We Don't Half Take Door Handles For Granted
By Janey1966
@Janey1966 (24170)
Carlisle, England
August 20, 2012 11:52am CST
I know it's boring but please bear with me.
I thought of this last week when poor hubby had to go out and purchase another 2 door handles for our living-room door that leads out into the hallway.
On the original handles the springy bit inside was going. Now, if it was Dad (and he has done this but failed), he would try to buy a spring from somewhere. This isn't 'cos he's tight, he just can't see why the likes of B&Q don't sell them and I agree.
As it was, John had to buy two new door handles for £10 from B&Q. It took him ages because they don't do them with 3 screw-holes in them anymore, they only do 4 plus the fact they're slightly bigger now.
What struck me though; can you imagine being stuck in the house somewhere and you can't use the door-handle to get out? What would you do if you had no telephone nearby? I'd have to go to the nearest window, open it and scream for help.
Thank God the original door handle didn't pack up completely before John decided to buy new ones. I wouldn't have been able to go upstairs to the loo!
I thought of this last week when poor hubby had to go out and purchase another 2 door handles for our living-room door that leads out into the hallway.
On the original handles the springy bit inside was going. Now, if it was Dad (and he has done this but failed), he would try to buy a spring from somewhere. This isn't 'cos he's tight, he just can't see why the likes of B&Q don't sell them and I agree.
As it was, John had to buy two new door handles for £10 from B&Q. It took him ages because they don't do them with 3 screw-holes in them anymore, they only do 4 plus the fact they're slightly bigger now.
What struck me though; can you imagine being stuck in the house somewhere and you can't use the door-handle to get out? What would you do if you had no telephone nearby? I'd have to go to the nearest window, open it and scream for help.
Thank God the original door handle didn't pack up completely before John decided to buy new ones. I wouldn't have been able to go upstairs to the loo!4 people like this
6 responses
@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
20 Aug 12
I have problems with a lot of household parts that need repair. When one wants to replace a small part, you find out that they are discontinued and have to throw away the old one and buy something new. That is also a way of turning our planet into a huge garbage can. Besides that, it is a lot more expensive than changing the part that is not working anymore.
1 person likes this
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
20 Aug 12
Exactly! Before the likes of B&Q came along (national company) there were little, family-run hardware shops. They were brilliant. If you wanted just one spring you could buy one spring, in whatever size you liked. B&Q just want everyone to part with their cash but in some cases, it's not always necessary to have two-packs of everything. Mum wanted a curtain-rail stopper and ended up having to buy a pack that contained about 50 of the darned things!
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (64172)
• United States
26 Aug 12
ya know, I've had trouble with doors in the past... fact is that while this house was only built in the 1970's, I've replaced all the knobs now.
Mind you, part of it was because I wanted leaver door handles rather than round ones, but even a few of those have had to be replaced.
One thing that really drives some folks crazy is that I have what amounts to a closet knob on my front door because I've been locked out by the former roommate more than once, and I will never be locked out AGAIN! Granted, I now have a combination lock on the deadbolt.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
26 Aug 12
Mum has often told me that she reckons the knobs should've been left alone as most older houses would've had them originally, and they're low maintenance compared to the handled versions.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169534)
• United States
21 Aug 12
Door handles are really awkward when they stick. I have an interior door with an antique knob that falls apart. There is always some way to twist or manipulate something to make it work though.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
21 Aug 12
Oh dear, that doesn't sound very good. Would it cost a lot of money to get it replaced?
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169534)
• United States
21 Aug 12
I would love to find the part I need in antique or junk shop. I could put a new modern one on it very inexpensively. I almost never shut that door anyway as it is between the dining room and the sitting room or TV, whatever you want to call it.
@derek_a (10873)
•
21 Aug 12
Hi Janey... Door handles here are a pain too. The bedroom door is warped and when I get up at weekends I need to make sure that I closed it so as not to wake my wife who is having a lie-in. So I have to pull the door until the lock engages, otherwise the noise from me in the kitchen will get right in the bedroom. No good! 
.. After a few months of doing this, I noticed that the handle was coming loose with me pulling on it and when I took it off, the screws were just being pulled out of the wood meaning that I couldn't screw it back on tight again. Of to B&Q's for new handles. I got one that screwed down tight onto the spindle. Much better no problem with pulling screws out of the wood. Had to fiddle around as it is a different fit on the front where there are screws just to put on a covering plate. Problem then was that it didn't match all the other doors in the hallway. I would have lived with that, but I am only a bloke after all! Changed them all to match no so hopefully nobody is going to get locked in anywhere! _Derek
.. After a few months of doing this, I noticed that the handle was coming loose with me pulling on it and when I took it off, the screws were just being pulled out of the wood meaning that I couldn't screw it back on tight again. Of to B&Q's for new handles. I got one that screwed down tight onto the spindle. Much better no problem with pulling screws out of the wood. Had to fiddle around as it is a different fit on the front where there are screws just to put on a covering plate. Problem then was that it didn't match all the other doors in the hallway. I would have lived with that, but I am only a bloke after all! Changed them all to match no so hopefully nobody is going to get locked in anywhere! _Derek@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
21 Aug 12
Yes, we will have to do that at some point (the new covering plate is definitely bigger than the one it's replaced) so you know what us girls are like, have to have everything matching lol.
@bounce58 (17380)
• Canada
4 Sep 12
I think it was a few years ago when my son got stuck inside our main washroom. He locked it from inside, and for some reason the handle got broken from inside that it wouldn't open.
I remember him calling out for help a few times. I've had to replace that handle with one without any locks.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
4 Sep 12
I locked myself in a toilet cubicle at a railway station one time. I was only about 7 or 8. Terrified I was. My parents came in to rescue me as I thought our train had gone past but it hadn't. They managed to get me out fairly easily in the end but I have ALWAYS had a thing about locks on toilet cubicles ever since. It's funny how things like that stay with you isn't it?
@changjiangzhibin89 (17243)
• China
21 Aug 12
Nowadays the old stuffs are continually being replaced by new ones,no wonder you can't buy door handles with 3 screw holes in them.It seems that Your original handles have been there for ages.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
21 Aug 12
They certainly have..before John moved in during 1999 at least.
