Door Hardware 101: Types, Functions and Finishes - Lowe's

Door Hardware 101

When shopping for door hardware, here's some basic information you need to know.

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• Make sure the hardware will work with your door thickness. A thickness of 1 3/8 inches is standard for interior doors, while 1 3/4 inches is standard for exterior doors.
• Note the hardware's required bore hole size: the diameter of the hole in the door. Replacement hardware needs to fit your door, and hardware for a new door requires a hole saw in the correct size. Typically, deadbolts need a bore hole 1 1/2 or 2 1/8 inches in diameter. Levers and handlesets usually need a hole 2 1/8 inches in diameter.
• If you're shopping for replacement hardware, check the required backset. This is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the bore hole. The most common are 2 3/8 inches and 2 3/4 inches, but some hardware can fit multiple backsets. Make sure the hardware you select fits your door. For more help, see Determine the Backset of Your Door.
• Notice the latch or bolt configuration. Round-corner and square-corner configurations have a plate surrounding the latch or bolt on the edge of the door. Hardware with a drive-in configuration has no plate. Purchasing a replacement lockset that matches the current configuration simplifies installation. You can also find hardware that works with multiple configurations.
• Make sure the hardware is right for the application. Entry hardware provides security for exterior doors. Privacy hardware has a basic lock and is used on doors for bathrooms and bedrooms. Passage hardware works for interior doors that don't require locks — closet or family room doors, for example. Dummy hardware can serve a decorative purpose — matching operational hardware on double doors — or can serve as knob or lever pulls on interior doors that don't require functional hardware.
• When looking at an entry door lock, also known as a lockset, check the security grade. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) designates three levels. Grade 1 is the highest. Grade 2 offers mid-level security, while Grade 3 provides basic security.
• You can typically have multiple entry door locks set (keyed) to work with the same key. However, you may not be able to do this with locks of different brands. Locks with do-it-yourself rekeying let you configure the lock without removing the hardware from the door. This feature can be helpful if you've lost a key and want to assure it can't be used to gain entry to your home.
• Look for designs that resist attempts to defeat an entry lock, such as picking, bumping, prying and drilling.

Keyed Door Knobs

Door knobs are a common version of keyed entry hardware, offering traditional design and operation. They feature a latch that disengages when you turn the knob. Locking the knob prevents the latch from being disengaged from the outside without a key. The inside portion of the knob has a thumb turn to lock and unlock the door. Some models feature easy-to-use push-button locking on the inside and locks that disengage when you turn the inside knob.

Keyed Door Levers

Door levers are designed for easy operation; they don't require the grasping and twisting motion of knobs. Pushing the lever down disengages the latch. As with knobs, locking the lever prevents the latch from being disengaged from the outside without a key. The inside portion of the lever has a thumb turn or push button that allows you to engage the lock. Some models disengage the lock when you manipulate the inside lever, offering a simpler means of exit.

Door levers are left-handed, right-handed or universal. To determine what you need, look at the door from outside the house or room. If the hinges are on the left, look for a left-handed or universal lever. If the hinges are on the right, you need a right-handed or universal model.

Keyed Deadbolts

Deadbolt locks create a second locking point for your door when paired with a locking knob or lever, giving you an additional measure of security. Some knob and lever sets include deadbolts. There are two types: 

• Single-cylinder deadbolts require a key to unlock from the outside but unlock with a small knob or thumb turn on the inside. They're good for doors that don't have glass that can be broken to allow operation of the knob from the outside. The design allows you to unlock a door and exit your home more quickly in the event of an emergency since you don't have to locate the key.
• Double-cylinder deadbolts require a key to unlock from the outside and the inside. They improve security if the door has glass near the lock, but they can take longer to unlock and are prohibited in some areas for some types of buildings. If you use a double-cylinder deadbolt, keep a key in a designated location for easy access in an emergency.

Keyed Handlesets

Handlesets add a bold, decorative touch to an entry door. They include an exterior handle, a thumb-operated latch and a matching deadbolt. A knob or lever operates the latch from the inside. You can find handlesets with right-handed, left-handed and universal levers. The included deadbolt may be single- or double-cylinder, depending on the model. Manufacturers may offer matching, nonfunctional (dummy) handlesets to complement the functional hardware on a double door. If you're replacing a handleset, look for adjustable models that make it possible to use the existing installation holes in the door.

Other Door Hardware

There are other types of door hardware available to improve security:

• Door and door jamb security hardware strengthen vulnerable areas of a door and door frame, making it more difficult for an intruder to kick in the door.
• Door viewers, sometimes called peepholes, are sets of lenses that install in an exterior door to give you a wide-angle view of the outside.
• Night latches help secure your door and can only be operated from the inside.

