How to grout tiles and fit a door handle!

•  How to fit a door handle :

The second stage of hanging a new door is the fitting of the door handle, which is a job in itself! Firstly, the latch needs to be put in position at the middle of the door. Generally the bottom of the latch sits 1 metre above the floor.

You will need :

- Pencil
- New door handle (latch, spindle and screws)
- Drill and drill bits (including flat wood cutting bit)
- Masking tape
- Chisel

Hold the latch in place at the 1m mark and at the centre of the edge of the door; mark its position with a pencil.

Take your drill and flat wood cutting drill bit and place against the latch to measure the depth that you must go to whilst drilling. Use masking tape to mark this position and start drilling. Drill the hole into the side of the door and chisel out any debris. Next insert the latch, ensuring it is level, and mark around the entire latch. Use the chisel to scrape away the wood to create a shallow hole to allow the latch to lie flat.

 Now you must accommodate the spindle part of your new door handle. Hold the latch in position on the outside of the door and pencil where the hole in the latch is positioned. Repeat on the other side of the door. 

Choose a drill bit that is 2mm wider than the actual spindle and start drilling into the door to create an insertion point. Again use the chisel to remove any debris from the freshly drilled hole. Slide in the latch and place the spindle in and through the latch hole. Finish by screwing the latch in place.

TIPS :

Keep an eye on the other side of the door whilst drilling a hole for your spindle, as soon as the drill bit starts to emerge, stop drilling and continue from the other side to prevent the wood from splitting.

• How to grout tiles :

For a professional and completely waterproof finish, you must grout your tiles once they are in place. Once the adhesive is completely dry, use a damp sponge and clean water to remove any excess adhesive that may have made its way to the tile surface.

You will need :

- Sponge
- Bucket of clean water
- Scraper
- Pliers
- Grout
- Grout spreader
- Cloth
- Waterproof sealer

Use a scraper to get rid of tougher, dried on adhesive. Next use pliers to remove the tile spacers from the corner of each tile. Apply the grout using the grout spreader, spread on the grout diagonally, forcing the grout in between the tiles as you go. 

Work with a square metre at a time so you can ensure that the grout does not dry too much to the surface of the tile. Wipe away excess grout with a damp sponge, rinsing regularly with clean water. 

Once the grout and tile surface has fully dried (read the manufacturer’s instructions of your grout product for drying times), polish with a cloth for a pristine finish.

TIPS :

Don’t forget to seal the gap between your bottom row of tiles and the work surface, bath or sink with a waterproof sealant.