How to fix a loose door handle

You pull and twist on them every day. No wonder door knobs and handles can eventually come loose. It’s annoying and potentially unsafe. Usually though, it’s just the screws starting to get loose from constant use. So what’s the answer? With a little know-how and the right adhesive, most loose door handles can be quickly repaired. Find the answers to fixing your door knob below.

Unless there are bent or damaged parts, fixing a door handle is a matter of finding the loose screws and tightening them. To prevent loose screws in the future and repeated tightening, try threadlocker, a simple adhesive applied to the screw threads before tightening. This will lock the screws in place.

First, try to determine which screws are loose. More often than not it’s the set on the rose, which is the trim plate that surrounds the handle. If so, you can access these directly without any disassembly.

If the knob is loose beneath the rose, you will have to remove it. Follow these steps:

1. Remove the knob. It may be held on by a screw or a spring. If it’s a spring, there will be a slot to insert a small screwdriver or paper clip to release the knob.
2. Remove the rose on each side. These are also usually held by screws, but some just pry off with a screwdriver.
3. This exposes the mounting plate screws. Tighten these up as necessary, applying threadlocker if this is an ongoing issue.
4. Remember to check the latch plate screws on the edge of the door and the strike plate screws. These hold the plate on the doorway that the latch clicks into when the door closes.
5. Once everything is tightened up, simply reassemble the parts as they were.

This is actually a rather simple project to fix your door handle so everything is nice and tight again.

Now that you know that threadlocker is the answer to keeping door knob screws tight, it’s time to talk about which type of adhesive is best. This is important because there are many different types of threadlockers with very different strengths and applications.

Since you may need to remove the door handle at some point, you will want a threadlocking adhesive that will hold up to normal use but can be broken or loosened with simple hand tools, such as a screwdriver. Some types of threadlockers are for engine components or industrial use and are much too strong for a door knob fix or other uses around the home.

We recommend Loctite Threadlocker Blue 243 for fixing door handles. It’s perfect for locking and sealing threaded fasteners that require occasional disassembly. The adhesive holds up to normal shock and vibration and even protects against rust and corrosion. Just the thing to fix that loose front door handle and keep out the rust! Use it on stainless steel, plated surfaces, and most common metal fasteners.

For more delicate knobs, such as decorative fixtures, try Loctite Threadlocker 222 Low Strength. It works in the same way as Threadlocker Blue, but with a bit less hold. This makes it great for screws that are made of softer metals and might shear when being removed if a stronger adhesive is applied.