A door knob is an important part of your door, but after awhile, it can wear down or even break and require a replacement. Luckily, replacing your door knob is very simple and only requires a couple of tools. Even though there are several types of door knobs, our door repair experts will explain how to install a traditional round knob.

Removing the Old Knob

1. First, locate the screws that hold the door knob in place.
2. Next, use your screwdriver to remove the screws (including ones on the cover plate, if present).
3. If there are no screws on the cover plate, look for a small slot on the side of the knob.
4. Use a standard flat door knob key to press on the piece of metal inside the slot. This should pop both sides of the knob loose.
5. After that, remove the knobs, then remove the latch.
6. Next, unscrew the screws that hold the strike plate in place and remove.

Installing the New Knob

1. Before you purchase a new knob, measure the distance from the middle of the door hole to the edge of the door. (Typically, this measurement will be 2 3/8 or 2 3/4 inches.) Make sure your new knob fits those measurements.
2. Also keep in mind which side of the door you want your lock on, since door knobs aren’t reversible.
3. First, slide the latch into the side hole.
4. Next, locate the side of the knob that has a square peg in the center.
5. Insert this half into the door first, making sure the peg is through the latch.
6. Line up the other half of the door knob and press both halves together.
7. After that, locate the screw holes and insert your new screws. Tighten down with your screwdriver.
8. Attach your new strike plate and screw in place.