REPLACING EXISTING ENTRY DOOR HARDWARE

Does your front door have an old set of door handles on them that might once have been polished brass or oil rubbed bronze but are now so tarnished and faded that it’s hard to tell? 

Were you going for the old world ancient relic look when you bought them? Were they even your choice?

What if I told you it was (relatively) easy to replace that dilapidated door hardware and make your front entry, dare I say, attractive??

It’s true, and while the hardware on your front door is one of the first decorative pieces to greet visitors and yourself when you walk up to your house, you can make a major upgrade with a little (or a lot) of money and very little time.

Here’s what you need to know before you go shopping for new front door hardware. No exceptions, know this stuff or don’t waste your time!

EXISTING DOORS

First, check along the edge of your door. Do you see a continuous metal edge like the edge of a box, with a latch and maybe a couple of buttons? That’s a mortise lock. It means your door is notched out for a thin box that contains the locking mechanism. 

For people who aren’t changing their door, you will need to buy a mortise lock set to replace what you have. The easiest way to do this is to pick a style from the same brand you currently have installed. If that isn’t an option…

MEASURE THE MORTISE LOCK

To ensure no adjustments have to be made to the cutout of your door, take the mortise box out and measure the width, height and depth.

Next, measure from the center of the square spindle (the handle) to the lock hole. This is usually a standard measurement, but it could be different if you have an older set.

With this information you can shop with confidence for a mortise lock set from any brand you like. 

MEASURE EXISTING HANDLESET SIZE

To minimize or eliminate the need to repair or repaint/refinish your current door, look for an entry door handleset that is the same size and style as what you have. 

Now this will limit your options, but choosing a set with an escutcheon (backplate) that is shorter than what you have now will usually mean some paint or refinishing needs to be done where the previous plate covered the door.

There will only be so much variety if you are essentially getting the same thing, but start here anyway. You may end up with a new style of grip, and a different finish. At worst, you get the same style but it is now brand new. Either way it will look amazing!

MORE ON SIZE

It’s a good idea to measure the width of your existing set as well as the width of the door stile it is mounted on. The exception here is if you have a smooth slab style door.

This is a simple concept. The new entry door handleset can’t be wider than the stile of the door or it won’t fit!

TUBULAR ENTRY

What’s a tubular entry set? It’s when your door doesn’t have a mortise lock. Instead it’s just 2 holes along the edge of the door where your deadbolt bolt and door latch come out of. 

These are even easier to replace as most brands manufacture entry hardware with the latch and deadbolt 5 1/2” apart.

You still need to measure to be sure though. No telling when that obscure out of business company is on your door unless you measure.

What’s next? Measure the door thickness. If it’s thicker than standard, which is usually 1 3/4” you’ll have to specifiy when ordering so the company can provide the necessary hardware to reach both sides and keep it from falling off. 

Next you want to measure what’s called the backset. This measurement goes from the edge of the door as you’re facing it to the center of the hole where either the deadbolt or handle/latch goes. Usually 2 3/8”.

If it’s outside of this range you should specify because, well, we like things to fit the first time.

MORE DOOR KNOWLEDGE

Two other important tidbits to know before going shopping for you new door hardware. First, the handing. 

When you’re standing outside the door, which side are the hinges on? This determines whether it’s a left inswinging or right inswinging door. 

Even if it opens outward for some strange reason, most door hardware manufacturers still ‘hand’ the door based on location of the hinges from the outside.

When you have double doors, one side is going to be the ‘dummy.’ This means that sucker doesn’t turn, it’s just stiff. 

Dummies are often mounted to the surface of the door, and don’t have a moving mechanical function so the usual measurements don’t apply.

That’s about all you need to know about dummies, except that you may need matching flush or edge bolts that keep the dummy side from swinging open when the active side is unlocked. 

These are set into the edge of the door and slide into a notch in the doorframe, either above, or above and below.

OTHER ENTRY DOOR STYLES

Your door doesn’t have either one of these? What then? A deadbolt and a separate keyed lockset? Ok, easy. Pick another style and or color and replace. 

Keep in mind you still need to know backset and door thickness, as well as handing if it’s a leverset.

Don’t want that? Ok, measure the distance, center-to-center, between holes. If it’s 5 1/2” you can go shopping for a tubular entry door set and slap it on there. Again, measure before you go shopping.

Brand new door? Well congratulations! You can go get whatever you want and hand it to your installer. Have fun!