How to Choose Door and Window Hardware?
Hardware tends to be the last thing anyone thinks about. You settle the frame colour, the glass and the sizes, and then the handles get picked in the final few seconds because you just want the order placed.
On a supply-only order, it is worth slowing down at this point. Handles, letterplates, hinges and cylinders do a lot more than finish the door off. They affect how secure it is, how it wears and how it looks for years, and some of those choices are much harder to change once the door is fitted.
Whether you are fitting for a customer or doing the job yourself, here is what to think about before you place the order.
Treat hardware as part of the door
It is easy to see a handle as an accessory you can swap later. In practice, the lock, cylinder, handle and hinges are designed to work together, and the door you order comes with hardware that suits its locking system.
Swapping parts on site because something nicer turned up in the van is rarely as simple as it looks. Spindle lengths, fixing centres and cylinder sizes all have to match. A part that does not match can leave a lock that feels stiff or does not engage properly. If you want something other than the standard option, ask the supplier before you order rather than improvising on the day.
For installers, it also makes the conversation with the customer quicker. Agree the hardware when you agree the door, and you will not get a request to change it once the door is hung.
Pick the letterplate for function first
The letterplate is the piece most often chosen on looks alone. It is also a gap in the front of the door, so it deserves a second thought.
A few things make a real difference.
- An internal flap, cowl or brush keeps draughts out and makes it harder for anyone to reach in from outside
- An aperture that suits everyday post without leaving a bigger opening than you need
- Sensible positioning, well away from a clear line to the lock or a key left on the inside
If a customer has a particular style in mind, check what is available with those features before you promise them a specific look.
Think about the weather on exposed sites
On a sheltered street, almost any decent finish will hold up. Near the coast, or anywhere damp and windy, cheaper hardware can pit, tarnish or seize far sooner than you would expect.
For those jobs, ask the supplier about corrosion resistance before you choose a finish, and do not forget the fixings. Stainless steel screws cost very little next to a callback. A good handle held on with screws that rust is still a problem waiting to happen.
The same goes for the frame. On a weather-beaten elevation, a durable, well-applied finish matters more than the exact colour.
Choose the finish last
Once the practical side is sorted, appearance gets much easier, because you are choosing from a shortlist rather than the whole catalogue.
On our composite doors, hardware comes in chrome, gold and black across the Solidor and Visage collections.
The one rule worth sticking to is consistency. The handle, letterplate, knocker, house numbers, visible hinges and the escutcheon around the keyhole should all share a finish. Mixed finishes usually creep in when pieces are bought separately at different times, and the door ends up looking unplanned.
If the door sits alongside uPVC windows, keep the window handles and door furniture in the same finish family. They do not need to match exactly, since they are different objects doing different jobs, but they should not clash.
Beyond that, it is down to taste. Black hardware tends to blend into darker frames, while on a white frame it reads as a deliberate contrast. Neither is wrong. Homeowners often find it easier to decide once they have seen a few finished doors, so photos of previous installs can help a customer make up their mind.
Get it right when you order
The simplest way to avoid hardware problems is to choose it at the same time as everything else. In our online designer you can build the full specification, get a price and place the order in one go, so nothing is left to sort out later.
If you are not sure which hardware options are available on a particular product, or you need something outside the standard range, get in touch and we will help you work it out.