When first encountered, a loose door knob or handle might not be a huge cause for concern, the door works just fine, right? However, this won’t last for long. Under repeated use, a loose knob might lead to the internal mechanism catching or failing completely, possibly trapping the user inside or outside!
With that in mind, it’s important to get started on fixing your loose door knob as soon as possible. In this tutorial, we are going to go over how to do just that.
Do You Need to Replace Your Door Knob or Handle When It Becomes Loose?
Depending on the age of the knob, you won’t need to replace the entire fixture; a simple tighten or a part replacement–if necessary–does the trick most of the time.
Of course, it’s always recommended to replace an old handle or knob with an entirely new fixture, as older locksets (the internal locking mechanism) tend to fail with advanced age.
What Causes Door Knobs and Handles to Become Loose?
Much in the same way a sharp kitchen knife loses its edge over repeated usage, so do the many components of a door knob or handle get worn over time. Repeated twisting motions of the knob and the constant articulation of the internal mechanisms can exacerbate loosening factors.
Dirt and dust can have a negative effect on your knob’s internals. Even the weather has it’s say; fluctuations in temperature can lead to metals expanding and shrinking, leading to screws ‘creeping’ out of position.
All of these factors combined with regular usage can increase the likelihood of loosening.
You’re primarily going to encounter loose door knobs and handles in high-traffic areas, such as entrances, garage entry-ways, laundry-rooms and bedrooms.
How to Fix a Loose Door Knob or Handle
There are two main ways whereby a door knob or handle can be loose. Either the knob/handle itself spins freely when turned with the locksets within not moving at all or the knob/handle has loosened from the door itself via the faceplates.
We are going to explore the ways to resolve each issue.
Here are the tools you’ll need:
- A screwdriver, either flathead or Phillips
- Allen key set (if required)
Spinning Knob/Handle
This issue can be remedied with a simple spin of the screwdriver with the following steps:
Step 1 – Locate the collar on the doorknob: There will be a screw on the collar side just past the knob in most models.
Step 2 – Determine which tool to use: Identify the screw head. Typically the screw is a flathead, but Philiips and hex-head screws are common as well. Choose the appropriate tool to use.
Step 3 – Tighten the screw: With a firm grip on the knob, insert the screwdriver, ensure that the head is firmly placed, and then turn the screw clockwise slowly until sufficient tightness is reached. Take care not to use too much force.
Step 4 – Test: Turn the knob/handle to ensure sufficient tightness is reached. You will know that it is reached when the bolt or latch moves in the strikeplate as you turn. If not, make the necessary adjustments.
Loose Faceplate
The most common state of a loose door knob/handle and the most obvious, there will be a noticeable gap from the faceplate on the door. Fortunately the fix is straightforward:
Step 1 – Locate the screws: The screws are typically located to either side of the knob/handle on the face-plate.
Step 2 – Determine which tool to use: Identify the kind of screw-head. Phillip screw-heads are most common, but flathead screw heads are not unheard of. Choose the appropriate tool to use.
Step 3 – Position the faceplates: With the side with the screw heads facing you, place a hand on the opposite faceplate to ensure it doesn’t move. Push the front-facing faceplate until it is flush with the door surface. You may notice the screws extending past the screw holes when this is done.
Step 4 – Tighten the screws: Insert the appropriate screwdriver into the screwhead and slowly turn it clockwise until the screw heads are fully inside the faceplate holes. When the screwheads are inside, alternately tighten either screw in order to ensure balance between the fasteners. Turn screwdriver until the screw is firm and both faceplates are now tight against the door surface. Do not use too much force.
Step 5 – Test: Firmly grasp the knob/handle and turn, ensuring that the bolt moves in the strike plate.
What to Do If Your Door Knob or Handle Has No Screws?
You may come across door knobs that seem to have no screws at all, especially for higher-end fixtures. Sure, they may look great but that’s a little inconvenient for those trying to correct a loose knob. Thankfully, with a keen eye and steady hand you can readily access and tackle such fixtures.
Here are the tools you’ll need:
A small screwdriver (diameter under ¼ inches or around 6mm)
A straightened out paperclip.
An Allen key set
With those tools, you can find access to the ‘invisible’ screws and fix the know by following the below steps:
Step 1 – Find the knob release: Look for a tiny hole around the neck of the knob or handle. Insert your paperclip and push it in to release the handle. If that doesn’t work, there may be a screw inside. If so, insert your screwdriver and loosen it. Set the screw aside in a safe spot so as not to lose it.
Step 2 – Remove handle: Grip the handle and slowly pull it out. Ensure that you are holding the other opposite end so it doesn’t fall to the floor.
Step 3 – Remove cover plate: There may be a small slotted area around the base of the plate, flush to the door. Insert a flat-head screwdriver to wedge and loosen the plate. If it doesn’t wedge out, you can rotate it loose.
Step 4 – Tighten: Now you have access to the ‘guts’ of the fixture and you can make the necessary tightening adjustments. You may encounter another plate in some models, the screws of which can be removed with your Allen Key set.
Step 5 – Reverse: After tightening, reverse all steps you did to remove the cover and handle to finish.
Tips, Tricks & Mistakes To Avoid
Lastly, here are some things to keep in mind so that you can make your job easier.
Do Not Overtighten
Keep in mind the ‘right for tight, left to loose’ rule in terms of which direction to turn. Never use too much force in turning the screwdriver.
Using excessive force in turning screws may result in stripping the screw-heads, and/or the threads of either the screw or the screw-hole, resulting in the screw being stuck or rendering the screw-hole useless.
Either way, a little care can go a long way to avoid further complicating a simple repair job into a full-blown door knob and lock replacement! Avoid this by turning the screws until ‘finger-tight,’ and then give the screwdriver another quarter-turn until resistance is met.
Watch the Finishing
Careless handling can lead to physically damaging the fixture or the paint finish of the door! Don’t rush the job. It’s easy to scratch or gouge the finish on the knob or the door with a slip of the screwdriver.
Painter’s tape is a great solution for this; tape any areas that might be susceptible to surface damage.
Track Your Progress
Even though fixing a loose door knob or handle may sound simple, it’s remarkably easy to get mixed up in the steps, especially during disassembly and reassembly. The best way to avoid this is to take pictures with your smartphone every step of the way, a picture for every part removed.
Even veteran handymen practice this especially when encountering new locks. This saves a lot of time in ‘reverse-engineering’ which parts go where. Just reverse the sequence of the photos taken for the ideal reassembly guide!
Maintenance
Once you’ve got access to the inner workings of the fixture, you would do well to give the mechanisms a quick spray or two with a common lubricating spray such as WD-40 or similar equivalents.
The reasons for this are twofold; you lubricate moving parts and reduce long-term wear, and the cleaning and protective effects of the spray take care of dirt, dust and rust for the future.
Summary
With basic household tools, you can easily repair a loose doorknob or handle with a few well-considered turns of a screwdriver in a couple of minutes!