Start Here: The most important thing you need to know before shopping for door hardware is how your doors are already prepped.

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Before You Order Check These Things:

Basic Door Hardware Terms
See our complete door hardware terms page if you need help with terms not discussed here.

Standard Door Latch Types
Standard door latches are available in three configurations, Drive-in Latch, rounded corner and square corner mortise plate latches. If you have a much larger latch than shown here, you likely have a mortise lock.

Door Hardware Guide

So you're looking for door hardware or other home hardware accessories? Read through this simple guide to educate yourself about door hardware, functions, finishes and other important information. Its easier and less costly to order the correct items the first time rather than have to order, return and re-order to get the items you need.

The topics discussed in this guide are:

Standard Measurements for Door Knobs
Door knobs and levers and their functions (what you need and where)
Deadbolts - Single Cylinder Vs. Double Cylinder
Entrance Handlesets
How to determine door handing. 
Door hardware to use on a french door 
About Hardware Finishes 
Caring for your Door Hardware 
How to use DirectDoorHardware.com 
Door Hardware Checklist how to determine what you need one item at a time.

Standard Measurements for Doorknobs

The first step to ordering door hardware is figuring out what you need. Before we get into the different doorknob functions, it's important to know what your door preparation is so that you don't order knobs that can't be used. You'll want to check your backset, the bore hole size, cross bore size and the thickness of your door. 

To the left is a simple diagram that helps illustrate what a bore hole and cross bore is. The bore hole is the large hole where the actual door knob is inserted and mounted. The cross bore is the small hole on the edge of the door. The door latch is inserted into the cross bore first. The latch goes through into the large bore hole and then the door knob is mounted The backset is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the large bore hole. The standard backset is 2 3/8" or 2 3/4". Most doors are 2 3/8" backset, but some [mostly exterior doors] have a 2 3/4" backset.

While many door knob manufacturers ship their hardware with an adjustable backset, some do not. You may be asked for this information when ordering.

Door thickness can vary. Most interior doors are 1 3/8" thick. Exterior doors are often 1 3/4" thick. Most door hardware manufacturers make their products to fit these standard thicknesses. If you have a thicker door, please contact Direct Door Hardware. We may be able to recommend something that will work for you.

Common Question:

Q: I have an old style knob with a threaded spindle and a square box that fits inside the door [not a standard fitting knob] Do you have anything that will replace this?
A: Yes we do. What you have is an old mortise box style knobset. We have a great line of reproduction door knobs that have these mortise boxes that use skeleton keys.
(please refer to the mortise lock section of the guide).

What Door Hardware You Need and Where
Doorknobs come in several functions for different applications like closet doors, bathroom doors, and exterior doors. Here is a quick explanation of each type and what they are used for.

> Keyed Entrance Doorknobs and Levers

Description: Entrance or keyed entry knobs are usually used on exterior doors. The inside portion of a keyed entrance knob will vary according to manufacturer. On the left it shows a keyed cylinder on the outside, and a push button lock on the inside that releases when the knob is turned. Some brands of door hardware will have a turn button on the knob itself that has to be unlocked manually. 

Where they are used: Keyed entrance doorknobs are generally used on exterior doors of the home, the garage and the door between the garage and home. If any of these doors have two large holes drilled [bored] in them you'll need to order a deadbolt as well.

> Hall and Closet or Passage Doorknobs Description: Passage doorknobs are non-locking. As shown on the left, they do not have keyed cylinders or locking buttons.

Where they are used: Passage or hall and closet doorknobs are used on closets, laundry rooms or other rooms that do not need to have a privacy lock on them. > Bed and Bath or Privacy Doorknobs Description: Privacy or bed and bathroom door knobs will vary according to manufacturer. On the left it shows a pin hole on the outside, and a push button lock on the inside that releases when the knob is turned. Some brands of door hardware will have a turn button on the knob itself that has to be unlocked manually and a pin hole on the end of the knob instead of the rosette as shown. Bed and bathroom knobs are unlocked using a generic key provided that is inserted into the pin hole on the rosette or knob. 

