How to Assemble a Door Handle

Measure up from the bottom of the door to the correct height and wrap the paper or cardboard template around the edge of your door. Use an awl to tap a center mark, through the cross lines at the center of the door face mortise, and in the center of the striker bolt hole in the door's edge.

Use a 2 1/8-inch hole saw to cut the door face mortise, unless otherwise instructed in the manufacturer's installation paperwork that came with your handle. Place the tip of the centering bit on the mark you made with the awl and start the drill. Keep it at full speed and apply steady pressure, without forcing. Allow the blade to cut cleanly through the door. Do not force the blade once it begins to emerge through the reverse face of the door as this can cause splintering. Cut all the way through. Remove the wooden plug from the hole saw by pushing it out with a screwdriver through the vent holes in the back of the saw.

Use a 1-inch paddle bit, also known as a spade bit, to bore through the edge of the door, centering the tip of the bit on the awl mark you made. Keep the drill level to cut straight into the side of the door face mortise, creating a clear channel for the striker bolt assembly.

Skip this step if installing a simple knob, or lever without a long handle, with a bottom attachment. Mark the position for the bottom of the handle for a handle set using the template provided with your hardware and drill the hole with the size of bit suggested in the instructions that came with your handle.

Fit the two halves of the handle through the holes in the striker bolt. Align the bottom attachment for handle sets and thread a screw through the inside of the door, tightening with a screwdriver. For all handles, thread the two long screws through the holes in the plate surrounding the knob, lever or thumb button, into the exterior half of the handle. Tighten with a screwdriver.