Handles and ironmongery
The handle is the part of the door everyone actually touches. It is also where most orders come up short.
Range being built
Lever on rose, or lever on backplate
A lever on rose sits on two small round or square plates, one for the handle and one for the keyhole or turn. A lever on backplate puts both on a single longer plate. It is mostly an aesthetic choice, but a backplate hides more of what is underneath — useful on a door that has been drilled before.
Match the latch to the job
What goes inside the door depends on the room, and getting this wrong is the usual reason a handle set arrives and cannot be fitted.
- Tubular latch — for a door that just needs to stay shut. Most rooms.
- Bathroom lock — a latch plus a privacy bolt, operated by a thumbturn and an emergency release.
- Sash lock — a latch plus a keyed deadbolt, for a door that needs locking properly.
- Roller catch or ball catch — for a door with no handle at all, or a pair of doors.
Backset, and why the handle hits the frame
The backset is the distance from the edge of the door to the centre of the latch spindle. Too short and your knuckles hit the lining every time you open the door. It matters most on narrow doors and on doors with a wide lining.
Fire doors restrict what you can fit
Ironmongery on a fire door is part of the tested assembly. Hinges must be CE-marked to the right specification and there is usually a required number of them; some handle and latch combinations are not permitted at all. Fitting the wrong ironmongery can invalidate the certification of an otherwise correct door. [VERIFY: manufacturer installation instructions] for any specific fire door.