Where they are used: Privacy doorknobs are generally used on bedrooms and baths or anywhere that privacy is wanted, but an actual keyed lock is not necessary. > Dummy Knobs Description: Dummy knobs are one sided, kind of a fake knob as it has no working parts. The mounting method will vary according to manufacturer. They are usually surface mounted or mounted from behind similar to a cabinet knob. Dummy knobs are sometimes sold in pairs [double dummy] as they are often used on sets of double doors.

Where they are used: Dummy knobs are usually used on shallow closet doors. Shallow closets don't have room to be inside and have the need to have a knob to get out as you never go in and close the door behind you. These types of closets usually have a ball catch or magnetic catch at the top to keep the door closed when not in use. Dummy door knobs are also often used on the inactive side of a french door. French doors will be discussed later on in this guide.

Single and Double Cylinder Deadbolts

Description: Deadbolts are used to securely lock the door with a thick throwbolt that is inserted into the jamb. Deadbolts are available in single cylinder and double cylinder versions. Single Cylinder deadbolts have a keyed cylinder on the outside and a thumb turn to lock and unlock the door on the inside. Double Cylinder Deadbolts have a keyed cylinder on both sides.

Where they are used: 
Single Cylinder Deadbolts are generally used in combination with a keyed door knob or lever handle on exterior doors. Single Cylinder deadbolts are unlocked with a key on the outside and a thumb turn on the inside.

Double cylinder deadbolts are locked or unlocked on both sides with a key. This is a good option for doors with glass in them as an intruder could not unlock the door even if the glass was broken. This option is not recommended for most exterior doors because if there is an emergency, occupants would have to search for a key before being able to escape.

Entrance Handle Set

How to Determine Door Handing

When ordering lever handles or handlesets, we'll need to know the handing of your door. Door handing is the direction in which your door swings. If you order the incorrect door handing you will either have locks on the wrong side of the door, levers that are upside down, or levers that point in the wrong direction and keep the door from closing properly.

Please refer to the illustration below to determine which handing your will need before ordering your door hardware.

French Doors - What Door Hardware You will Need.

We get asked this question a lot. French doors come in a variety of configurations. One of the most common applications is to have one side of the door fixed and the other operable. The fixed door usually has a piece of wood trim [astrigal] along the edge that the operable door can latch against. For the operable side you would order a privacy or passage knob and install it just like you would on any other door except the strike is installed on the edge of the inoperable door. The fixed inoperable door usually does not have a hole bored in it at all so you can install a dummy knob on each side of the door.

Also, the fixed door is usually held closed using a little latch on the edge of the door that slides upward into the jamb at the top, or downward into the threshold at the bottom. If these little slide latches are mounted on the edge of the door, they are called Flush bolts. If they are mounted on the surface, they are called surface bolts. You'll want to measure the length of what you have so you can be sure to order the right size.

Materials Needed for French Doors 
For the Operable Door - 1 Privacy, Passage or Entrance knob and Deadbolt.
For the Fixed Door - 2 Dummy Knobs and two flush[or surface] bolts.
Enough Hinges for both doors.

What if you have a new set of french doors without holes?
Have the door shop or your carpenter prep the door for the above configuration.

What if both doors have a hole bored in them?
Please select the type of knobs or levers you need and give us a call. Some manufacturers have a kit that you can use to make a passage knobset work without a latch.

What if you want handle sets on your french doors?
Exterior doors will often already have holes bored in both doors. This is fine for handle sets as the dummy handset for the inactive door will need the hole in the door to mount properly. In this case you would need one single or double cylinder handle set and one dummy handle set, flush bolts for the inactive door and enough hinges for both doors.

About Door Hardware Finishes

When ordering door hardware there are a few things to keep in mind about finishes.

