Measure a door handle (2024)

FAQs

Measure a door handle? ›

Measure from the edge of the door to the centre of the door knob or handle. The industry standards are usually either 44mm / 57mm / 82mm / 107mm / 130mm. Ideally you will try and choose the backset measurement that sites the door handle in the middle of the door stile.

Measure from the edge of the door to the centre of the door knob or handle. The industry standards are usually either 44mm / 57mm / 82mm / 107mm / 130mm. Ideally you will try and choose the backset measurement that sites the door handle in the middle of the door stile.

The most common are 2 3/8 inches and 2 3/4 inches, but some hardware can fit multiple backsets. Make sure the hardware you select fits your door. For more help, see Determine the Backset of Your Door. Notice the latch or bolt configuration.

Are Doorknob Sizes Universal? Most modern doorknobs will fit most standard doors, but this is not a universal law, so doorknobs are not universal, so you will need to measure the borehole, backset, and door thickness before you install your doorknob.

Measurements. It's important to take accurate measurements of your existing door to ensure the new doorknob will fit properly. This means that you will need to measure the backset, cross bore, and door thickness before shopping for a new doorknob.

Look for hardware that matches your personal taste and the architectural style of your home, whether that means contemporary and sleek, traditional and ornate, or somewhere in between. When considering style, also weigh the pros and cons of door knobs versus levers and how they fit your lifestyle.

You can choose any size handle, whether a lever on backplate, lever on rose or door knob. However, it is worth considering that you may need to cover any existing screw holes or marks on your door from your previous handle.

Determining Your Handle Size For older kitchens, the most common replacement size we encounter is 96mm, while in more modern kitchens, we see a lot of handles with a 160mm centre-to-centre spacing.

There are three main types of door handles: lever handles, pull handles and door knobs.

Also often referred to as door levers, lever door handles are by far the most common type you'll find being used in interior doors, both in commercial and residential properties.

Are internal door handles universal? ›

Are door handles universal? Unfortunately not. There is no standard or universal size for door knobs. This won't be an issue if you are installing a handle on a brand new internal door.

Door handles should be between 800mm and 1050mm from the floor, with 900mm seen as the preferable height under building regulations. If adding door handles within an existing building, you should measure the existing handles and attach them at the same height.

The standard size for a door knob diameter is either 2 3/8 inches or 2 3/4 inches and these knobs will usually fit doors that are anywhere between 1 3/8 inches to 1 3/4 inches thick.

The notion of nominal vs actual door size is very important as all commercial doors are undersized from their nominal size by 1/8” on each of the sides and the top and usually by 3/4 “on the bottom. Therefore when we say a 3'0 x 7'0 door, the actual door size is 35 ¾” x 83 1/8” NOT 36” x 84”.

'Backset' is the distance from the front of the lock to the centre of the spindle as shown here. If you intend to use new locks or latches on an old door, replacing your old ones, you will need to make sure the new one fits into the hole in the door. To do this, measure the 'backset' distance of your old lock.

Standard Door Prep for Door Knobs & Levers:

The standard sized bore hole is 2 1/8" in diameter. Through the edge of the door there is a 1" cross bore that extends from the edge of the door through the bore hole.

The "PZ" or "Centre" is the distance between the centre of the handle spindle and the centre of the round section of the cylinder. The PZ Centre dimension is the dimension between C and D on the diagram.

Yes the majority of door handles are easy to replace. Replacing door handles is one thing. Removing them is another. If you are looking at replacing your door handles you need to know some details about how they are fitted.

Changing a door handle is extremely simple and almost anyone can easily take on the job themselves saving you time and cost of hiring a professional to do the job for you.

Door handles can be subjected to a lot of force which, over time, can loosen and wobble them free. Bolt thru' fixing is the best way of fitting lever handles for a long, maintenance-free life span.

What size handle for a 36 inch drawer? ›

Small Drawers that are 12” or less typically work best with a pull that is 3” to 4” long or a knob that is 1” in diameter. Large Drawers that are 30” to 48"will require a pull that is longer than 8" or a knob that is 1" in diameter or greater.

What usually looks best is a pull length that is about 1/3 the height of the cabinet door and 1/3 the width of the cabinet drawer. Your eyes follow the length of the pull up the height of the door or across the width of the drawer. Pulls don't have to all be the same length as long as the pull design is the same.

The main factor making the distinction between a door handle and a door knob is that door knobs have a circular head to operate the opening and closing mechanism. Door levers and door knobs are available in numerous styles and finishes.

