| You home may be your castle, but even the | | | | Here are the basics: |
| lords and ladies had to eventually hang a "For | | | | 1. Remove the old doorknobs. Find the side with |
| Sale" sign out on their sprawling estates. | | | | the screws and loosen them until you can pull the |
| Of course, kings and queens didn't have to worry | | | | bolts out. |
| about such paltry details as doorknobs. They | | | | 2. Insert the new lock with the screw holes on |
| hadn't become popular yet. Most of the doorways | | | | the same side as the one you just removed. Line |
| in castles were covered with portieres, fancy | | | | the two sides up so the shaft slides into the other |
| tapestries of silk that were embroidered. These | | | | side of the lock. Make sure they are both aligned. |
| kept the drafts out of the various rooms without | | | | If you're replacing the latch as well, remove the |
| having to constantly push open a heavy oak door. | | | | faceplate and pull the old latch out first. Then |
| These were left to the exterior entrances where | | | | insert the new one before doing step 2. |
| stout hearted men could move them with ease. | | | | 3. Once the shaft is inserted, tighten the bolts until |
| If you're contemplating selling your own estate, | | | | they are snug but not fully tightened. Test your |
| you probably can't get away with installing | | | | doorknobs. If they stick, it's an alignment issue. If |
| portieres. No matter how grand they may look to | | | | the latch doesn't retract when you twist the |
| you, the buyer may not be so impressed. | | | | knob, you didn't catch the latch when you |
| But there's an easier way to give your doors a | | | | inserted the shaft. Loosen the bolts and recapture |
| brand new look without replacing them entirely. | | | | the latch. |
| The secret is doorknobs. Doorknobs, which are | | | | 4. Test again. If everything works correctly, |
| also call locksets, allow you to put a new face on | | | | tighten the bolts snugly so they hold the |
| your door without facing the prospect of having | | | | doorknobs in place. Don't over tighten or the |
| to replace it entirely. In fact, with the right | | | | knobs can damage the door or ruin the alignment. |
| doorknobs a buyer may not even notice the door | | | | That's all there is to it really. Doorknobs are very |
| itself, taken instead with your fantastic selection | | | | easy to replace and will give your doors an |
| of wood, stone, glass or metal knobs in an | | | | entirely new look. |
| endless array of styles and shapes. | | | | If you plan to keep your existing doorknobs but |
| Replacing doorknobs is easy too. It's one of the | | | | they stick, try a lubricant on them. WD-40 works |
| easiest things you can do in the way of home | | | | well. Sewing machine oil is another good choice. |
| improvements actually. Just by removing two | | | | You'll have to remove the lock to get to the inner |
| screws, your doorknobs will pop out of the door | | | | workings, but it is usually a very easy and a quick |
| easily, allowing you to add a new one in minutes. | | | | fix and will have your doorknobs working like new. |