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

1. Even though different brands use the same finish code or same finish name, doesn't necessarily mean they will be an exact match.
2. Plumbing and electrical fixtures that are the same finish [name] as door hardware are not neccessarily exactly the same.
3. Because of 1 and 2, it is always best to be consistent with brands as much as possible. However; most brands will be close enough that unless the items are right against one another most people will not notice the difference. 

Other things to note about door hardware finishes:
> Oil rubbed bronze and antique bronze are living finishes and will change over time revealing more or the color beneath the darker brown color. The amount of change will depend on the brand that you choose.
> Polished Brass will tarnish if used outside. If you are using a polished brass finish for an exterior application, you'll want ot order the Polished Brass PVD finish which is designed for exterior use.
> Pewter is sometimes a flat finish, sometimes a antiqued nickel glossy type finish - this will vary from brand to brand.

Should you have any questions regarding finishes please give us a call or contact a Direct Door Hardware representative. Please keep in mind that different computer monitors will display finishes differently. We cannot control how your monitor displays the products on our website so it is best to ask questions about finishes if you are unsure what it is you are ordering.

Door Hardware Care and Maintenance

Caring for your door hardware is simple. Just remember to clean your door hardware only with mild soap and water. The chemicals that are used in cleaners, polishes, etc., can be harmful to the clearcoat finish that is applied to nearly ever brand of door hardware on the market. If you want your hardware finish to last for years to come... don't use chemicals.

Hardware cleaned with chemicals is not covered under the manufacturer's warranty.

How to use Directdoorhardware.com

We have tried and continue to strive to make our website as easy to use as possible. We have researched how other websites allow customers to search their door hardware products and found that many are more confusing than they need to be. As a result we have designed our website so that you can find what you need in three easy steps.

1. Select a product category - For example: Door knobs, lever handles or handlesets.
2. Select a style you like - Just pick the look that is right for your home.
3. Select function and finish and add to your cart.

All of the available functions and often coordinating deadbolts are on the same page so you don't have to search and re-search to find all of the different functions you need. Once you have added a privacy knob to your cart for example, you can click the continue shopping button and you'll return to that same page to add you passage doorknobs and so on.

If at any time you want to look at something else, just click a category at the top or click on the site map link at the top to view links to every product organized by brand. We value your feedback.

Door Hardware Checklist

Make sure you get all the home hardware you need. We do our best to offer a wide variety of home hardware products so that you can get it all in one place.

Not sure where to start? First you might want to check out our help section to learn the basics of door hardware. Once you are familiar with the different types of doorknobs that are available, you'll be more confident that you are ordering what you need. Below is a basic outline of the door hardware items that most homes will need. Be sure to check back with this list as you shop so you don't forget parts you'll need.

Doorknobs or Levers - There are four different types: keyed entrance, privacy, passage and dummy knobs. Make sure to check out our door knob parts diagram!

Deadbolts - These are often forgotten. Most exterior doors are also pre-drilled for deadbolts. These can be keyed alike other doorknobs.

Door hinges - We have these available in a variety of finishes and styles for interior and exterior doors.

Handlesets - This is a fancier handle set for a front door. They come with a deadbolt to match - Single or double cylinder. Dummy handlesets are available for double doors where on door is inactive most of the time.

Spring Door Stops - These mount on the baseboard and keep your door knobs from punching holes into the drywall.

Bifold pulls - smaller knobs with long screws to mount through a bifold door.

Stair brackets - available in several finishes to support and mount a handrail to the wall.

Closet rods - Yep, we have these too. Available in a variety of sizes.

Cabinet knobs - Dress up your cabinets with cabinet knobs in a variety of finishes. Knobs also help protect your cabinet finish and keep the drawers gliding on the track correctly.

Pocket Door Hardware - Pocket doors are a great space saving way to have a door in a tight space. We have pocket door hardware in a variety of finishes to compliment our door hardware products or those you may already have.

