When it comes to your home’s exterior doors, there are two ways that hinges can be attached to the door. One is with screws that are visible from the outside. The other is with hidden screws on the inside of the door. Depending on what you want to do with your home’s interior or exterior doors, you might find yourself in need of removing a commercial door knob without visible screws. This article will walk you through how to remove a commercial door knob without visible screws by using hinges and hanging latches.
We have all been in the situation where we have had to swap a doorknob, only to find that the previous owners have left the screws behind. Installing a new doorknob might seem scary but it is very easy once your know-how. You will be able to do it yourself, and you will only need a few things from your local hardware store. So how do you remove a commercial door knob without visible screws? Keep reading!
1. What you need to remove a commercial door knob without visible screws
Required tools for removing a commercial door knob without visible screws:
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Flathead screwdriver (may need to remove the faceplate of the door knob)
- Screws (may need to replace the faceplate of the doorknob)
- Lubricant (may need to remove the door knob)
You will need a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the screws. Let’s assume you have a door with screw holes that is in good condition. Make a mark on each face of the screw hole where the screw should be removed. You can use a rotary tool to get a better feel of the screw with a shaft that is larger than the head of the screw.
Use tamper-proof gloves when you remove the screws. You want secure ones so you don’t accidentally move them while trying to remove the remaining screws. Make sure to leave about a 1/4-inch or 6mm of headspace on each screw. When you are done, move the screw-free from the hole. Make sure you use the right size screwdriver to remove the screw.
Next Step:
You will need to attach your hinges. I purchased these 3M 2-part hinges from Staples. Just make sure they don’t contain nails. Add the hinge to each side of the screw hole and allow it to fully dry out. Once it’s dry it should be considered secure. This is a good indicator that you can safely reuse the hinge.
Now that you have the hinges attached to the headboard, they are ready to be removed. Take the faceplate off of the door and remove the knob. Use a flat head screwdriver to remove the plastic cap that is secured to the inside of the door frame with a locking mechanism.
Lastly, remove the case from the door. Take a flat head screwdriver and pry the housing from the door hinge. Next, you will need to slide the hinge so the plastic cap you removed is not compressed against the hinge.
2. Remove the door knob
The first step in making your home a smart home is to start with a smart lock. You can’t automate anything until you have a smart lock. The first step is to remove the door knob and replace it with a smart lock. You may have to cut a hole for the lock and then replace the doorknob.
Roughly 15% of American households have internet-connected devices in their homes. For the smart lock market, that number jumps to almost one in five households purchasing smart locks. These internet-connected devices range from smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to cameras. Smart locks, in general, can have many more functions but for the sake of this article, we will focus on internet connections. Make sure that your smart lock has the following features;
How to Remove Door Knob
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While some people complain about what they deem as intrusive smart home technology, others consider these technologies as a necessity to stay secure. They point out the potential danger of automation to the residents of a home when it comes to fires or stranger intruders breaking into the home. There is a simple solution to both of these problems that your smart home device will help with.
Hanging Latches
The first solution to automation that your smart lock can provide is the ability for you to lock and unlock your front door remotely. A hanging latch increases the security of your home by adding another layer of security for entry. A third party, like a family member, will need to be present in your home for them to access your front door remotely. This can be done by hanging a latch on your door which covers a window.
3. Remove the hinge pins
Hinge pins can be a huge pain to remove if they get gummed up with paint. To remove them, simply soak them in a jar of acetone overnight, and most of the paint will dissolve. The pins will then fall out easily once you tap on the inside of the hinge.
If your exterior door’s hinge has a pin installed, there might be no way to remove them without drilling into the door. Thankfully, most commercial doors use vanity nails that snap right off of the door without the use of a screwdriver. These nails are also available in a variety of lengths, and they’re easy to find with a quick Google search.
Vacuum up any nail pieces you find floating around the exterior of the door, and you’re ready to replace those pesky pesky pins. There are a couple of different ways to attach new nails to the door if you do decide to forget about the screws. The first is to buy large nails and insert each nail at a 90-degree angle into the panel behind the existing nail. These nails can last for years, and there isn’t even a risk of them coming loose.
