Door Hardware Information and Tips

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A door's backset is the horizontal distance from the edge of the door to the center line of the knob keyhole or cylinder. The most common backset is 2-3/8" but sometimes it can be 2-3/4". Some door hardware is made to where the latches can be adjusted from one backset to the other, but with most latches there are fixed to a certain backset. If you do not know the backset of your doors, upon request most companies will include both sizes at no additional charge to you.

Deeper backsets are typically used on larger doors with wider casings and frames giving the door's operator more room to turn the knob without scraping their knuckles on the frame's edge.

A cylinder is the mechanism that the key is inserted into. Hardware can either be a double or single cylinder. A double cylinder lock would have a keyhole on both the interior and exterior sides of the lock requiring a key to unlock or lock the door from either side. A single cylinder only has a keyhole on one side and can be unlocked or locked from the other side using a thumb-activated turn piece.

Some homeowners might wish to have a double cylinder lock on doors that have a lot of glass thinking that a burglar could just break the glass, reach through and unlock the door. This may make the homeowner feel safer, but in some areas double cylinder locks are a violation of fire codes. Please check with your local builder or building inspector before purchasing double cylinder locks.

Doors are made with standard thicknesses and as a result door hardware manufacturers design their products around these standard sizes. Interior doors are usually 1-3/8" thick while exterior doors are 1-3/4" thick. Door hardware can be made for doors that are larger than this standard size but only by special order. Please specify this information before you order.

Door stops are installed behind doors to catch them at the end of their swing to protect the surface of the walls, the doors themselves and the hinges. There are three main types of door stops: hinge stops, base stops and floor mounted door stops. Hinge stops are stops that swivel on the hinge and are held in place by the hinge pin itself. These are usually installed where there is no baseboard to install a base stop. Base stops are door stops that are mounted on the wall behind the door close to the floor usually into the baseboard. Floor mounted door stops are the least common of the three and are usually mounted to work with heavier doors such as front entry doors. Be sure to make sure that these are well out of the way so they will not be a hazard and cause someone to trip.

The two most popular brands of door hardware are Kwikset and Schlage. These are also the two most easily accessible and affordable lines and they are available at most of the "big box" hardware stores such as Lowe's and Home Depot. For those that tend to pay more attention to the finer details when designing a new home, there are numerous choices of decorative door hardware manufacturers that make quality products that would be a great upgrade. Two such companies are Fusion Hardware and Emtek Products. They have become extremely popular over the last few years bringing customers into smaller specialty hardware stores and away from the "big box" stores. For customers with a larger budget to spend on hardware, manufacturers such as Rocky Mountain and Baldwin can definitely add a finer touch that will not go unnoticed by your house guests.

For more information please go to any of the above listed manufacturer's web pages or to a specialized hardware shop near you.

Also see Door Hardware 101

Note: This article was submitted by a second party and the contents are subject to our disclaimer.

Editors Note: Specialty Hardware Outlet believes that you will decide to do business with them based on five main criteria: product selection, product quality, product price, convenience and service. They are focused on providing the customers with a wide selection of quality products at attractive prices they can order with confidence in the comfort of your home, and be assured that they will always strive to exceed their service expectations.

© 2005 Scott Touchton