Door Hardware Finishes

Door hardware is available in finishes to match or help define your home décor. Polished brass finishes work with many home styles, and you can find pewter and brass finishes designed to provide an antique appearance. Look for brushed metals for a contemporary look and chrome hardware for modern appeal. Some finishes are designed to change their appearance with wear.

Related Tags:

Items that are attached to a door or a drawer to enhance its functionality or appearance

Door furniture (British and Australian English) or door hardware (North American English) refers to any of the items that are attached to a door or a drawer to enhance its functionality or appearance.[1]

With competitive price and timely delivery, Jifu sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.

Design of door furniture is an issue to disabled persons who might have difficulty opening or using some kinds of door, and to specialists in interior design as well as those usability professionals which often take their didactic examples from door furniture design and use.[1]

Items of door furniture fall into several categories, described below.

Hinges

[edit] Main article: Hinge

A hinge is a component that attaches one edge of a door to the frame, while allowing the other edge to swing from it. It usually consists of a pair of plates, each with a set of open cylindrical rings (the knuckles) attached to them. The knuckles of the two plates are offset from each other and mesh together. A hinge pin is then placed through the two sets of knuckles and usually fixed, to combine the plates and make the hinge a single unit.[2] One door usually has about three hinges, but it can vary.

Handles

[edit] Main article: Door handle

Doors generally have at least one fixed handle, usually accompanied with a latch (see below). A typical "handle set" is composed of the exterior handle, escutcheon, an independent deadbolt, and the interior package (knob or lever). On some doors the latch is incorporated into a hinged handle that releases when pulled on.

See also:

• Doorknob – A knob or lever on an axle that is rotated to release the bolt;
• Crash bar or Panic bar;[3]
• Flush pull handle for sliding glass door.

Locks

[edit] Main article: Lock

A lock is a device that prevents access by those without a key or combination, generally by preventing one or more latches from being operated.[4] Often accompanied by an escutcheon. Some doors, particularly older ones, will have a keyhole accompanying the lock.

Fasteners

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Functionally, all but swinging doors use some form of fastener to hold them closed. Typical forms of fasteners include:

• Latch – A device that allows one to fasten a door from one side (but, if designed to, open from either).
• Bolt – A (nearly always) metal shaft attached by cleats or a specific form of bracket, that slides into the jamb to fasten a door.[2]: 89 
  • Draw bolt - A form of crossbar latch where a bolt, held in place by metal bails, is slid to engage a bail fixed to a jamb or mating door. A small, typically knob, handle is affixed to the bolt to aid grip. An Aldrop is similar, but incorporates a slot through the handle which can engage a hasp for securing the bolt with a lock.
  • Latch bolt – A bolt that has an angled surface that acts as a wedge to push the bolt in while the door is being closed. By the use of a latch bolt, a door can be closed without having to operate the handle.
  • Deadbolt – Deadbolts usually extend deeper into the frame and are not automatically retractable the way latch bolts are. They are typically manipulated with a lock on the outside and either a lock or a latch on the inside. Deadbolts are generally used for security purposes on external doors in case somebody tries to force the door in or use tools such as a crowbar, hammer, screwdriver, etc.

Fastener accessories

[edit]

• Strike plate – A plate with a hole in the middle made to receive a bolt. If the strike is for a latch bolt, it typically also includes a small ramped area to help the bolt move inward while the door is being closed. (Also known as just "strike") It's also available as electric strike which allows you to open the door even though the mechanical lock is locked.
• Dust Socket - A metal or plastic socket that sits behind the Strike plate concealing the rough wood of the mortise.

Accessories

[edit]

Numerous devices exist to serve specific purposes related to how a door should (or should not) be used. See:

• Door chain - A device to secure door opening
• Door closer – Mechanical or electromagnetic device to close an open door (in the event of a fire)[3]
• Door opener - Automatic door opening device activated by motion sensors or pressure pads
• Door damper – A hydraulic device employed to slow the door's closure
• Door knocker
• Door stop – used to prevent the door from opening too far or striking another object[3]
• Espagnolette (for a window)
• Fingerplate
• Letter box or mail slot
• Peephole
• Kickplate[5]

A number of items normally accompany doors but are not necessarily mounted on the door itself, such as doorbells.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Door & Furniture Hardware Manufacturer. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

See also

[edit]

• Architectural ironmongery
• Drawer pull