Door Kickplates - Protect your front door from dents and scuffs with a kickplate in finishes to match your existing hardware. Kickplates are available in a variety of widths to accommodate many door sizes.

Bathroom Accessories - Whether you need towel bars, towel rings of paper holders; we have a variety to choose from in finishes to compliment our door hardware products.

Address Plaques - You'll need your address posted to get your certificate of occupancy. Be sure to order one before you run out of time. Their customized nature required a couple of weeks for shipment.

House Numbers and Letters - Choose from a variety of solid brass letters and numbers in several finishes and sizes. House Numbers are a more common alternative of address markers.

Want more information on Residential Door Hardware? Feel free to contact us.

Everything You Need to Know Before Replacing Your Door Hardware

When we bought this house, the entire thing was a sea of brass and golden oak.  I’ve talked about the struggle to update this early 80’s look in lots of posts before and today is yet another step in my journey to rid myself of the shiny gold hardware that was so popular 30 years ago.



 Not only was the gold out of style, but the handles themselves weren’t even in very good shape.


As a temporary fix I spray painted my medicine cabinet and the front door hardware brushed nickel and it actually held up remarkably well:


I also updated some of the knobs with oil rubbed bronze to see if I liked that look better, which I did. The ORB definitely didn’t hold up as well as the brushed nickel did, but neither of them was the perfect fix.

I knew eventually I was going to have to do something more permanent.. since I just couldn’t stand looking at a hallway full of shiny gold knobs!

So when I finally had the money saved up, I bit the bullet and decided to replace ALL the hardware in my house with black lever handles.  (I decided on black because it was true neutral. Some of my bathrooms have chrome, others have brushed nickel and the kitchen has oil rubbed bronze.  I don’t have matching finishes, so I may as well go simple.

The design I chose was Kwickset Commonwealth from Handlesets.com
I chose them for a couple of reasons:
1. They were relatively inexpensive ($28/passage door and $31/privacy lock)

2. They came in black. (Many brands only had a really dark oil rubbed bronze)

3. The standard handles have reversible handles, meaning you don’t need to know which direction your door swings to order the correct type. (More about this below)

4. They offered mix and match finishes for exterior doors. (I needed to NOT use black on my exterior hardware because my front door had been recently painted black.  I chose the Quickset Hawthhorne for my front door in Satin Nickel) 
You may remember I showed you this handleset when I had my front door reveal a while ago   What you didn’t know was that I also replaced the interior hardware on that door to the new black lever handles as well:

The process of replacing your door hardware is a little more complicated than it first appears.  Mostly ordering the correct items and making sure you have the right sets for each door.  s
I thought I’d give you a quick rundown of what you need to know if you want to tackle doing it.

Types of Handles:

There are actually a few types of door handles you can buy:

Passage:  This is standard door handle with no lock. Used on unlockable doors (bedrooms and offices)and closets.

Privacy:  This is a lockable handle (usually with a turnable knob or button)  that can be ‘popped’ from the outside using a special tool  (so you cannot lock yourself out.) They are used on any room where you don’t want someone to enter such as bathrooms and bedroom, but it is not highly secure.

Dummy handles: These handles are decorative and do not turn or actually include a cylinder that goes through the door to a latch.  They are also used on doors where you do not require an interior handle (shallow closets which are held closed with a magnet for example.) They are also used on one side of double/french doors sets for aesthetic reasons.

Keyed Entrance Standard Knob: This is usually for an exterior door and requires a key on one or both sides of the door in order to lock and unlock it.  It may also be accompanied by a dead bolt for additional security.  Standard keyed handles are typically used on secondary exterior doors (like garages or backdoors) since they are not highly decorative.

Deadbolts: These are the separate locks that are keyed on one or both sides.  They are the most secure way of locking a (typically exterior) door and can be used alone or in conjunction with a keyed entry handle.

