Buying Guide
Five Tips for Buying Door Hardware
There聮s nothing that enhances style and function quite like new door hardware. It聮s the first thing that catches the eye at the front door, and it feels good in hand throughout the home. Here are five tips to simplify the buying process.
What are the different types of door hardware?
Entry hardware installs on exterior doors, and includes knobs or handlesets (handle with deadbolt) that lock with keys or touch pads from the outside and turnbuttons from inside. A deadbolt lock optimizes security.
Privacy hardware is designed for bedrooms and bathrooms, locking with turnbuttons and not requiring keys.
Passage knobs and levers are designed for hallway doors, laundry rooms and closet doors that latch but don聮t lock.
Dummy knobs and levers are decorative hardware pieces designed for pantry doors or other doors that only require a pull to open, with no latch or lock.What safety features are available?
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) sets different grades for door hardware, such as Grade 1 (basic), Grade 2 (intermediate), and Grade 3 (highest). These days, with more and more intruders using "bump keys"--a key that can open almost any lock--or locksmith tools once intended only to resolve accidental lockouts, many manufacturers offer bump-resistant cylinders.
Will it fit my door?
- Standard doors are either 1-3/8 or 1-3/4 inches thick, with most hardware designed to adjust for either. Extension kits are available for thicker doors.
View larger - Most hardware is interchangeable, only requiring that the backset (the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the knob or lock, usually 2-3/8 or 2-3/4 inches) matches the hole(s) in the door so that the latch or bolt throws properly. Some hardware sets adjust for both backset lengths.
- Levers come in both left- and right-handed models. To determine the appropriate handing, look at the door聮s hinges from outside the door. If the hinges are on the left, you聮ll need a left-handed lever. If the hinges are on the right, you need a right-handed lever.
Can I install it myself?
Most door hardware, including keypads and deadbolts, installs in under an hour with only a Philips screwdriver. Most keypads are powered by batteries, so no wiring is required. Handlesets sometimes require a drill. If the door or doorframe is not predrilled, door hardware usually comes with a paper template to mark holes for drilling and sawing with common spade bits and hole saws. Specialized tool sets also are available for door-hardware installation.
If you want to use one key on multiple entry handles or deadbolts, you will need a locksmith to "re-key" all the locks to the same key. This should be done before installation and only will work if all the hardware comes from the same manufacturer.
What cool hardware features are available nowadays?
Keypad locks and deadbolts let you add and delete numerous user codes as needed, providing family members, neighbors, baby- or pet-sitters with easy-to-remember codes. Cool for parents and great for keeping kids out of cleaning closets and utility rooms, some keypads have auto-lock mechanisms that lock after a few seconds in case you forget.
Once used only for government applications (as depicted in high-tech spy movies), biometric keyless entry systems, which scan dozens of different fingerprints for easy access, also are growing in popularity.
