Lever Door Handles

Can these internal handles be used on a front door or exterior door?

You can use them on an exterior door, and many people do, but the longevity of the handle with respect to resistance to weathering is not as strong as needed. Our handles are no different to anyone else's in a lot of respects but we do specify they are preferred as internal door handles. If you need exterior handles look towards upvc door handles or specifically described exterior door handles that have special finishes like PVD or are a higher grade stainless steel.

What type of interior door handle do I need for a bathroom door?

Bathroom doors are usually fitted with a different type of lock that will accept a spindle from a thumb turn. The centre of the thumb turn is usually 57mm from the centre of the lever spindle but in some cases they can be 72mm as would be found on more European type locks and doors. There are two types of interior handles most commonly used i.e. a lever on rose or a back plate lever door handle. With a lever rose handle you need a separate thumb turn fitted to the door and with the back plated handle the thumb turn will be part of the plate itself (assembly needed usually). The thumb turn is always placed on the inside of the door and the outside is an emergency release slot that can be operated by a coin or similar. The two types are shown here:

What type of handles and locks are used on interior doors?

There are several main types:

• Latch handle - simply a lever that operates a small latch.
• Lock handle - a handle with provision for a key. The lock also includes a latch.
• Euro handle - a handle that can use a euro cylinder lock.
• Bathroom handle - a handle with a thumbturn.
• Privacy handle - handles that can be locked from one side of the door.

If the handles are used internally then they will last a long time. The key to this is to take care when cleaning the handles as they only need a dry cloth or at worst a mild soapy damp rag. Avoid any chemical cleaners and also ensure that you don't fit new door handles to freshly painted doors (within 24 hours). The vapours from some paints could start the plating to decompose. In this case use temporary door handles. It is good to keep the handles clean on a regular basis as some hand greases could over time attack the electro-plating surface. We have seen new handles fitted to doors on building sites and the plaster from the hands of site workers has already attacked the surfaces before use!

What are your door handles made from?

Most of the interior door handles these days are made from either an aluminium or a zinc alloy. The finishing is electro-plated and in some cases the plating is coated but in most cases we can say the quality is very high and excellent value for money. There are fewer designs these days that are made from solid brass and this is largely due to the cost.