Patio Door HandlesThis means you can often replace a handle with one that may look different but has the same center to center mounting pattern. So long as the handle does not interfere with other parts of the door, you can use it. If you have a mortise type locks things can be a little more difficult because the handles for those locks are usually made to match the lock dimensions. There is a possibility that the lock is still made by suppliers such as CR Laurence so its important to take pictures and dimensions to help source a replacement. C1178 Mortise Lock Handle
The patio door handles shown above come with a thumb lever which fits in the keyway of the mortise lock. The thumb lever fits behind the inside handle located on the right of the picture. This handle also has a cutout for a lock cylinder, in the picture the cutout has been removed from the outside handle in preparation for the lock installation.
Handle C-1128 has basically the same dimensions as C-1178, It is also white but has a wooden handle to match what your patio door might already have. The C1019 handle is aluminum to match a mill finish aluminum door. Again it has similar dimensions.
The 2 patio door handles above look different but they both have a 6-5/8 inch center to center of holes dimension. As long as your door has this same dimension, they would both work equally well as a replacement handle.
These two patio door handles are again different but they share the same 6-1/2 inch center to center dimension. If your door has holes drillled to the same dimension you could use either one of these handles.
This patio door handle is used on the outside of the patio door. It has a very low profile so you can use it when the screen door is very close to the patio door. It has no screw holes so that you can locate it wherever its convenient to have the handle. Sometimes I install handles like this lower down so that kids have an easier time reaching the door handle. Surface Mount LocksSurface mount locks typically are screwed onto the face of the patio door frame. The lock is built into the handle. These are the easiest to replace because most of the time you just have to pull out 2 screws, remove the old handle and bolt on a new one. The bolts or screws that hold the locks on are often 4-15/16" apart. So any handle the has that hole spacing will bolt right on. Even if the spacing is different, you usually only have to drill one new hole in the door and fill or conceal one of the old screw holes. If you have a dimension other than 4-15/16", you still might be able to find another lock but it may not be worth getting an exact replacement. If no one stocks the lock with the dimensions you have, consider drilling new holes and putting on an easily available 4-15/16" lock. This is easy when its a wooden patio door but you may need to get creative to hide the old mounting holes in you an aluminum or vinyl patio door.
Steel Mortise LocksMortised locks fit right into the frame of the door. On a wooden patio door a pocket is milled out of the sliding door panel frame and a mortise lock is slid in. The handle is installed and the lock actuator rod is slid through a hole in the door frame right into a hole in the mortise lock. On an aluminum patio door the mortise lock usually has a steel jacket to hold the mortise lock in. Again the handle is installed first by inserting the actuator rod through the frame and into the lock. Once you have the broken mortise lock removed you need to take a few quick measurements so you can source the manufacturer of the lock. If you dont have enough information, take a picture of the lock with your digital camera, this can be really helpful when trying to communicate which kind of lock you are looking for.   
Not sure what kind of handle you have, why not take a picture of your old broken handle and send it to me. My email address is on the bottom of the home page. I might just have what you need.
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Patio and screen door handle replacement
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Andersen patio door handles
Not rated yet Handles available for sale on eBayIt is quite possible to find good handles for sale on eBay. Just be sure you are buying from a reputable seller. Check their feedback for a high feedback rating with plenty of reccomendations from previous buyers. Click the Patio Door Handles link to get back to the home page |
