Finding suitable door handle

[The Gauge]

Need some help please finding a suitable (longer) door handle for my carport external door.

The handle sometimes pulls off when the door is stiff to open (swells in winter), the screws making the holes larger each time they rip out. I can only use short screws at the top of the handle as they would otherwise foul the mortice lock. Ideally I need a handle with a longer fixing plate so the screws can be longer and not foul the lock. Even better would be a handle that used bolts that screw into each other rather than screws, clamping the inner and outer handles together. However the places I've been to all seem to sell handles that are the same standard length as mine.


(I appreciate these photos may also be suitable for the 'Life's been a bit draining lately' )

Edited by The Gauge on Monday 19th February 15:18

[The Gauge]

I've previously shaved matchsticks in half and pushed them into the holes to allow the screws to bite again, but the problem is because the door sticks it needs a good tug!!! but the short screws soon pull out. Whenever I plane the edge of the door it makes a larger gap during the summer and swells back again in the winter, despite painting the planed edge.

B'stard Child said:

Have you got handles both sides of the door?

if it does

Some short M3.5 Hex standoffs - drill a suitable hole to put them on one side of the door and some suitable length electrical socket screws from either side should solve the issue (effectively you've bolted both handles together)

Yes handles both sides.

Not sure I quite understand, how would electrical socket screws pass through to the other handle when the lock is in the way please?

Edited by The Gauge on Monday 19th February 16:30

[The Gauge]

B'stard Child said:

...what's the distance between the handle screw holes?

It's a 15cm long backplate. Using the attached photo the distances are...

Center line to top screw holes line = 32mm approx (which needs to be another 10mm to mis the lock)
Center line to key hole line = 54mm approx (and needs to remain the same)

I can find handles with longer backplates, but struggling to find their dimensions between handle/key hole & handle/top screws. So basically for the top two screws to miss the lock I need them to be about another 1cm higher up.

Edited by The Gauge on Monday 19th February 17:11

[The Gauge]

Fatboy said:

How about a bit of stainless steel flat bar longer than the lock with nuts welded on to suit the handles screw hole positions ( or just use 6mm flat bar and tap the holes, then through bolt the plates together above and below the mortice mechanism?

Good idea, but I can't weld and don't know any welders.

I thought it would be as simple as getting a pair of new handles with a longer backplate, but though they exist they don't seem to have a greater distance between the handle spindle and the top screws, the longer measurement seems to be between the spindle and the lower screws.

[The Gauge]

wolfracesonic said:

Google ‘long back plate door handles’, they’ll be something suitable out there and if you want to bolt one handle to the other look for ‘inter screws’.

The problem with the longer backplate handles is the distance between the spindle and the top screws looks the same, it's the bottom screws that are lower down.

Might try plugging the screw holes in the door and screwing the handle back on and fit a pull/push handle just above it, then 'train' the family to turn the normal handle but use the pull/push handle to pull the door open when it's stiff..