Replace Interior Door Knob

Inconveniently the door knob to our bathroom broke and wouldn't open. When I say wouldn't open I mean you turn the knob and nothing happens. No need to panic as it is an easy fix. We live in a mobile home so I needed to measure the door thickness to ensure I purchase a replacement that will fit. For those who don't know, mobile home manufacturers tend to use materials that are specifically designed for mobile homes. Doors are one of those such items. In order to measure the door first we must open the door.

New door knob hardware

Dremel

Screwdriver

Pencil

To open the door you will need to first remove the two screws located at the base of the handle. After removing the two screws pull the handle away from the door. This will expose the inside. In the pictures you can clearly see where it broke. There is a long shaft protruding that went into the handle. Simply push it right out the other side.

Next take your screwdriver and insert it into the open hole on the inner door knob piece still in the door. This will help hold it in place while you use a finger or another screwdriver to press against the metal tabs sticking out. There is a yellow arrow in this picture showing both the tab and the direction in which you need to press it. The door will pop right open.

Now that the door is open remove the remaining piece from the door.

Easy enough. Measure the thickness of the door. This door is a thin door at 1 3/8" thick. It is important to measure the thickness as not all doors are a standard thickness. Nothing worse than having to make another trip to the store because you purchased the wrong door handle. Write it down.

Head to the store and purchase one that will fit your door.

Features......locking or non-locking? It is important to note that most interior lockable doors do not have a keyhole but rather other means to unlock from the outside. You can use one with a key but there are safety issues there. If a child locks themself in and you can't find the key it could be dangerous. Therefore I stayed with a non-keyed lockable interior door handle.

Having purchased what I need it's time to install the new door handle.

The new latch piece didn't fit because it was slightly wider on the top and bottom. Using my trusty dremel and a sanding drum I widened the hole just a little at the top and bottom of the hole. (edge of door) Then it fit perfectly.

The new latch needs to be recessed into the door. Placing it into the hole Use a pencil and trace the outline. Use the dremel and a carving bit to carve out the area you just traced. Only make it deep enough for the latch to become flush. Test fit and carve until the latch rest flush inside the door. Once it is flush using wood screws included with new knob securely attach the latch in place.

Almost finished.

One of the knobs has a long piece in the center and two internally threaded post. Place it into the hole by aligning the post with the holes on the inner part of the latch. Place the other knob on the other side. Start the screws by finger.

Make sure the lock part is on the inside of the room. If not switch the knobs.

Screw the screws in alternating back and forth until they are both tight. They are pretty long screws. So your knob will likely need to be away from the door slightly to begin with in order to get them both in.

Good As New!!!

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

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