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Door locks serve one fundamental purpose: - preventing unauthorised entry  - but the mechanisms that achieve this vary considerably. Different lock types offer different security levels, suit different door types, and provide varying balances between convenience and protection. Understanding what's available helps you choose locks appropriate for your security needs rather than just accepting whatever came with your doors. 

The right lock depends on where you're using it, what you're protecting, and what level of security you need. Front doors require different locks than internal bedroom doors. Rental properties have different needs than owner-occupied homes. High-crime areas justify different security investments than quiet rural locations.

Here's what's available and where each type works best.

Cylinder Rim Locks (Night Latches)

How They Work

Cylinder rim locks, commonly called night latches or Yale locks (after the most recognised brand), mount on the inside surface of the door rather

Brass door handles command premium prices for good reason - solid brass is durable, develops attractive patina over time, and maintains its structural integrity for decades. But not every brass-coloured handle is actually solid brass. Brass-plated zinc alloy, brass-finished steel, and even painted finishes that mimic brass appearance are common, often sold at prices that make buyers believe they're getting solid brass when they're not.

If you're investing in what you think is solid brass hardware, knowing how to verify what you're actually buying protects you from overpaying for inferior materials. Whether you're assessing handles before purchase or evaluating antique hardware you've inherited or found, several tests reveal whether you're dealing with genuine solid brass or something else entirely.

The Magnet Test

How It Works

Solid brass is non-magnetic. If you hold a magnet to a solid brass handle, it won't stick. This happens because brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, neither of which

Walking into a door hardware supplier or browsing online for door handles quickly reveals that the industry uses terminology most people don't encounter in everyday conversation. Backsets, roses, escutcheons, spindles, PZ measurements - terms that mean nothing until you need to know them, at which point not understanding them creates confusion and potential ordering mistakes.

This isn't deliberate obscurity. These terms describe specific components and measurements that matter when you're selecting, ordering, or installing door hardware. Understanding the basic vocabulary makes the process significantly easier and helps you communicate clearly with suppliers or installers about what you actually need.

Handle Components and Types

Lever Handles

Lever handles are the most common type of door handle in modern homes - a horizontal lever you push down to operate the latch. They're easier to use than knobs, requiring less grip strength and dexterity, which makes them better for accessibility.

Door handle height affects both functionality and accessibility more than most people realise. Install handles too high and shorter household members or those with mobility issues struggle to reach them comfortably. Too low and taller people find themselves bending awkwardly. Get it wrong and you're stuck with poorly positioned hardware that's either impractical to relocate or requires living with the inconvenience.

Fortunately, there are established standards for handle height that balance accessibility, ergonomics, and building regulations. Understanding these guidelines ensures your door handles sit at heights that work for the widest range of users whilst meeting regulatory requirements where applicable.

UK Building Regulations Standards

Approved Document M Requirements

In the UK, Approved Document M (Access to and Use of Buildings) specifies handle heights for accessibility. For new builds and certain renovations, door handles and controls must be positioned between 900mm and 1000mm

One of the biggest mistakes to avoid in selecting door handles is getting the wrong size. We don’t blame you, though - door handle sizing seems straightforward until you're actually trying to choose hardware and discover there are multiple measurements to consider, terminology you're unfamiliar with, and compatibility issues you didn't anticipate. The wrong size doesn't just look odd - it can make doors difficult to operate, require modifications to your door, or simply not fit the existing holes and mechanisms.

Getting sizes right the first time means understanding what measurements matter, how they're expressed, and what's standard versus what requires custom preparation. It prevents the frustration of ordering handles that arrive and don't fit, or look disproportionate once installed.

Key Measurements Explained

Backset Measurement

Backset is the distance from the edge of the door to the centre of the handle spindle hole - essentially how far the handle sits from the door edge. This is

When you're choosing door handles, it's tempting to think aesthetics are the main consideration - finding hardware that matches your interior style and looks good on your doors. And whilst appearance certainly matters, there's a more fundamental distinction that affects performance, durability, and safety: whether the handle is designed for internal or external use.

Internal and external door handles aren't interchangeable. They're built differently, use different materials and finishes, meet different security requirements, and perform different functions. Using internal handles on external doors creates problems - premature deterioration, security vulnerabilities, and handles that simply don't stand up to weather exposure and security demands.

Understanding what makes them different helps you choose appropriate hardware rather than discovering you've made the wrong choice after installation.

Construction and Material Durability

Internal Door Handle Materials

Internal handles prioritise

Home security isn't about creating a fortress. It's about making your property less appealing to opportunistic criminals whilst maintaining a home that's actually pleasant to live in. Most break-ins exploit obvious vulnerabilities rather than sophisticated methods, which means straightforward improvements create meaningful protection.

Upgrade Your Door Locks

Door locks are your primary defence, and many homes still have inadequate hardware installed by builders decades ago. Cylinder locks on UPVC doors can be vulnerable to snapping - a technique that takes seconds with basic tools.

Anti-snap cylinders resist this attack method through reinforced construction and sacrificial sections that break away without compromising the lock mechanism. They cost marginally more than standard cylinders but provide substantially better security.

Deadbolts on timber doors should throw at least 25mm into the frame. Shorter throws can be forced with moderate pressure. The strike plate - the metal plate on

Doors do more than provide privacy and security. They shape how spaces flow, how light moves through your home, and how each room connects to the next. The door type you choose affects both practical function and visual impact, and the options extend well beyond standard hinged panels. 

Panel Doors

Panel doors remain the most common choice for good reason. They consist of vertical stiles and horizontal rails that frame individual panels - typically four or six. The panels sit within the frame, allowing the wood to expand and contract with humidity changes without warping the door.

Traditional panel doors suit period properties and classic interiors. The depth and shadow lines created by raised panels add architectural detail that flat doors can't match. Flat panel versions work in more contemporary settings whilst maintaining the structural benefits of the panel-and-frame construction.

Quality shows in how the panels are constructed. Better doors use solid wood panels rather than MDF or

Expensive-looking interiors don't require expensive budgets. The perception of quality comes from specific choices that have little correlation with actual cost. Understanding which elements create this impression lets you achieve a refined aesthetic without proportional spending.

Simplify and Edit Ruthlessly

Clutter kills any sense of luxury instantly. High-end homes feel spacious because they contain only what's necessary or genuinely valued. This isn't about embracing minimalism as a lifestyle - it's about intentional curation.

Go through each room and remove decorative items that don't serve a clear purpose. Your surfaces need breathing room. Every piece on display should actually merit the visual attention it receives. When twenty objects compete for space on a shelf, none of them look valuable.

Storage that conceals everyday necessities maintains this edited appearance. Visible storage isn't inherently problematic, but it should look deliberate rather than improvised. Built-in solutions

Your hand reaches for a door handle maybe fifty times a day. You don't think about it. The handle just works, or it doesn't.

When it doesn't work well, you notice immediately. Your wrist bends at an odd angle. The grip feels wrong. You need two hands when one should do the job. But when a handle's designed properly? You never give it a second thought.

That's ergonomics working exactly as it should.

Grip Diameter and Hand Anatomy

Human hands aren't all that different in their basic structure. Most adults can comfortably grip something between 30mm and 40mm in diameter. Go thinner and you're putting pressure on a smaller contact area - your fingers start to hurt. Go thicker and your fingers can't wrap properly, which means you lose mechanical advantage.

Lever handles beat knobs for a simple reason: you can operate them without needing a proper grip. Push down with your elbow when your hands are full of shopping bags. Use a closed fist when arthritis makes gripping painful. The lever doesn't