Second Method For Removing
The second method is to purchase small nails and insert each nail at a 45-degree angle. Though some people report that this method leaves a dent in the wood panel behind the existing nail, it is much more reliable in terms of replacing the nail. This method requires special hand tools or replacing the screw head, but is far easier than drilling new holes into wood or studs.
Lastly, there is a last resort that might be an option if you cannot find a nail or cannot find a door with vanity nails. During the serious demolding process, many structures will need to be removed to access the interior and exterior of the structure. This is where you need to use a combination of tools to remove doors. Several products can be submitted today to attach decorative nails to doors, but if possible, you should try to avoid using sawdust.
Also, you can check my How To Install A Door Knob With Hidden Screws article
4. Remove the old hinge
Remove the old hinge by unscrewing the hinge screws and then removing the hinge.
I connected the hinge screws directly to the ring wraps that hold my hinges. This also applies to the other commercial door knobs that I tried. Those webs are meant to catch any debris that might get inside the door and fall into the hinge mechanism and catch on the wire. This also applies if you want to replace those deadbolt locks, which have their proprietary screws. To remove the screws and the deadbolt locks, simply unscrew the cropper’s head screws and then replace the lock axel.
Retail lockers usually have tight plastic axels that may be damaged upon removal, but if not, you can most likely find replacements for them at hardware stores. A commercial lock can often be replaced or function with a combination, like a video doorbell or bedroom doorknob, which provides similar functionality but requires a video doorbell key to operate.
How to Remove Doorknob Next Step
Hinge parts are commonly available from Home Depot and Lowe’s. They have screwdrivers with which you can attach the screws and they often have other hardware, like a towing hook, and rope to hang your replacement parts on. You can also purchase hinging parts quicker than ordering them in will require. You want to determine how many screws you need and how many long screws you want to remove. I recommend taking your time with this part of the process; you won’t have any issues freeing up your other doors if you weigh your screws incorrectly.
We used rope to hang the old hinge (seen below) so that it will match the Door Hanger installed on the inside of the door. This can also be ok with decorative hang tabs or other decorative items hanging in the room.
Also, you can read my How To Refill Co2 Tank With Air Compressor article.
5. Install the new hinge
Installing new hinges on your cabinets is one of the most affordable and easy ways to update your kitchen. Also, keep in mind that you don’t have to do this all at once. Start with one cabinet and tell yourself that it’s only temporary. Once you’re happy with the look, move onto the next one. We’re all about making our lives easier these days, and you can make your kitchen even easier by having hinges and hooks in your kitchen without screws.
How to remove a commercial door knob without visible screws: Last Step
First, you need to locate the screws that will go into the door. These will likely be behind the handle that you can grab with a vice or hand. Next, locate and remove the screws.
Secondly, you can screw the desired hinges into the door. There are a variety of hooks and latches that you can use depending on what type of hardware you have access to.
If you have a traditional hinge that has a steel blade that you don’t want to use, use a hammer and mallet to pound the old hinge out of the door. If you have a cage hinge, use a hammer and a chisel or jig to cut out the old hinge. Hammer and chisel/jig is the best way if the nails sticking out will be hard to get out.
If you don’t have time to do any of that, you can use the hardware you have available. Place the desired hinge on the door, screw on the corresponding locking mechanism, and maybe re-attach the handle. Be careful not to scratch the paint job, and you’ll be good to go.
Let’s go back to our demo kitchen door. We had a complicated hinge that wasn’t being usages very well. What do you think, would you like to see us try to repurpose another hinge for that door? That’s exactly what we will do and demonstrate. First, find the threaded rod that extends through the frame of the door. Hook the threaded rod into the threaded rod mount on the inside of the door.
In Conclusion
Removing a commercial door knob without visible screws doesn’t need to be complicated, provided you have the right tools and knowledge in hand. The above steps will help you remove that old commercial door knob without any visible screws and replace it with a new one in no time at all! Removing a commercial door knob without visible screws is doable with a little elbow grease and patience, but we highly recommend seeking out professional help if you’re not familiar with how to properly remove doors or hardware from your home’s frame.
Commercial door knobs can be difficult to remove. The process for removing a commercial door knob without visible screws is a little trickier than you might think, but it’s doable with some patience and an understanding of the hinges and hanging latches.
