New hardware,
installed square.
The knob that spins loose. The deadbolt that needs a shove. The mismatched finishes you’ve been meaning to fix since you moved in. Old hardware out, new set installed clean, every door tested from both sides.
A house is only as
solid as its front door.
Door hardware is the one thing in a home you touch every single day. It’s also the one thing homeowners put off replacing the longest, because a loose lever still turns, and a sticky deadbolt still locks, and the day keeps moving.
Then you close on a new house, or a knob finally breaks off in someone’s hand, or you notice the front door hardware doesn’t match a single other finish in the home. Suddenly it’s time, and fresh hardware turns out to be the fastest, most visible upgrade a house ever gets.
That’s the whole job here. One door or twenty, new hardware installed square, adjusted to latch cleanly, and tested from both sides before I leave.
Six quiet cues that a house is asking for new hardware. Notice two of them and it’s worth a text.
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01
A knob or lever that spins loose
The set screw is stripped or the internal cam is finished. Tightening buys a week; new hardware buys a decade.
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02
A deadbolt you have to shove
Half the time it’s the strike plate, half the time it’s the bolt itself. Either way, a door you have to muscle is a door people stop locking.
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03
Hardware that no longer matches
Brass on one door, satin nickel on the next, a matte-black impulse buy on a third. A house reads more expensive the moment the metals agree.
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04
A finish that’s pitted or peeling
Once the clear coat lifts on a brass handle, it accelerates. Kitchen and bath humidity finish the job. Replacement is cheaper than restoration.
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05
A latch that catches the strike
The paint scuff around the strike plate is the door telling on the hinges. A quick handleset swap is a good time to re-square everything.
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06
Locks the last owner’s people still have keys to
Realtors, cleaners, dog walkers, the neighbor who watered plants. A fresh set of exterior locks on move-in day is the cheapest security upgrade in the house.
Almost every hardware appointment on the schedule starts as one of these. Recognize yours?
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Justin installing front door handleset after a move The just-moved-in reset
Every exterior lock replaced with a fresh set, front, back, garage entry, side door, all keyed alike so one key opens the whole house.
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Replacing interior door hardware in a hallway The whole-house interior refresh
Every interior lever swapped to a matched finish in a single afternoon. It’s the small upgrade that changes how the whole house feels.
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Finished front entry hardware installed The front door facelift
New handleset and matching deadbolt in a heavier finish. Instant curb appeal, and the first thing every visitor touches when they arrive.
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New hardware installed before a home listing Pre-listing hardware refresh
Buyers open every door. Loose knobs, mismatched finishes, and sticky deadbolts read as deferred maintenance. Fresh hardware quietly cleans up the walkthrough.
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Rental door hardware ready for new tenants Rental turnover locks
Between tenants is the right moment to change exterior hardware. Durable finishes, standard-sized units, and a spare key handed over on turnover day.
More on rental property repairs -
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Installing a replacement lever handle Broken handles and busted knobs
The kid who hung on the handle. The mover who leaned on the door. The knob that finally split. Old hardware out, matching replacement in.
Already replacing hardware? Add the faucet, the shower head, or the wobbly cabinet pulls to the same visit.
Not every sticky door needs new hardware.
Sometimes a screw and a shim are all it takes. Here’s how I sort it before the truck leaves.
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Adjusting is enough whenThe hardware is only a few years old, the finish still looks good, and the trouble is really a loose screw, a lifted hinge, or a misaligned strike plate.
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Replacement pays off whenThe handle wobbles no matter how you tighten it, the finish has gone cloudy, or the door has quirks the current hardware can’t forgive.
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Replace, no hesitation, whenYou just closed on the house, the deadbolt has to be lifted to turn, or the current set is a builder-grade knob that a determined shoulder could defeat.
Every door in the house takes a slightly different piece. Here’s the honest map of what’s in scope.
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01
Interior levers and knobs
Bedroom, bath, closet, and passage doors. Privacy sets for bathrooms, passage sets for hallways, dummy pulls for closets, matched finish across the whole floor.
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02
Exterior handlesets
Front doors, back doors, side entries. Heavier trim, longer screws into the frame, and finishes rated for weather. The hardware guests notice first.
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03
Deadbolts
Single-cylinder for most homes, double-cylinder for doors with glass, and thumb-turns that actually turn easily. Installed to line up with the strike, not fight it.
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04
Smart locks and keypads
Battery-powered keypads, Bluetooth locks, and Wi-Fi-connected deadbolts. Installed, tested, and paired to your phone before I leave the doorstep.
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05
Storm door and screen hardware
The latch that dropped off years ago, the closer that no longer closes, the handle that pulls off in your hand. Small hardware, big daily annoyance.
