A DIY guide to fitting door furniture such as letterplates, handles, knockers and house numbers

The front door of a house usually needs a letterplate, a handle to close the door (which may be built into the letterplate), either a knocker or bellpush, and probably a house number.

Before you start A power jigsaw makes the job of cutting the letterplate opening much quicker than doing it by hand with a padsaw.

Letterplate
There are many different designs available for letterplates. Some incorporate a handle which can be used as a door-knocker.

Tools Pencil; ruler; power drill and twist bits, 13mm flat wood bit; jigsaw or padsaw; chisel; abrasive paper; screwdriver; small adjustable spanner; hacksaw.

Materials Letterplate and fittings.

1. Decide where you want the letterplate. On a panel door it can be fitted horizontally in the middle rail or vertically on the lock stile. On a flush door, fit it horizontally in the middle to coincide with the rail position that is marked on the edge of the door.

2. Measure the size of the flap and spring mechanism and lightly mark the outline of the required cut-out with a pencil.

3. Using the flat bit, drill a 13mm hole at each corner of the cut-out position and saw along the cut-out line. Preferably use a jigsaw with a long blade. Alternatively, you can make the cut-out with a padsaw, but it will be very slow work.

4. At each side of the cut-out, mark the positions of the holes for the fixing bolts.

5. Working from the front of the door, drill 13mm diameter holes to a depth of 13mm to accommodate the fixing lugs of the letterplate.

6. Using a twist bit the same diameter as the fixing bolts, drill from the centre of the holes right through the door.

Smooth the edges of the holes with abrasive paper.

7. Fit the letterplate to the door and then tighten the fixing nuts with an adjustable spanner.

8. If the bolts protrude, use a hacksaw to cut them off flush with the face of the nuts.

Door Knocker
1. Hold the knocker in position and press it hard against the door so that the lugs leave light marks.

2. At these positions, drill holes for the lugs and the bolts.

3. Screw the bolts into the lugs on the back of the knocker, and push them through the holes.

4. Tighten the fixing nuts, and if the bolts protrude cut them off flush with the face of the nuts.