home · Installation · How to install a round door handle. Instructions for installing a door handle on an interior door. Installation of handles for sliding doors

How to install a round door handle. Instructions for installing a door handle on an interior door. Installation of handles for sliding doors

Installing door handles with your own hands is quite a troublesome task, especially if a person is faced with this task for the first time. In order to avoid difficulties during the installation process, it is necessary to consider the design and basics. Depending on this, the work may be performed with some differences.

The technology for installing different types of door handles has its own differences.

Handle design

Before installing a door handle, it is necessary to delve into the design features of modern models of this type of fittings. Of course, the specific type of system is of great importance, but several general defining points can still be identified.

The design of a standard handle consists of the following parts:

  • lever;
  • ring;
  • kernel;
  • socket;
  • travel limiter;
  • stoppers.

You should also take into account such details as the tongue and locking mechanism, the metal cover on the box, and the tightening screw. The last detail is used when installing a handle on hollow interior doors. It acts as self-tapping screws, fixing the system by tightening opposite sides. You also shouldn’t miss another important piece of the design – the latch. If this type of locking system is present, an additional turning screw must be inserted.

Push-type door handle with tongue for secure door fixation

You should not get down to business if you are not sure that you can assemble everything in the correct sequence with your own hands. Otherwise, you may lose important parts or completely damage the product.

Types of handles

The process of installing handles on interior doors with your own hands may differ depending on the type of mechanism used. Typically, the following types of handles are installed on interior doors:

  • On the socket– they are easy to install with your own hands, since there is no need to drill a large hole; it is enough to ensure free movement of the rod. Externally it is decorated with a rosette overlay.
  • Nobs- This is a rotary system that looks like a round handle with a latch or keyhole. This is a fairly convenient option, especially if you install such a system on a bathroom door, but if low-quality materials are used, it quickly breaks down.
  • Push– to open the door, you need to move the handle to the lower position by pressing it. This removes the halyard latch, which returns to its place immediately after releasing the handle.

The most popular types of door handles

Required Tools

Before you try to install a handle on an interior door, you need to prepare your tools. You don’t necessarily need everything, especially if you purchased the simplest fittings. In order to install handles and latches on the doors with your own hands, you will need:

  • drill;
  • screwdriver;
  • a set of drills, including a “feather” and crowns of different diameters;
  • chisel;
  • hammer;
  • self-tapping screws;
  • square;
  • pencil;
  • stationery knife;
  • awl;
  • roulette;
  • conductor.

The last tool is a template for installing handles. It will facilitate the process of marking and drilling all the necessary holes.

A screwdriver will make the job of installing a door handle much easier.

Installing a handle on an interior door

Before inserting a standard door handle into an interior door, you need to make markings. To do this, use a square and a pencil. Measure the required height from the floor. Usually this value varies between 80-100 cm. If you have a prepared conductor, everything is much simpler. Just screw it to the door from the end. The holes will subsequently align with the tongue trim. So, let's look at how to insert a handle into an interior door with your own hands:

  1. Using a drill and a crown drill, drill a through hole in the canvas.
  2. Using a pin drill or a smaller hole saw, drill through the end of the door.
  3. Then you need to put the tongue with the locking system inside and check its operation.
  4. Trace the contours of the trim and remove a thin layer of material so that the piece of iron is installed flush. Screw the part with self-tapping screws.
  5. Insert the rod inside the already installed part. Place a handle with a ring and rosette on top. If the ring rubs against the door, you need to recess it by grinding off a small layer of coating around the hole with a chisel.
  6. Screw the handle with three self-tapping screws or secure with tension pins.
  7. Attach a decorative trim on top. The connection in most models is adjusted with a hex key.

In order to install the metal trim on the frame, you need to mark the position of the tongue. This is convenient to do at the stage of installing this very part into the canvas. Drill or scrape out a recess of the required size in the box. Then trace the iron plate, press it flush and secure it with self-tapping screws.

Lock mortise

It's one thing to install simple fittings, but how to install a handle with a lock on an interior door? To do this, it is better to remove the fabric from the hinges in order to carefully embed the lock.