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06
Cabinet and pocket door pulls
Not doors people announce, but hardware that ties a kitchen or bath together. Often added onto the same visit as the interior levers.
Three quiet habits that add years.
What I tell homeowners on the way out the door. Small stuff, real payoff.
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01
Don’t oil a sticky lock with WD-40
It gums up over time and attracts grit. A quick shot of graphite powder in the keyway lasts years and never gets tacky.
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02
Tighten set screws once a year
A single loose set screw is what turns a five-year handle into a two-year handle. A quick check every fall keeps things where they belong.
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03
Watch the strike plate, not the lock
If a deadbolt suddenly stops lining up, the door has moved, not the lock. Usually a hinge screw that’s worked loose in the frame.
Four steps from the first text to a house full of working doors.
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01
Send a picture of the doors
One of each door and one close-up of the current hardware is plenty. I’ll flag anything that needs a specific size before you buy.
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02
Pick a finish, or let me suggest one
Homeowner-supplied hardware is welcome. If you’d rather not shop, I’ll recommend a durable brand and finish that suits the house.
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03
Install, adjust, and test both sides
Old hardware off, new set in, screws driven true. Every door is opened, closed, and locked from both sides before it’s signed off.
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04
Keys on the counter, packaging out
Fresh keys labeled and left where you can find them, boxes and old hardware in the truck if you’d like them gone.
Moving in soon? Let’s get every exterior lock replaced before you unpack the first box.
Call JustinHandyman install, not a locksmith bill.
Locksmiths do beautiful work, inside a lock. For swapping hardware, adjusting strikes, tightening hinges, and finishing a whole-house refresh in one afternoon, that’s handyman territory. Same toolbelt covers the faucet and the cabinet pulls while I’m there.
Homeowner-supplied hardware is welcome, honest recommendations come free, and the schedule treats one bedroom knob the same as a full turnover on a rental. Small visits get the same fifteen minutes of alignment work as the whole-house jobs.
Topeka doors have their own personalities. Older bungalows with slightly out-of-square jambs, ranches with hollow-core interiors, and newer builds that settle in their first two winters. New hardware fits all of them, as long as someone takes the time to line it up.
A dozen answers to the questions I hear most. If yours isn’t here, a quick text usually settles it.
- Can I buy my own door hardware?
- Absolutely, and most homeowners do. Send me a link before you order and I’ll flag anything that won’t fit your door or match the other hardware you’re keeping.
- How long does a typical install take?
- About fifteen to twenty minutes per door on a clean swap. A whole-house interior refresh usually fits in one afternoon.
- Can interior and exterior hardware be replaced in one visit?
- That’s the most common request. Fresh exterior handlesets and matching interior levers in the same appointment, one trip, one cleanup.
- Should I replace all exterior locks after buying a home?
- Yes. It’s the single cheapest thing you can do on move-in day. You never really know who still has a working key to the old hardware.
- Do you install smart locks?
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and keypad models are all in scope. I handle the physical install, the strike alignment, and the initial app pairing before I leave.
- Can you keep all my new locks on one key?
- Most new hardware ships with the option to be keyed alike, either from the factory or as a paid add-on. I’ll help you order the right kit so one key opens everything.
- What if my door doesn’t latch cleanly?
- Usually the door has settled, not the lock. Strike plate adjustments, hinge tightening, and small shims are part of the visit, no separate service call.
- Do you match hardware finishes across a house?
- Happily. Send a photo of any fixtures you’re keeping, sink faucets, cabinet pulls, light fixtures, and I’ll suggest hardware finishes that pull the room together.
- Will new locks be more secure than the old ones?
- In almost every case. Modern deadbolts have longer throws, hardened steel inserts, and reinforced strike plates. Pairing that with three-inch screws into the frame is a real upgrade.
- Do you handle storm doors and screens?
- Yes, storm door closers, latches, and handles are all part of the same visit. They’re usually the fastest fixes on the list.
- Do you rekey, cut keys, or handle lockouts?
- None of the three, that’s locksmith work and it belongs with a locksmith. For most homeowners a fresh set of keyed-alike hardware is cleaner and cheaper than a rekey anyway, and I’ll point you to a local locksmith when a lost key, a stuck cylinder, or an after-hours lockout is the real problem.
- Can we knock out a few other repairs the same day?
- Please, that’s the point. Door hardware pairs naturally with cabinet pulls, faucet swaps, and small drywall touch-ups. One visit, one invoice, one afternoon.
Let’s knock out
your list.
One call, multiple repairs. Ring me or send a photo of what needs fixing. You’ll get a straight answer and a fair price, usually the same day.
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