Sliding patio door handles Surface mount style

Sliding patio door handles break from time to time.

Replacing them is a job the homeowner can easily do especially using a universal style of handle like a surface mount that is designed to replace many older styles.

Surface mount handles usually have the patio door lock built right into the the interior handle, so all you need to be concerned about is matching the 2 holes already in the door with the holes in the handle or in the worse case drilling a new hole.

The surface mount handle will often cover up existing holes for the old lock. Most wooden, vinyl and aluminum patio doors have room to install a surface mount style lock.

Sometimes aluminum patio doors have narrow vertical stiles and there is not room so check the dimensions as best you can. Happy to help if you contact me

I have arranged these handles in order of hole spacing size.

Sliding Patio Door Handles - 6-5/8" Spacing

The picture above shows a typical surface mount patio door handle with a hook style lock built into the inside handle. This lock has a grab handle on the outside as well.

These sliding patio door handles require 2 holes 11/32" diameter going right through the patio door spaced approx. 6-5/8" apart.

(The diagram shows 6.575" but apparently no one told the guy who made the drawing that in the field you cant drill dimensions to 3 decimal places with a regular tape measure and a hand drill !)

4-15/16 inch center dimension universal locks

The following locks are made with a 4-15/16" spacing between the bolts.

This is useful because many many old handles use that spacing. If for example you have an old steel mortise lock that is broken and impossible to find, you could install one of these surface mount handles.

The lock on the handle would replace the lock on the already in the door and the handles would bolt right on because the hole spacing is identical.

There are also Bronze (C-1185) and White (C-1203) versions of the above lock but I could not find any listings on Amazon. Sometimes I have stock. Please contact me in case I have one.

A nice thing about this lock is that it uses a replaceable E2077 mortise lock so that if it ever breaks you do not have to replace the entire handle.

This one has a very low profile inside and outside handle or pull. This comes in handy when there is very little space between the patio door and the screen door on the outside.

It also helps if your curtains or blinds are close to the door on the inside and you do not want to snag them.

Lastly, the keeper is not included when you order the handle. I have listed it below in case you need one

Flat latch style with 4-15/16 spacing

The C1106 has a latch that projects out the side and takes up less space than the hook styles. You need to mount a matching hook plate or keeper on the door jamb so the lock has something to grab onto. 

I could not find a picture of the matching keeper that goes with this lock but pretty much any strong metal bent at a 90 degree angle and matching the shape of the latch should work.

Wooden handle with 4-15/16 spacing

This lock has a thicker wooden handle and uses an anti lift feature. The metal tab, just above the hook sticks out so that when the door is locked, the patio door cannot be lifted up from outside to make the door unlock.

It uses the replaceable E2077 mortise lock so if the lock ever breaks you dont have to replace the entire handle assembly

2-11/16 inch center dimension universal locks

These locks have an even smaller spacing used by a few old patio door manufacturers

The interior handle is made of wood and the exterior pull is a very low profile that allows the screen door to easily slide past.