An example of a high-quality embedded door handle of a simple design in a new leaf

Now let's look at how to properly install a handle with a lock on a door with your own hands:

  1. Mark the position of the lock on the end of the door, outline the contours of the system.
  2. Using a pen, drill several holes in the marked area, and carefully gouge out the rest with a chisel, periodically checking the passage of the lock.
  3. Remove a couple of millimeters of the coating to recess the iron plate.
  4. In order to insert the handle, you need to drill a hole on both sides of the blade, suitable in diameter for the free passage of the axis. To mark its position, make a mark on the lock with a pencil, set it temporarily in place and transfer the mark to the door, and then measure the required depth.
  5. Secure the lock with self-tapping screws.
  6. Insert the axle inside and deepen the ring.
  7. Install the handle, lock it in place.

Make a recess on the frame for the pin and tongue to fit into. Press the nozzle flush and secure with self-tapping screws.

If play occurs, it is necessary to file the handle axis with a grinder. Some manufacturers put special marks on it to make this easier.

Latch Installation

Another question - how to install latches on door handles? In most cases, this is no more difficult to do than inserting the handle itself. Let's look at how to quickly install a latch handle on an interior door with your own hands:

  1. Drill an additional hole in the door. It should match the position of the latch mechanism.
  2. Thread the axle into the lock and install the cap on top . You need to install a plug or key lock on the back side of the room. A rotary latch is attached inside.
  3. Fix the position of the parts with self-tapping screws and disguise the fastening with decorative caps, if provided for by the design.
  4. An additional hole is cut on the frame for the latch tongue, if there is one. If the lock operates on the principle of fixing the halyard tongue, no additional recess is required.

As you can see, installing interior door handles with your own hands is a troublesome task, but quite accessible even for a beginner. Please note that misalignment of parts can lead to rapid breakdown of the fittings.

To figure out how to install a handle on an interior door yourself, you should have an idea of ​​the different types of fittings used for such structures. Then the entire installation process will go without problems.

Almost everything is now sold without accessories. This means that the buyer of such products has to install the handles either independently or seek help from specialists. The services of the latter must be paid for. A thrifty owner, of course, will not spend money on services that he can easily perform with his own hands. Installing handles does not cause any real difficulties for home craftsmen. You just need to understand what types of fittings are currently available, and taking into account what features devices are installed for opening and closing doors of different types.

Types of door handles

All pens are usually divided into two large categories. The first includes mortise mechanisms, the second - overhead ones. The first of these are further divided into:

  • Rotary (knobs). These handles close or open the latch when the handle is turned. They are made in the form of a disk or ball.
  • Push-type (with socket and ring, latching handles). The principle of their functioning is similar to knobs. But in this case, the opening and closing of the interior door is carried out by pressing the handle handle. Typically, such mechanisms are initially equipped with a special lock or a special device - a latch.

To install a mortise device, you must first prepare a large hole in the door leaf where the mechanism will be placed.

Installing overhead handles on interior doors with your own hands is much easier. For installation, it is enough to make a small hole in the canvas, corresponding in diameter to the mechanism rod. There are no differences in terms of functionality and durability of overhead and mortise handles. Choose the device that suits you best. The main thing is that the mechanism you like matches the design of the door itself and the entire room where it is installed.

If there are several door structures in the room, it is advisable to install the same handles on them.

To quickly and efficiently mount a latch handle or a more difficult-to-install mortise mechanism, you will need the following tools - a tape measure, a screwdriver, a square, an electric drill, self-tapping screws, a chisel, a hammer, bits of various sections and a set, a simple pencil. It is also advisable to stock up on a conductor. It is a template that greatly simplifies the operation of marking holes on the door leaf and their subsequent drilling.

Mortise mechanism

Having prepared the specified devices, decide on the installation height of the fittings that interest us. Experts say that the handle should be about 0.8–1 m away from the floor. In principle, you can choose a different height, taking into account your own height. The main thing is that you and your family members feel comfortable using the handle. Now you can markup. If you purchased a conductor, this process will take a minimum of time. Simply screw it from the end to the door structure. Subsequently, the holes on the jig will completely coincide with the tongue lining of the handle being used.

