real work is. It used to be that you had to re-pin all the locks to your one key with a re-pin kit. Kwik-Set locks, the locks installed on my home now have a really easy keying feature that makes the lock's pins self-adjustable to any key you want to use. If you've ever re-pinned a lock for a key, you'll know that this new re-keying feature is very very cool. 👍👍👍

[@reapersviolet1566]

Thank you sir 👋🏻

[@DKWalser]

Thanks, Jay. How do you like your Schlage 'smart' lock? A couple of years ago, I replaced all the Kwikset locks and latches in our home with Schlage versions. (You're right, it doesn't take much more than 5 minutes.) Last summer, I decided to upgrade the deadbolt on our front door with a smart version. Since all our family uses Apple iPhones, I wanted a smart lock that worked with Apple Home Key, which Schlage's Encode Plus does. Unfortunately, the Encode Plus was sold out both locally and online. So, I went with Aqara's U100. We couldn't be happier with it. But, it doesn't match the looks of the Schlage door handle mounted below it. One caution about the U100: While it uses a standard Schlage-style key, the lock cylinder uses slightly smaller pins. Your local lock smith might have difficulty re-keying the U100 to match the rest of the locks in your house. (I'm not sure how much of a problem that might be. I don't think any of us have used a physical key to unlock the door since the U100 was installed.)

[@DirtFarmerJay]

Yes, the smart lock we have has been very dependable, easy to program and change codes, and operates dependably. Thanks for the insights as well! Best, DFJ

[@FrantasticFacials]

Now I want to replace ours! You showed how easy it is. We have a similar handle on the front door with a deadbolt on the security door. Would you suggest keeping deadbolts on both doors?

[@DirtFarmerJay]

Glad to hear from you. No doubt, deadbolts on both doors is more secure and a nice deterrent. If you don't have a crime problem in your area, one would be more convenient for you!

[@DJChuckymadness09]

What brand and size drill bit did you use?

[@DirtFarmerJay]

The drill driver is a DeWalt, the Phillips extended bit was from Lowes, I got a 4 pack for under $10, and the size of the Phillips bit was a #2.