One of the hardest working doors in our house is the screen door on the back porch. Day in and day out, the door gets continued use, so we replaced the old worn handle with a new one. It’s a pithy job, and so small a handyman may not want to do it, so it’s a good job to do yourself. It’s positively goof-proof and requires a minimum of tools and talent. A handyman will charge $90, including labor and material, to make the swap. You can buy the handle at a hardware store or home center for $35 and install it yourself, pocketing a whopping 61 percent saving.
The project involves first removing the old handle with a screwdriver and checking out the holes to see if they can be used for the new one. If not, use the paper template that comes packaged with the handle, as a guide for drilling new mounting holes. Tape the template to the door and drill through it for properly aligned holes. Then follow the installation instructions using the screws provided to secure the inside and outside halves of the handle assembly.