If you do not have such a template, mark the installation location of the fittings using a simple pencil and a square:

  1. Measure the required height from the floor, draw a horizontal line on the canvas (first on one of its sides), and then transfer it to the other side of the door and to the end.
  2. Place a mark in the middle of the drawn line at the end of the interior structure. It indicates the location where you will drill the hole for the tongue.
  3. On the drawn line you also mark areas for mounting the handle itself (marks must be placed on both sides of the canvas).

This completes the preparation for installation. You can begin the main activity.

Let's see how to install the simplest type of door handle - overhead. The first step is to make a through hole in the canvas. To avoid damaging the door, use crowns and an electric drill to perform this operation. After this, it is necessary to drill the interior structure from the end. In this case, you need to use a smaller crown or a special pen drill. Then everything is simple:

  1. Insert the locking mechanism with the tongue into the hole made. Check whether the system is functioning or not.
  2. Trace the outline of the overlay. Be sure to remove a small layer of material from the outlined area with a chisel.. Then, when installing the trim, you will not worry that it will spoil the appearance of the door. After processing the specified area, you can easily mount this part of the handle flush.
  3. Screw the cover with universal self-tapping screws.
  4. Insert its rod inside the already installed mechanism. Place the handle with the ring on the last one. Sometimes the ring begins to rub against the canvas after installation. In such situations, you should grind off a thin layer of material around the hole circumference (do the work with a chisel). And then simply drown the ring. The friction will disappear!
  5. Fix the handle with tightening pins or fasten it with self-tapping screws (depending on the design of the mechanism you purchased).
  6. Install the decorative overlay and enjoy the results of your labor.

Now let's see how to install a latch on an interior door without the help of specialists. You will need to drill an additional hole in the door leaf so that the position of the latch mechanism completely coincides with it. Then you thread the axle through the lock and place the cap on it. Place the rotary latch indoors, and install the key lock or plug on the back side.

Handle with lock

Next, you need to secure the installed mechanism (all its elements) with self-tapping screws and use caps to decorate the used hardware. Note! Some pens do not have caps. They are simply not included in the design of the latch. One more nuance. When the handle has a tongue lock, no other action needs to be performed. If the mechanism only has a tongue, you will have to additionally drill a hole to install it on the door frame.

You will have to tinker a little longer with the mortise mechanisms. As noted earlier, in such a case it will be necessary to make a special, sufficiently capacious hole for the lock.

Door handle installation

In this case, the handle installation diagram itself will remain the same:

  • mark the door structure;
  • draw an outline;
  • drill several holes in the marked area, and then, using a chisel, gouge out the required area to accommodate the mechanism;
  • remove 2–3 mm of the door covering to install the decorative trim flush;
  • install the lock and secure its elements.

After that, insert the handle and fix it. Place the nozzle in the recess on the frame and secure it with self-tapping screws. In cases where the handle gives a slight play, its axis needs to be filed with a grinder to a suitable length. This completes the work. Use an interior door that you yourself have equipped with a convenient and functional handle!

Materials and tools:

  • hammer;
  • chisel;
  • self-tapping screws;
  • screwdriver;
  • a simple pencil;
  • conductor;
  • electric drill with a set of crowns and drills;
  • square;
  • roulette.

You bought, say, a new interior door and decided to assemble the door frame yourself and install this very door, without any experience. Well, it happens that you have to do some things for the first time. The most important thing here is to take your time and be attentive to what you are doing.

When I had to install interior doors in one of the apartments for the first time, I must admit, while sawing the first frame, I made a mistake. As a result, I had to buy a new box set. Since then, I have been very attentive and careful when performing work on assembling and installing doors.

When sawing door frame elements there is no room for error, you need to remember this. As they say, measure twice - cut once!
So, the door was delivered and has been standing in the corridor, perhaps for the second week. There’s nowhere else to put it off and it’s time to get down to business. A reasonable question arises. Where to start?

Marking the door leaf for insertion

You should start by marking the place on the door leaf where it will be built-in handle with latch. The door leaf is, in fact, the door itself without additional elements, frames, extensions and trim.

First, decide in which direction the door will open; the position of the bevel of the latch tongue will depend on this. Now you need to determine the height at which the door handle will be located. As a rule, the handle is embedded at a height of 90-100 cm from the floor or threshold. There are, of course, no thresholds in the rooms. But in the bathroom or toilet, they are very possible.

