Screen Door Handles
Installing and upgrading your screen door handles can give your security options a new lease on life. Screen doors are perfect for keeping all sorts of pests outside of your home, but usually the furniture that comes standard leaves a little to be desired. While the structure of the doors is sound, changing some of the elements, such as the handles, can give them a quick upgrade and make them appear more in line with the rest of your home.
If your home has an old traditional style of screen door but the handles no longer work (these are usually the first to break down) then you’ll need to replace them. Screen door handles are easily changed and can bring an old door back to life. Often you may want to keep the original door, but with broken handles that no longer keep it closed, the door will hang in the wind and may end up being damaged beyond repair. We understand that for the most part you’d rather keep everything as it should have been, as this is especially true if you’re restoring an old property as opposed to just replacing everything with new doors. You can find many styles of screen door handles in our online shop, we have a variety of finishes including, traditional, antique brass, antique copper, black, chrome, polished brass and satin chrome. You’ll be able to find something that closely resembles the door that you have.
If you’re looking for other replacement handles around your home, we have a huge variety available. You can buy regular door knobs, lever door handles, pull handles, rim locks, sliding door handles and entry door handle kits. Replacing door hardware is a reasonably easy upgrade and having them all made in a similar style and finish can add a certain amount of class and prestige to your home.
How to Fix a Screen Door
If your screen doors are warped, and the fly screen is broken or missing you’ll need to take the door off its hinges and find a flat surface to work on. Usually the floor on a garage is suitable. Lay a large piece of cardboard down to protect the door. When the screen door is free from the frame, you can inspect it and look for anything else that needs to be replaced. This is also the perfect time to examine your main door handles and check if they’re in good condition; if they’re damaged you should replace them.
With the screen door lying flat you should be able to see if the door is warped. If one or two corners are off the ground, then the door is out of alignment and will need to be disassembled to fix. The first step is to pull out the spline and remove the screen. If the fly screen is in good condition you can keep it, but most of the time it’s best to replace it. Screen doors are usually put together with rivets, you’ll need to drill these out and carefully pull the frame apart. If required, you can use a rubber mallet to help. Once the frame is apart you can put it back together and using a set square you can get all the corners perfect. Once they’re aligned and the door is good and flat, drill new pilot holes if needed and rivet the door back together. Replace the fly screen and hang the door back in place.
How to Remove Screen Door Lock?
Replacing screen door handles is somewhat less involved, and it can be completed while the door is hanging. Many handles are attached using just a few screws. Find these and use the appropriate tool to unscrew them. If the old handle is broken be careful taking it off as it may have sharp pieces on the inside. You’ll also need to remove the strike plate, or the latch box keeper if it has one.
Once the old screen door handles have been removed, you’ll need to clean the door to make sure that the new handles have a good seal to keep any water out. Put the new handles into position and hold them in place with tape (blue painters’ tape is best), then mark the screw holes. Ideally the screw holes should be in the same space, but if they’re not you’ll need to drill new ones. Make sure to use the appropriate drill bit and drill new holes. Place the handles back into position and screw them together. Then attach the replacement strike plate, you may need to cut away some wood from the frame to make it fit, you can do this with a chisel (or a router). After everything is put back together, test out the door and make sure it closes properly. If there is a gap at the top of the bottom, you can replace this with either a draft stopper or a suitable replacement framing wood.
Buying Your Screen Door Handles
At Restoration Online you can buy screen door handles in our online shop, we ship Australia wide, and we have a 21-day returns policy. This means that if your purchase is not exactly what you were after, then you're able to arrange for a return.
Feel free to have a look through our handles section and see if there are any other products that may help you with your restoration project. We’re sure there is something you’ll be able to find!