Entrance sets: These are are often ornate exterior door handles (versus a regular knob) with a separate deadbolt.  They may or may not also lock on the handle itself.  They are typically ordered as an exterior handle set with a separate interior door handle that matches the rest of your interior hardware.

Keyless entry sets: These are electronic locks which don’t require a key but can be opened by typing a key code into a touchpad on the door or handle.

Directionality/Handing:

When ordering non-locking standard door knobs, the direction the door opens is not important.  You can install a door knob on either the right, left, front or back of a door.  However, when ordering lever handles or handle sets or any handle that locks, you need to know which side of the door you are going to install the hardware so the handle faces the right direction  (trust me.. I originally installed all my hardware upside down since I wasn’t paying attention to the directionality of the doors:
 
Notice that the handles are upside down?  Neither did I.. at first.
Here is another example where the doorknob is upside down:
And here it is installed correctly:  
The direction the door swings and which side the handle is on is called the “handedness” or “handing.”

When ordering you need to indicate if a handle will be “left hand” or “right hand.”  Because you can’t tell my just looking at a closed door (since a handle on the right side of the door in one direction is on the left side from the other.)

 The trick is to open the door (assuming the door swings inwards.. like most interior doors) and stand inside the door frame with your back to the hinges and facing the strike plate.  IF THE OPEN DOOR IS ON YOUR LEFT (remember it will be behind you) IT IS LEFT HANDED DOOR.  IF IT IS ON YOUR RIGHT IT IS RIGHT HANDED.   That is unless the door swings outwards. (Exterior doors and closets typically swing outward) and in that case the handing is the opposite. 

Confusing enough?   Yeah. I agree.
I used this chart to help me figure it out when I was walking around my house making a shopping list and I still installed them backwards the first time!

In the case of my double doors, you have the perfect example of why door handing is so important.
This door set actually required 3 separate handles.  A right hand passage handle (for the right side.. which is the side that latches) and then one left hand and one right hand dummy handle (for front and back of the left door.)

Here at the doors in the upstairs hallway after they had been replaced.   You can see how the doors don’t all swing the same way. One of the reasons I didn’t order privacy locks for those rooms (along with the fact I don’t want my kids locking me out) is that you don’t have to worry about handing if you use reversible passage handles.

Cost:

I mentioned it before, but here is how my costs broke down (not including hinges, since I haven’t replaced the hinges yet).  We have a 3 bedroom, 3 bath house with a two sets of double doors. We have only two handled exterior doors (front and garage- our back door is a slider).  Only our hall closets required handles since our room closets are sliding doors.    So for our house, in total I needed 17 sets of door handles.  If you have a much larger house, or closet doors which require handles, your costs could be significantly higher.


9 Passage Doors: $28/each = $253 3 Privacy Doors (Bathrooms Only) :$31/each = $96 4 Dummy Levers (for 2 double doors) : $14/each = $56 1 Deadbolts (for garage doors): $33 1 Interior Keyable Handle (for front door): $31 1 Exterior Keyable Handleset (for front door): $116 TOTAL COST (without tax): $583

Other stuff you need to keep in mind:

How thick your door is:  This is only a problem in much older homes and on exterior doors.  Most standard doors are 1 3/8-1 3/4 inch thick

Backset: How far over (horizontally) your handle will be installed on the door. 2 3/8- 2 3/4 inches is standard

Bore sizes: This the size of the hole that was drilled in the door for both the handle/cylinder itself and the latch or bolt.  Again these are extremely standard. It is very rare to have an under or oversized bore hole.

Keying: When ordering keyed locks, you need to decide if you want a different key for each lock or if you want them all keyed the same.   Most companies can provide lock sets that only require one key for all of them.


So that is pretty much everything you need to know before tackling a door hardware update. Plus most hardware companies are more than happy to answer any questions you may have about what exactly you need.

Overall, I’m really glad I took the time and spent the money to replace all the handles.  It was totally worth it.  The house definitely feels less dated!

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