In box with door handle, you will almost certainly find instructions with the dimensions by which you need to mark. Often the dimensions are indicated on the box itself. Ordinary handles are almost always installed in the same pattern. Construction tool stores sell special kits for inserting handles into interior door leaves. The set consists of a feather drill with a diameter of 23 mm. and wood crowns with a diameter of 50-54 mm.

So, mark a distance of 95 cm at the end of the door leaf. Using a square, draw a clear line perpendicular to the end of the door leaf. Mark the middle on it and mark it. You can use any sharp object, an awl, a nail or a self-tapping screw. At this point you will need to drill a hole for the latch. But don't rush, it's not time yet!

Need to continue markings for pen, or speaking professionally, for knoba. To do this, you need to extend the line at the end further onto the canvas itself on both sides. This must be done strictly perpendicular to the door leaf, using a square. It would be useful to remind you that the pencil must be sharpened.

Here you should pay attention to one detail. The handle can be positioned at a distance of 60 or 70 mm. from the edge. This can be done using the adjustable latch length design. Decide which distance suits you best and mark the desired distance on both sides of the canvas on the lines drawn earlier.

Please note that on a blank canvas, that is, one that does not have decorative elements in the form of slats, glass, etc., the distance from the edge where the handle will be embedded is not critical. After all, the canvas is absolutely even and smooth. But the presence of decorative inserts can limit the position of the handle. And if you decide to embed the handle at a distance of 70 mm. from the edge of the door leaf, be sure to make sure that the handle does not overlap the decorative elements. Otherwise, make a mark of 60mm. from the edge.

Drilling a hole for the handle

Drills first hole for pen, then for latches. It is more comfortable. Firstly, when you start drilling the end, you will know exactly when to stop, and secondly, all the chips when drilling the end will simply fall down, and you will not need to sweep or blow them out with a vacuum cleaner, which is very inconvenient.

So, take a drill, attach a wood bit (50-54 mm) to the chuck and start drilling from one side, having previously marked the marked point. Do not try to drill through the entire canvas “in one go.” Firstly, the depth of the crown itself will not be enough, and secondly, the teeth of the crown will become clogged with sawdust, the crown will get very hot and burn the wood, and the deeper, the stronger. All we needed was a fire!

Having drilled 4-6 mm, without turning off the drill, pull it towards you, removing the crown from the drilled hole. There is no need to turn on the reverse and generally make sudden movements. Everything should happen smoothly but confidently.

Clean the teeth of the crown from sawdust. Be careful, it can be very hot! It all depends on the material of the door leaf and the degree of its humidity. The denser the material and the moister, the more the crown heats up. But the crown with blunt, ground teeth heats up the most. Never use this! Buy a new one is my advice.

Having cleaned the teeth of the bit, and allowed it to cool if necessary, immerse it in the same place where it was removed some time ago, and continue this important mechanical operation to obtain the hole we need so much. As I already mentioned, the crown, due to its limited depth, will not allow the canvas to pass through. Having drilled halfway, you should go to the other side and repeat the entire operation again. You need to be careful here. When approaching the middle of the canvas, do not press too hard, let yourself enjoy the last seconds of this exciting process! Otherwise, you risk the bit going through and hitting the door leaf hard with the drill. But we don’t want to scratch it or leave a dent, right?

Drilling a hole for the latch

Let's move on to the next stage. We remove the bit from the drill chuck, not forgetting about its elevated temperature. We clamp a feather drill with a diameter of 23 mm into the chuck. Pay attention to the photo. It shows that the drill is stamped with a size of 25 mm. But rest assured, no deception! It’s just that I didn’t have a drill of the required diameter, so I used a 25 mm “perk”, having previously ground down its edges with a “grinder” to the required diameter. Here's a little trick, take note.

You need to drill strictly perpendicular to the end of the door leaf. At first I thought it was very difficult to control. I mean, perpendicularity. But then I realized that it was easy to do, just by observing how smoothly the drill selects the circle. This is especially noticeable at the beginning of drilling, and having gone a little deeper, you can hardly worry that the drill will deviate from the specified course. But this does not mean at all that you can relax and look not at the drill, but at a cat covered in sawdust passing by.

