Hear from Our Customers
Your door knob turns smoothly every time you use it. The latch catches without jiggling the handle or lifting the door. The hardware sits flush against the door with no gaps or wobbling.
You’re not tightening screws every few weeks. You’re not dealing with a knob that spins freely or a latch that doesn’t quite catch. The door closes securely on the first try.
That’s what happens when someone who’s installed thousands of door knobs handles yours. The measurements are exact. The strike plate aligns with the latch. The spindle sits properly in the mechanism. Everything functions the way it should from day one.
Most homeowners in Linwood, PA don’t realize how many small details affect whether a door knob works properly. The backset measurement matters. The bore hole diameter matters. The door thickness affects which hardware you can even use. Get one measurement wrong and you’re either drilling new holes or living with a door that doesn’t latch right.
We handle the technical details so you get hardware that works. No callbacks to fix alignment issues. No loose handles three weeks later. Just a door knob that does its job every time you turn it.
The McCausland family has been doing locksmith work since the late 1800s. That’s over 140 years of installing, repairing, and replacing door hardware across the Delaware Valley. We’re now the largest locksmith operation in the region because we’ve spent more than a century not screwing up people’s doors.
Tom McCausland runs the business today with his daughter Chrissy. We’ve installed door knobs in hundreds of Linwood homes, and we know exactly which hardware holds up in our climate and which brands cause problems six months later.
We’re not a van with a phone number. We have an actual storefront in Prospect Park where you can walk in, see the hardware options, and talk to someone who knows the difference between a passage knob and a privacy lever. Most of our customers come from neighbor recommendations, which tells you something about how we handle the work.
You call or stop by our Prospect Park shop. We ask about what’s wrong with your current hardware or what you’re trying to replace. If you’re not sure what you need, we ask a few questions about the door location and how it’s used.
We schedule a time that works for you. Our technician shows up with the tools and hardware needed for your specific door. Before touching anything, we explain what needs to happen and what it costs.
The old hardware comes off. We check the existing holes and the door condition. If the new knob or lever uses the same measurements, installation is straightforward. If not, we let you know what adjustments are needed before we make them.
New hardware goes on. We test the latch alignment, make sure the strike plate catches properly, and verify the door closes securely. The knob or lever should turn smoothly without resistance. The latch should engage firmly without forcing the door.
We clean up and show you how everything works. If you have questions about the hardware or need to know how to adjust anything later, we walk you through it. The whole job typically takes 30 to 45 minutes per door unless there are complications with the existing holes or door condition.
Ready to get started?
We install all types of residential door knobs and levers. Passage knobs for hallways and closets. Privacy locks for bedrooms and bathrooms. Keyed entry sets for exterior doors. Dummy knobs for doors that don’t need to latch.
You get hardware from manufacturers that actually stand behind their products. We work with Kwikset, Schlage, and Medeco because their mechanisms hold up and their finishes don’t corrode after one winter. We’re authorized dealers, which means you get legitimate products with real warranties, not knockoffs that fail in six months.
The installation includes proper alignment of all components. The latch bolt lines up with the strike plate. The spindle sits correctly in the knob mechanism. The screws are tightened to the right tension so the hardware stays secure without stripping the holes.
Linwood’s housing stock includes everything from newer construction to older homes with doors that have been drilled and re-drilled multiple times. We’ve handled both. If your door has oversized holes from previous hardware, we know how to work with that. If the door is solid wood versus hollow core, we adjust our approach.
Most door knob installations in Linwood, PA run between $150 and $250 per door depending on the hardware you choose and whether the existing holes need modification. We give you the exact price before starting work, and that’s what you pay. No surprise charges for “complications” we should have spotted from the beginning.
A straightforward door knob installation takes 30 to 45 minutes per door. That’s when the new hardware uses the same measurements as what’s already there and the existing holes are in good condition.
It takes longer if the door has problems. Stripped screw holes need to be repaired. Oversized bore holes from previous hardware might need wood filler or a different installation approach. Doors that are out of square require adjustment so the latch actually catches the strike plate.
We don’t rush the job to hit some arbitrary time target. The hardware needs to work properly when we leave, and sometimes that means taking extra time to do it right. Most customers care more about getting a door knob that functions correctly than saving fifteen minutes on installation.
Yes, if you’re replacing one knob and want it to match the others in your home. We stock the common finishes—satin nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, polished brass, matte black. If you have something less common, we can usually order it.
Bring a photo of your existing hardware or one of the knobs if you can remove it easily. Finishes have specific names, and what looks like “brushed silver” to you might be satin nickel, brushed chrome, or stainless steel. They look similar but they’re not identical.
Keep in mind that finishes age differently. A new satin nickel knob will look slightly different than one that’s been on your door for ten years. The difference becomes less noticeable over time as the new hardware develops its own patina. If exact matching matters a lot to you, replacing all the visible hardware at once gives you the most consistent look.
A loose door knob usually means either the set screw has backed out or the screw holes in the door have stripped out. Both are fixable, but they need different solutions.
If the set screw is loose, we tighten it and apply thread locker so it stays put. If the screw holes are stripped, we need to repair the holes before reinstalling the hardware. That might mean using larger screws, filling the holes with wood filler and re-drilling, or installing a reinforcement plate behind the knob.
Sometimes a spinning knob means the internal mechanism has failed. The spindle that connects both knobs has broken or the set screw hole in the knob itself has stripped out. In that case, tightening screws won’t fix anything. You need new hardware. We can tell you which situation you’re dealing with after looking at it for about thirty seconds.
No. Most customers don’t know which hardware will actually work with their door until we measure it. The backset distance, bore hole size, and door thickness all affect which knobs you can install.
We carry common hardware options with us and have access to a much wider selection through our suppliers. If you’ve already bought hardware and it turns out to be the wrong size or type, you’re stuck returning it and waiting for the right product.
That said, if you have specific hardware you want installed, we can work with that. Just know that we’ll verify it’s compatible with your door before installing it. If it’s not, we’ll explain why and what your options are. We’re not trying to upsell you on different hardware—we’re making sure what goes on your door actually functions properly.
Most residential door knob installations run $150 to $250 per door. That includes the service call, labor, and standard hardware. Higher-end hardware or doors that need hole repair cost more.
Exterior entry sets with deadbolts run higher because there’s more hardware involved and the installation takes longer. Simple passage knobs for interior doors are on the lower end. Privacy locks for bathrooms fall somewhere in the middle.
We give you the exact price before starting work. You’ll know what the hardware costs and what the installation costs. If we find an issue with your door that needs addressing, we explain what it is and what it costs to fix before doing anything. You decide whether to proceed. There’s no scenario where we finish the job and then surprise you with a bill that’s double what you expected.
A door knob is round and you turn it to operate the latch. A lever is a handle you push down. Both do the same job, but levers are easier to operate if you have your hands full or if arthritis makes gripping and turning a knob difficult.
Levers are required by building code in commercial buildings because they’re more accessible. They’re not required in homes, but a lot of homeowners in Linwood, PA are switching to levers for that exact reason. They’re easier to use.
The installation process is nearly identical. Both require the same bore holes and use similar mechanisms. If you’re replacing knobs with levers, it’s usually a straightforward swap as long as the new hardware uses the same measurements. The main consideration is whether you prefer the look of knobs or levers, and whether ease of use matters for the people in your household.
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