how do I replace interior door handles and hide old screw holes?
tombr...@googlemail.com
My appt has 'traditional' door handles with large plates, like these:
http://www.doorhandlesuk.com/acatalog/Traditional_Brass.html
I'd like to replace them with a more modern look, like this:
http://www.doorhandlesuk.com/acatalog/Contemporary_Range.html
Is this possible without looking awful? Can the screw holes be hidden?
Thanks for any help,
Tom.
Palindrome
were screw holes is going to be very difficult without something that
actually covers them over - eg handles similar in size but without
visible screw holes.
If they are opaque-painted, then it is possible to fill the holes, sand
to a very smooth finish and paint over.
An alternative is to use a router to allow a small decorative plate to
be inset into that part of the door (well, every door).
What I have seen done is a groove around the door handle, filled with an
inset fluorescent strip. Similar ones were around the light switches. As
a guest in the house, being able to see where the door and where the
lightswitch, for that middle of the night trip, was much appreciated. It
did look very much in keeping with a very modern-style house.
I could imagine that, in the event of a fire and the power going off -
such little aids could even save a life..
--
Sue
Tanner-'op
Tom,
What is the finish on the doors?
Tanner-'op
Alang
>tombr...@googlemail.com wrote:
>> Apologies if this is a dumb question, I'm very new to DIY.
>>
>> My appt has 'traditional' door handles with large plates, like these:
>> http://www.doorhandlesuk.com/acatalog/Traditional_Brass.html
>>
>> I'd like to replace them with a more modern look, like this:
>> http://www.doorhandlesuk.com/acatalog/Contemporary_Range.html
>>
>> Is this possible without looking awful? Can the screw holes be hidden?
>>
>> Thanks for any help,
>>
>If the doors are unpainted wood - then hiding a regular pattern of what
>were screw holes is going to be very difficult without something that
>actually covers them over - eg handles similar in size but without
>visible screw holes.
I used this stuff then stained and varnished over but I was putting
old brass fittings back
http://www.foxdiy.co.uk/consumables/wood-filler/125ml-joy-plastic-wood-natural/prod_747.html
For small holes and cracks it is well nigh invisible.
Simon Finnigan
news:4nUqk.545465$fz6.2...@fe08.news.easynews.com...
Was the strip powered, or a glow in the dark type material?
Palindrome
ISTR that they were made by Lightrow Energy. But my Google search for
them hasn't met with much success.
They were still going strong many hours after "lights out" but I don't
think they were powered.
--
Sue
Simon Finnigan
Hmmm, curious. Most glow in the dark stuff i`ve seen doesn`t last very
long, nor does it need to. But in this case I`d ideally like something that
can keep bright for 12-14 hours to ensure it`s giving a usable light output
after a long winters nights sleep.
Palindrome
I seem to have found it - "LightroEnergy" - sorry about getting the name
wrong.
" This doesn’t need sunlight or electricity and glows for 12 years at
about the same level as a 20 watt bulb."
Rather more than the 12-14 hours you are after!
I haven't found the inlay strips though. :(
But it might give you enough to find them yourself - I'm not very good
with search engines.
--
Sue
Simon Finnigan
Ahhh, a Tritium based product I`d imagine then :-) Shame I can`t find
anywhere selling it yet, but I`ll be keeping my eyes open! It looks like a
very interesting material!
tombr...@googlemail.com
>
> Tanner-'op
Apologies, I should have said....
The doors are painted white with matt water-based emulsion. The doors
themselves are hollow interor doors. No idea who made them but they
look like this:
http://www.directdoors.com/images/products/large/corniche.jpg
Tanner-'op
Thanks for the info, with these doors, and the fact that they are simply
painted, would be to patch the holes by simply filling them slightly proud
with a stiff mix poyfilla, let this dry completely, rub this down with glass
paper (along with the door[s]) and repaint the door[s] - a fair bit of work,
but job is done and to a good standard. This method would probably best be
done when you redecorate each room.
If the doors have only recently been painted, then it may be possible to
fill the holes using the above, carefully rub down and touch up the paint
work in the local area of the handles (leave the new handles off until the
touch-up is done).
On a personal note, if I was doing this job, I would simply leave the handle
replacements until I was redecorating the room[s] and then fill the holes
and repaint the doors as part and parcel of that.
Tanner-'op