Installing a latch for an interior door

Well then! The drilling of the holes is completed, now you need to recess the latch bar into the end of the door leaf so that it is “flush” with the plane. Professionals do this using a manual milling machine, but not everyone has one, so you will have to work with a hammer and chisel.

Insert the latch into the hole and trace it with a sharpened pencil. To ensure that the strip stays in place while tracing, I usually immediately drill holes for the fastening screws and lightly tighten them, fixing the strip. Having traced the bar, remove the latch and take a chisel. Need I say that the chisel should not just be sharp, but very sharp?!

Today, stores offer a wide selection of door handles for every taste. But in general, the technology for installing them is the same and does not require special skills.

Let's look at the step-by-step process of installing a door handle on an interior door. As an example, a simple laminated door and a set of handles from Leverset were used.

What will you need?

To complete this job you will need the following tools:

— a screwdriver (or a drill) with a crown? 46 mm;

- roulette;

- Phillips screwdriver;

- square;

- chisel;

— feather drill? 22 mm (or? 24 mm);

— wood drill (for adjusting and drilling guides);

- hammer;

- pencil.

Installation steps

First of all, we put a mark on the door at the height at which we plan to install the handle. The standard ergonomic height is 105 cm. But if there is a small child in the house or it seems high for you, then you can deviate from the size. In the example, for the convenience of the whole family, the handle is located at a height of 95 cm. We draw lines for orientation on three sides.

We put marks where the pen is expected to be located. The distance from the edge to the middle of the handle is 60 mm.


Mark the middle at the end. A latch with a reed mechanism will be located here.

Read also: Energy saving lamps: advantages, features, types, selection criteria

Do we drill in the end with a feather drill? 22 (or? 24) mm hole for latch depth. It is convenient to use a pencil, comparing the resulting drilled distance with the size of the latch.

At a distance of 60 mm from the edge to the center, drill a hole using a crown? 46 mm. In order for it to be even and symmetrical, we do this on both sides in turn.

Note! Was the wood drill used as an auxiliary drill since there was a crown available? 44 mm. In this case, 3 holes were drilled on each side: the central one for the guide bit, the other two on the sides for the handle fastening screws.

This was done because the crown did not cover the required hole size. Then we drilled a hole with a larger diameter using a crown. With a crown? 46 mm such manipulations are not required. This advice may be useful to those who do not always have the required tools at hand.


We place the tongue pad on the place where it is installed and trace it with a pencil. It is necessary to prepare the surface of the laminated door in order to screw it.

Using a chisel, we begin to process the circled area to a depth of 3 mm. This distance may vary depending on the thickness of the metal from which the trim is made. It is important to make it correct and accurate, because if there is insufficient depth, the lining will touch the hole for the tongue, which will cause an unpleasant sound when closing, rapid abrasion and unreliability of the mechanism during operation. If, on the contrary, the depth is large enough and the lining is set slightly inside, then the door will close with difficulty - the tongue will not fit tightly enough into the hole.

Read also: Checkerboard fence (photo): types and stages of installation

It is worth remembering that you need to be careful when working with laminate flooring. To carefully remove the layer, a hammer and chisel are useful.


Particular care should be taken when removing the coating from the narrow longitudinal strips of the recess. In this place, the laminate tends to expand in the opposite direction, so it will be more convenient to do this at an angle of 90°.

After everything is ready, install the overlay using a hammer. Screw it on with a screwdriver. Paper was used so as not to damage the mirror surface.


We put handles on both sides of the door. It's quite simple and doesn't require any tools.


Next, we put decorative overlays and push handles on them one by one.


Now we begin to make the hole into which the tongue will fit. To do this, you first need to mark exactly where it will be located. A regular tube of toothpaste can help with this. We apply it in a thin narrow strip to the edge of the tongue to get an imprint on the jamb.

Having lowered the handle down (the tongue is retracted), we carefully move the door and release it in the place where it is expected to always close.

