Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to fit a tubular latch on an ordinary internal door

Updated: October 2026

The bedroom door is off the catch, and you would rather not oval the edge of the door. How to fit a tubular latch, on an ordinary internal door that already had one, is a marked hole, then a strike that meets the bolt while the door is still open. This is not a ranking. Prices are on the [door fitting comparison](/hub/door-and-window-security/door-fitting). Peter F. used the ERA and Yale fitting sheets in October 2026. No door was drilled for this page. A qualifying purchase through an amazon.co.uk link can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The bedroom door is off the catch, and you would rather not oval the edge of the door.

Our top picks

MOXYOY MOXYOY 45 mm tubular latch

Best overall

MOXYOY MOXYOY 45 mm tubular latch
8.0/10about £5.49
View offer
Yale Yale PM888 tubular mortice latch

Rank 2

Yale Yale PM888 tubular mortice latch
8.8/10about £5.99
View offer
Chliinl Chliinl 45 mm tubular latch

Rank 3

Chliinl Chliinl 45 mm tubular latch
7.6/10about £5.29
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Tools and the hole sizes
  2. 2.Fit the latch and the strike
  3. 3.If it will not latch
  4. 4.When to stop

Tools and the hole sizes

You need a drill, a flat bit that matches the sheet you are following, a sharp chisel, and a screwdriver that fits the screws in the bag. ERA's 189-33 instructions, for doors about 35–54 mm thick, use a 22 mm hole in the edge. Yale's UK tubular fitting sheet uses about a 24 mm hole. Do not average them. The three amazon.co.uk listings do not print a door thickness, so do not invent one. Follow the sheet that matches the latch in your hand, and leave a couple of millimetres of room around the case so the spring is not crushed. Which size you ordered is on the buying guide.

Fit the latch and the strike

Mark the centre of the door thickness on the edge, then drill the edge hole square to the face. A bit that wanders will leave the bolt proud of the stop, and strike adjustment will not fix a crooked case. Chisel the faceplate so the plate sits flush. On Yale's sheet the spindle is 45 mm from the edge for a 64 mm latch. If you are unsure whether 64 mm on the packet is the case or the backset, read the 64 mm or 76 mm door latch page before the second hole. Turn the lever with the door open. The bolt should withdraw fully and spring back. Then close the door slowly onto a pencil mark and see where the bolt lands. One Chliinl review found the strike opening larger than the old plate, which is a reason to keep the old strike if it still lines up. If the new screws are too short, use sound screws of the old length.
MOXYOY MOXYOY 45 mm tubular latch

Testsieger

MOXYOY MOXYOY 45 mm tubular latch
8.0/10about £5.49
View offer

If it will not latch

Test with the door open before you shut it on a new keep. If the levers droop, the spring is too light for unsprung handles. Wickes says a PM888-pattern latch is withdrawn by a sprung lever. Tightening the roses will not add spring. If the bolt misses the keep, measure the bolt against the faceplate before you recut the door. Yale reviews include an off-centre plate, and a deeper hole will not centre it. A shim under a loose case, which one Chliinl review needed, means the hole is larger than the body. If the bolt retracts on the bench and sticks only in the door, the hole is crushing the case. Ease it.

When to stop

Stop when the door is a fire door, when the stile is glazed or already split, or when you need a lock rather than a latch. None of the three listings states a fire rating. If you can see a closer, strips, or a fire-door sign, leave the old latch in. Signs on an ordinary bedroom door are on the internal door latch page. A narrow glazed stile, a cracked hole, or a frame so far out that no strike will meet the bolt is a joiner's job. On a plain internal door, shut it only after the bolt enters the keep with the handle released.

Common questions

What diameter hole do I drill in the door edge?
Use the diameter on the sheet for the latch you bought. ERA's 189-33 sheet uses 22 mm. Yale's UK tubular sheet uses about 24 mm. Do not average them. If the old hole is already that size and the new body slides in with a little room around the case, you do not need a larger bit.
How deep should a 64 mm latch go?
ERA's sheet takes a 64 mm latch to 65 mm deep, and a 76 mm latch to 80 mm. Yale's sheet takes a 64 mm latch to about 67 mm deep, and a 76 mm latch to 80 mm. Mark the bit with tape at the figure your sheet prints. A short hole leaves the faceplate proud. A crushed case is the usual result of forcing the body into a hole that is deep enough but too tight.
How far from the edge is the spindle?
Yale's fitting sheet places it 45 mm from the edge on a 64 mm latch and 57 mm on a 76 mm latch. Measure from the door edge to the centre of the hole, not to the edge of the rose. If the listing calls 64 mm the backset, that word is the conflict to resolve with a tape, not a reason to drill 64 mm in from the edge.
What if the levers droop afterwards?
The latch spring is too light for those handles. A PM888-pattern latch is meant to be withdrawn by a sprung lever. Unsprung or very heavy levers need a heavy-sprung latch, which these listings do not claim to be. Droop after a correct backset is not fixed by a longer screw.
What if the new latch is off centre?
Measure the bolt against the faceplate before you alter the door. Yale reviews include plates that are not centred. If the plate is true and the bolt still misses the keep, the spindle position or a short backset is the cause. One review measured 43 mm against a stated 45 mm. Confirm that on the latch in your hand, then decide whether to return it.

Related pages

Best tubular latch

Door fitting

64mm or 76mm door latch: case length is not the backset

Tubular mortice latch: what to measure before buying

Internal door latch: when a tubular latch is enough

Sources

Public UK and manufacturer sources from the research digest. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this comparison, not a live check on 21 October 2026. None of these listings was treated as BS 3621 or fire-door ironmongery.

  1. ERA 189-33 tubular mortice latch fitting instructions (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. Yale tubular latch fitting instructions (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. More Handles tubular latch guide (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. Home Secure internal door latch measuring guide (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. GAI specifiers' guide: ironmongery and security, September 2024 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK fire safety (England) regulations 2022: fire door guidance (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Approved Document B: fire safety frequently asked questions (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 11 and 22 (retrieved 21 October 2026)