Thickness: Most door knobs come in standard thickness sizing for interior use and exterior use, so simply choose the one that matches your door thickness, and you're good to go.

Interior Privacy and Passage levers, as well as keyed levers, include a pin tool that allow you to flip the lever in either direction. Similarly, straight levers, like the Latitude lever, have universal handing. In these instances, you do not need to choose right or left hand hardware specifically.

Deadbolt handles: Deadbolt handles are the most secure type of front door handle. They are challenging to break into and provide a high level of security for your home.

The square metal bar that connects the door handles on either side of the door is called the spindle.

Passage door knobs are ideal for interior hallways, closets and other rooms that don't need privacy locks. They're also called unkeyed knobs.

Answers to commonly asked questions

The cost to replace door hardware varies depending on the complexity of the installation, the size of the project, your location and other factors. Replacing existing hardware on most doors will range from $75-$150.

If the current door's hinges are on the right side and the door swings inward, then you need to have your knob or handle installed on the left side. If the door's hinges are on the left side and the door still swings inward, you need to have your knob or handle installed on the right side.

Why did door knobs used to be so high? ›

Historians say one of the reasons for their introduction was to make a room which had high ceilings appear cosier and it was an optical trick to bring the ceiling height down. Door handles may have been fitted high to follow this theme.

No, the door frame will be 32 inches. The door itself will be about one eighth to one quarter of an inch narrower to allow space for opening and closing it.

You must always base your measurements on the door frame. There is an old craftsman's expression, “measure twice, cut once”, so please bear this in mind. Another aspect to keep in mind when recording door measurements is the way the door opens.

A: Doors are measured in feet and inches as follows: a standard 36" wide x 80" height x 1-3/4" thick door is called a 3/0 ("three oh", which means 3 feet, 0 inches) x 6/8 ("six eight", which means 6 feet, 8 inches) x 1-3/4".

Door Measurement Lingo

Rather than saying “30 inches wide, 80 inches tall” or “2 feet 6 inches wide, 6 feet 8 inches tall,” they'll refer to the door as a “2/6, 6/8 door,” pronounced “two-six, six-eight.” For a door that is 24 inches wide and 78 inches tall, they'll refer to it as a “2/0, 6/6” door.

The backset is the horizontal distance from the edge of a door to the centre of a lockset; thus, the distance a lockset is 'set back' from the edge of a door is called its backset. It's usually 1 inches or 2 inches (or 44mm and 57mm).

The standard size for a door knob diameter is either 2 3/8 inches or 2 3/4 inches and these knobs will usually fit doors that are anywhere between 1 3/8 inches to 1 3/4 inches thick.

Standard Door Prep for Door Knobs & Levers:

The standard sized bore hole is 2 1/8" in diameter. Through the edge of the door there is a 1" cross bore that extends from the edge of the door through the bore hole.

Yes the majority of door handles are easy to replace. Replacing door handles is one thing. Removing them is another. If you are looking at replacing your door handles you need to know some details about how they are fitted.

Replacing your interior door handles with a new doorknob or door latch is a simple and impactful one. And definitely, one that you can do without calling the handyman! This process is largely the same for changing knobs on interior doors, bedroom doors, bathroom doors, closet doors, and exterior doors as well.

How many inches high should a door handle be? ›

Door handles, pulls, latches, locks and other operating devices shall be installed 34 inches (864 mm) minimum and 48 inches (1219 mm) maximum above the finished floor.

Also often referred to as door levers, lever door handles are by far the most common type you'll find being used in interior doors, both in commercial and residential properties.

Standard Door Measurements

The standard bore is 2-1/8”. Many older doors had bores that were been smaller. Most of the current locks require the standard 2-1/8” bore. If one wants to replace their locks on doors that have smaller diameter holes there are 2 options.

Tools & Materials

Use a drill/driver with the 2 1/8″ hole saw to bore a hole through the door. Once the center bit is through the door, stop. Bring the hole saw the other side of the door and finish the bore. Use the 1″ hole saw to bore a hole through the edge of the door to create an area for the latch.

No door would come pre-drilled for handles, as all handle hole centres differ.

Answers to commonly asked questions

Replacing existing hardware on most doors will range from $75-$150. Prepping a new door for hardware takes more time and skill than a replacement project and could cost between $200-$400.

The "PZ" or "Centre" is the distance between the centre of the handle spindle and the centre of the round section of the cylinder. The PZ Centre dimension is the dimension between C and D on the diagram.