Installing a door handle on an interior door is done with your own hands, since the door blocks are not supplied with fittings. To do this, you need to select a tool to perform the required work. Each fitting comes with instructions for use. A convenient installation height for a person from the floor covering and a design diagram are indicated. If there are no instructions on installation height, one condition is necessary for door handles. A person should not open the door in a bent position (about 1 m from the floor).

Drawing with dimensions for installing door handles

Depending on the wishes of the person, only the installation of the handle of the door opening mechanism or door handles with a mechanical or electromechanical lock is carried out. The industry produces various systems for locking a home or room. The peculiarity of locks is that millions of structures must be opened with different keys.

Installation work must be performed in a certain sequence:


Step-by-step instructions for installing a door handle


Tools for work:
  • screwdriver (drill);
  • carpenter's meter, marking pencil;
  • set of wood drills, bit for drilling large diameters.

All door handles can be divided into overhead and mortise. Mortise handles can be divided into rotary designs and rotary ones with a lock. To protect the lock from unauthorized opening, it is necessary to create production facilities for the production of locks and keys of various modifications and sizes.

Scheme for mounting a door handle


They must be protected from water, frost and from opening with a master key. Many designs require certain professional skills from the master. It is impossible to install a door handle without special skills and tools. If it is a support one, then it is not connected to the opening mechanisms.
When marking, it is necessary to determine a place that will not interfere with the rotation of the key and will be at the level of the person’s hand.

Installation process of door lock mechanism with handle


As a rule, they are a decorative decoration of the door. Rotary knobs made by German manufacturers are especially different. The next most difficult installation is considered to be the design of a rotary handle with a lock without a key for locking the doors. Using a simple pencil and tape measure, you need to mark the location of the hole for the handle and lock.

The process of marking a door for installing a handle






Select a metal drill for metal doors and a wood drill for wooden doors according to the diameter of the turning rod. Using a drill and pen drills, drill a hole for the latch to the depth required for the latch bar to fully fit.

The next task is to accurately drill the hole for the handle. Having removed the latch, drill a signal hole with a small drill. Insert the latch and visually determine the accuracy of the hole in the door leaf and the hole in the latch.

The process of drilling holes for door handles






Once you are sure of the accuracy, make a hole to the required size. Having assembled and secured the handle in the door leaf, we make markings for the hole with a recess. Using the selection method, pre-assembling and disassembling, we bring the size of the loot to the required size. This handle should be the same size as the thickness of the door leaf.

Marking the door for the groove




When marking the installation location of the tongue, use a chisel to hollow out a groove for the strip with screws for fastening and for the latching strip in the door frame. The rotary handle is secured with screws on both sides and is secured with a cotter pin to prevent it from being pulled out.

Installation of mortise locks with handles

Mortise locks with a rotary handle and a lock at the end of the door leaf, a special design of the lock cylinder, are produced by manufacturers of more than a million variants of locks. The number of such models available is sufficient for metal and wooden doors. Do-it-yourself installation of mortise mechanisms begins with careful marking of the mounting mechanisms on one side of the door.

Door marking diagram for installing a door lock


Using a chisel, cut out a groove in the body of the door leaf according to the dimensions of the locking system mechanism. The mechanism is installed at the level of the end of the canvas and is closed with an overlay strip.

When working, you have to use chisels of different sizes, periodically sharpening them on a sharpening machine or whetstone at a certain angle.

After making sure that the lock structure is completely recessed into the door leaf, we make a signal hole using a drill with a thin drill for a rotary handle, having previously removed the lock from the door.


We check the accuracy of the hole and drill the door using a crown of the required size from both sides of the door to the middle of the leaf for the handle. Once the lock and handle are installed, all screws must be tightened. After checking the functionality of the lock without closing the door, you can begin marking the groove for the loot.
In the door frame opposite the lock, make a mark on the frame for the latch. Having opened the door leaf, mark, arrange and secure the door with the groove.




If the groove is marked incorrectly and the lock tongue does not fit or there is a large gap, it is necessary to dismantle the groove and move the groove using a chisel. The chute pad and the lock bar should fit snugly, but without friction.

Reinstalling the handle


If necessary, unscrew the mounting screws and use a chisel to deepen the seat. Or make a cardboard lining according to size and thickness.
Watch the video to see the process of installing a lock on an interior door.