changing door handle holes now to big

sawa · Oct 03, 2010 1:05 pm

I have brought new door handles for all my doors . When i have removed the first old handle and have gone to put on the new handle the hole that has been drilled in the door is to large for the new handles the base of the handle goes through the hole!!! Is there some type of plate that i can buy to go behind the handles on either side? or do i have to putty up the holes and re drill the hole? or do i need to buy 8 new doors??? unable to take handles back so i am stuck with them now just looking for the best solution to the problem.
any help greatly appreciated

Trinia · Oct 03, 2010 1:15 pm

Usually, the plates would be included with the handles/lock, but it may be possible to get some that would work.

It may also be possible to patch the holes, although I wouldn't use just putty; I'd cut some timber as close to size as possible and glue and then putty/fill just the crack, drill new hole and then repaint.

New doors are a pain. I might prefer new handles to new doors.

Good luck!

TheOK · Oct 03, 2010 2:47 pm

I've found that some Italian prestige designed door handles require a 51mm hole, pain in the **** ..standard Australian handles have 54mm holes.

travelbug · Oct 10, 2010 2:11 pm

Just apply builders bog, sand, paint and apply new handles.

TheOK · Oct 10, 2010 4:02 pm

travelbug

Just apply builders bog, sand, paint and apply new handles.

If the OP handles are 51mm, it would only be holding onto a 1.5mm ring of bog, it wouldn't last one pull.

chippy · Oct 10, 2010 11:13 pm

What size is the existing hole, and what size does the template say the new hole should be.
As has been mentioned, you cant just apply some bog and hope for the best. You either completely fill the holes (with timber block and then bog to fill) and re-bore the new size holes or make some adaptors out of thin alloy or even stainless steel.
I'm not sure if there is anything available commercially that would do what you want. The problem with an adaptor is it never looks quite right.

viphomedesign · Oct 15, 2010 2:25 pm

travelbug

Just apply builders bog, sand, paint and apply new handles.

This is a good idea!....hhmm...

TheOK · Oct 15, 2010 2:52 pm

viphomedesign

travelbug

Just apply builders bog, sand, paint and apply new handles.

This is a good idea!....hhmm...

TWO TRADESMEN in this thread don't recommend that method.

GeoffW1 · Oct 15, 2010 4:50 pm

Hi,

Bog is quite strong.

I did this once, slightly different method, but I can't remember what the difference in size was. I got a hole saw the same OD as the original hole, and with it made a circular biscuit from a piece of timber which was planed down to the right thickness.

I buttered the inside of the hole and the outside of the biscuit with bog, and pushed it in level on both sides. Of course bog was extruded everywhere, but was easily scraped off with a spatula.

After the bog was hard I sanded it level and filled any little dips. Then with a smaller hole saw the right size for the new lock, and the existing centre hole, I carefully cut out a new hole.

I went very slowly as I was worried the annular timber ring would break free, but it didn't. Then I had to redo the hole for the striker but that was OK.

Cheers

TheOK · Oct 15, 2010 7:06 pm

GeoffW1

Hi,

Bog is quite strong.

I did this once, slightly different method, but I can't remember what the difference in size was. I got a hole saw the same OD as the original hole, and with it made a circular biscuit from a piece of timber which was planed down to the right thickness.

I buttered the inside of the hole and the outside of the biscuit with bog, and pushed it in level on both sides. Of course bog was extruded everywhere, but was easily scraped off with a spatula.

After the bog was hard I sanded it level and filled any little dips. Then with a smaller hole saw the right size for the new lock, and the existing centre hole, I carefully cut out a new hole.

I went very slowly as I was worried the annular timber ring would break free, but it didn't. Then I had to redo the hole for the striker but that was OK.

Cheers

travelbug's proposal is a generic fix and lacks detail.

The OP hasn't informed us on the specs of the new handle or the existing hole size, ...if the existing hole is 54mm and the new hole only needs to be 25mm then chippy's and your method will work fine, but if the hole required is 51mm then ..new doors, relocating the handles or returning them are the only options left.

Personally speaking, returning and selecting handles that'll fit the existing holes is the least costly and time consuming solution.

TheOK · Oct 15, 2010 7:06 pm

GeoffW1

Hi,

Bog is quite strong.

I did this once, slightly different method, but I can't remember what the difference in size was. I got a hole saw the same OD as the original hole, and with it made a circular biscuit from a piece of timber which was planed down to the right thickness.

I buttered the inside of the hole and the outside of the biscuit with bog, and pushed it in level on both sides. Of course bog was extruded everywhere, but was easily scraped off with a spatula.

After the bog was hard I sanded it level and filled any little dips. Then with a smaller hole saw the right size for the new lock, and the existing centre hole, I carefully cut out a new hole.

I went very slowly as I was worried the annular timber ring would break free, but it didn't. Then I had to redo the hole for the striker but that was OK.

Cheers

travelbug's proposal is a generic fix and lacks detail.

The OP hasn't informed us on the specs of the new handle or the existing hole size, ...if the existing hole is 54mm and the new hole only needs to be 25mm then chippy's and your method will work fine, but if the hole required is 51mm then ..new doors, relocating the handles or returning them are the only options left.

Personally speaking, returning and selecting handles that'll fit the existing holes is the least costly and time consuming solution.

chippy · Oct 16, 2010 3:57 pm

As a carpenter, if I was stuck with the handles or just absolutely had to have them, then I'd just hang new doors.
It takes about an hour to hang a door and fit the lock, then add the cost of a door. It is still cheaper than spending several hours trying to patch each door and still ending up with a less than perfect job.
As TheOK has said, first option is exchange the locks, second option is hang new doors, third option is attempted patch of old doors.
The biggest issue with patching the holes is the new size required. Assuming the new locks have the same backset, then if the new hole is only marginally smaller than the existing locks (which it sounds like it is) any patch will likely fail as you will be trying to drill through the patched part of the door as the centres will be in the same spot. If you can change the backset from 60 to 70mm then that would help to move the hole over and away from the patch and it would be far more likely to work.

Personally I couldn't imagine anything worse than trying to patch a house full of doors. If they are only flushpanel doors they are so cheap as to be almost disposable. You might even be able to sell them.