How To Remove Door Handlesets

If you have ever needed or wanted to take off your door handleset, you probably have noticed that they are a bit more complex than a standard door knob. For one, there is usually no noticeable screws. So, how are you suppose to get the darn thing off?!?! Well, it’s not as complicated as it appears, and I can show you how to remove door handlesets using just a few common household tools.

How To Remove Door Handlesets…

 

Just recently, I was encountered with the issue of removing my handleset. I needed to refinish my front entrance doors, and that requires taking all the hardware off the door. In addition, my handle was in need of some serious care. As you can see, it had accumulated a lot of tarnish and dirt. And, now that I have gotten the door aligned properly, and the spacing around the perimeter is perfect (i.e. no light shows through), I think that it is time to work on the rest of the maintenance.

 

Tools You’ll Need…

Good news! For this job, all you need is a phillip’s head screwdriver and a small flathead screwdriver.

Moving On…

To start with removing a door handleset, take a look at your set up. You will notice that the screws for the interior knob are most likely hidden beneath the plate cover. If you look along the edge of that plate cover (right up against the door), you should notice a little notch. Against the door, where that notch is located, will be a very small section where you can insert a flat head screwdriver.

So, carefully insert the flathead beneath the plate and begin to pry the cover away from the door. Keep in mind that you only need a very small amount of separation. You do not want to pry the plate too far away. So, be very careful.

Once you get the plate lifted enough, you will see a lever with an arrow. You need to slip a small screwdriver over the lever and slid it in the direction that the arrow indicates. This will release the interior knob from the door. Then, you can pull the knob free.

Once you have the interior knob removed, you will then have access to the interior screws that are holding the plate and the exterior handle in place. Loosen these screws, and turn the plate clockwise to release it. Set that aside, and then continue removing the screws.

Removing the Lower Connection…

For the lower portion of the handleset, there are two common ways that they are connected. Some will have the screw located at the outside and in an obvious location. So, those need no explanation.

However, some handlesets are like mine. The screw is located on the interior and is hidden beneath a small, button-like, cover. We will need to slip a small flathead beneath it and pop it off. There should be a small notch (similar to the doorknob) to allow you a to do that without damaging your door. But, it is very small and not easy to see. Look carefully. Once you pop that cover off, you can then remove that final screw.

There is really no need to remove the latch unless you are planning to replace your handleset with a different brand. So, I will skip over that part.

Removing Dead Bolt Lock & Switch…

If you need to remove the bolt switch, they are easy and straight forward. The screws are located on the inside, and need no explanation. Just make sure to hold the exterior mechanism in place when lifting it away from the door. The center portion (key insert) is not connected to the plate and may fall out. You can always put it back, but you still don’t want it to fall out and get damaged.

How To Re-install Your Handleset…

So, now that you have gotten your handle and knob off and cleaned it, or refinished it, or did whatever you needed to do, you have to put it back. Luckily, you now have a better understanding of the components. For the most part, you will just be reversing the process. So, I will only address the main points.

Begin by reinserting the handleset through the hole and through the latch. Then, insert the screws back through the holes. You can screw them down some, but not all the way at this point. First, you will need to reinstall the interior plate. Align the large holes up with the screws, and then give it a twist in the direction of the arrows. To lock the plate, finish tightening the screws down.

Now for the knob. Take a look at the inside of the doorknob. You should see arrows indicating the way that the lever mechanism needs to be lined up before you insert the knob back into the door. So, take a look at the arrows and align them. Then, align the doorknob up with the door hole and reinsert it. Note – Do not push it tight against the door, yet.

Once the doorknob is back in the door, go back to that same notch from when you removed the knob. Hold the doorknob as tight against the interior mechanism as possible and slip your flathead screwdriver beneath the lever. Push the lever in the opposite direction from what you used to remove the knob. Slide it all the way until it can’t go any farther. At this point the doorknob should be locked back in place. Test to see if it is secure. Then, press the plate cover back in place.

Final Thoughts…

Now that you know how to remove door handlesets and re-install them, you may be planning to give yours a good cleaning, like I did. I found a great article on cleaning methods for different types of door knob metals, here. It may be worth a look if your handleset is tarnished.

 

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