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Door fittings must be reliable, high-quality and beautiful. After all, doors are not only a functional element, they are also part of the decor. Therefore, before choosing handles for interior doors, find out what they are.
Types of handles for interior doors
By functionality, handles for interior doors can be divided into four groups:
- Stationary
- Latch handles.
- With latch and lock.
- With latch and lock.
Division according to this principle allows you to choose the necessary functionality. We will talk about each type in more detail below. What you need to deal with immediately – with the type of fastening. Handles for interior doors can have two types of lining: rosette and plate. Overlay – the base with which the handle is fixed to the door leaf. They differ in size and shape.
The plate is always elongated, at least 10 cm long. Most often it looks like a rectangle, often with rounded corners, but there are models with straight lines. Ovals are rare, but they are also elongated. The handle is usually located in the upper third of such an overlay. The rest of the area is either free, or a latch or lock cylinder is installed.
A rosette pad is a circle or square with a handle in the center. There may be more original forms, but they are usually compact and well shaped. On sockets, stationary handles for interior doors are usually made. Most of them. Although you can find with latches and even with locks. But the handle on the socket with a latch and a latch / lock, almost always has a round shape (nob). The thing is that pressure (oblong) on such a small base is easy to tear off with only a little more effort.
Door handles with plated overlays usually have an integrated latch, may have a latch and a key. The options with a key are similar to those that are put on the front doors. But they have a smaller thickness, not so much attention is paid to the reliability of the crossbar. They are intended for indoor use, after all, and serve only to protect privacy, not to protect against hacking.
Stationary
Stationary door handles are good for ease of installation and low price. The low price is when compared with similar ones of the same material and the same manufacturer. After all, there are expensive copies. They are simply “designer” or “author’s”.
In any case, these are just pens with no additional features. In order for the door leaf to be fixed, the installation of additional fittings is required. Usually this is a roller or magnetic latch. But a pair – a latch + handles – is already comparable in price to other options.
If we talk about the form, stationary handles on the door can be:
- Round (spherical).
- In the form of a bracket.
- Push.
There are two mounting methods. First – each of the handles is attached to the door leaf separately. In the picture above, these are staples. For installation of the second type, a through hole is required, since the two handles are connected by a common rod. In the photo, round ones are attached like this, although this is not a rule at all. There are options for brackets with a through fastening and options for round ones with an individual one.
It is clear that through-mount models are usually more expensive. But they are also more reliable in operation: they cannot be torn out, since exactly the same fragment rests on the opposite side of the door leaf. On cheap MDF doors, this can be important, as it is very easy to pry a handle with an individual lock from the MDF. Not on purpose. Accidentally.
Latch handles
Handles for interroom doors with a latch are convenient. In one type of fittings, two devices are combined: a handle and a latch. The handle can be round (also called nob or knob) or push (usually oblong). The locking element, most often, is a crossbar (in simple words, a tongue).
Spring loaded
According to the method of action, the bolts are spring and magnetic. In spring models, the bolt protrudes from the door leaf all the time – it is pushed out by the spring. When you close the doors, thanks to a special shape (bevelled edge), the bolt depresses the spring, and when it completely gets into the hole of the response plate, it returns to its original position – the spring pushes it out again. This is the presence of a spring and the sounds that accompany the work, and are a drawback.
To remove some of the objections, some manufacturers make the bolt out of durable plastic. The sound when closing using such a latch is much quieter. In principle, they can be called almost silent, but what scares off is the price. It is higher than for products with a metal tongue.
Magnetic
There is a second option for silent latches – magnetic handles for interior doors. In this case, a magnet is installed in the jamb, the crossbar is made of a magnetizable material (maybe plastic, by the way) and fixed in the part that is attached to the door.
Please note that the crossbar is simply free to move. When we close the doors, the bolt enters the zone of action of the magnetic field, jumps out and is fixed in this position. It turns out that the doors are closed with a latch held by a magnet. When you need to open the doors, press the handle that is connected to the crossbar. He comes out of the groove, you open the doors. Since the magnet is far away, the bolt remains in the door leaf. The advantage of magnetic latches is a quieter opening (but far from silent, as they say in advertising), the absence of wearing parts.
With latch and lock
If you need to choose handles with the ability to lock the doors closed from the inside, you need models with a latch. They differ from those described above only in that they have an additional locking mechanism. It looks like a small rotary lever. It can be located both on the handle and on the overlay – it depends on the model. And handles can be both round and pressure. And the mechanism is both spring and magnetic. In general, the types are the same handles, but with the additional possibility of blocking.
How does a blocker work? When you turn the lever, the mechanism locks the latch. In this position, the door cannot be opened from the outside. The latch will open when the lock lever returns to its original position.
In general, a convenient thing, but not for families with children. They, for the sake of curiosity, can close, but they will not be able to open, or they will forget how. However, for such cases, there are options with the ability to unlock from the outside. A small hole is made in the outer lining. If necessary, a special key (a long thin wire) is inserted into this hole, with which the blocker is forcibly shifted. All is well, but you cannot be sure that someone else will not unlock the doors you have closed at the wrong time.
With latch and keys
Do not know how to choose handles for interior doors if you need to periodically restrict access to the room? A model with a latch and keys may be suitable. This is, in fact, the same mortise lock with a handle, but designed for installation in lighter doors. Therefore, the crossbars are not so powerful and you can distinguish them by price – they are much cheaper, and the thickness of the inserts and the “seriousness” of the larva are much lower.
By the way, there are compact models with spherical handles. Those very nobs (or knobs). The keyhole is located in the center of the handle on each side. If other doors open into one corridor, on which there are handles with latches, you don’t want to draw attention to the locked door, this is a good way out. It is only necessary to choose a reliable manufacturer.
Materials and design
Separately, it is worth talking about what materials door handles are made of. They can be wood, plastic or metal. Combinations of metal and plastic are also popular. Forged handles should be singled out as a separate group. Not all of them are suitable for interior doors, as they are delicate work that requires craftsmanship. Therefore, forged handles for interior doors are more of a premium segment.
By the way, a plastic door handle does not mean bad. Modern plastics are as strong as some metals and alloys. And if you consider that they are much more plastic, they are better tinted, they can be transparent, dyed in mass, with sparkles, etc. In general, if you need not too expensive and practical handles for interior doors, look at plastic ones. There are a couple of options at the top – in combination with metals and a few more ideas below.
Metal handles are good for everyone, except that they are cold to the touch and nothing can be done about it. But with plastic overlays, they become more pleasant tactilely, and they can look very different. From pretentious, which can be entered into the “palace” interior, to ultra-modern, consonant with high-tech and minimalist styles.
Please note that in addition to color and shade, the surface of the handles can be polished (shiny) or matte. Moreover, “dullness” can also be different. It just changes the perception. And engraving, paint, tint varnish, etc. can also be applied. There are really many options.
How to choose solid wood handles? It can also be made from wood. Traditional material can have a completely unconventional look. It’s just a pity that the most interesting models are imported, and they cost accordingly. And our craftsmen offer very simple and often not very well-crafted options.
Top manufacturers
If you choose door handles for the country, there is no point in buying a super expensive one. Then you can search the market from the category of “good China”. When buying, pay attention to the weight. Silumin ones crumble after a few months, but they can be calculated by weight – they are light. All other alloys are quite heavy. If practicality is important to you, consider plastic ones. They are not inferior in strength, however, we have a problem with the assortment.
If you don’t know how to choose handles for a house or apartment with a good repair, you will have to choose from a more expensive segment. Very good door fittings are produced by Italians. There is a premium class, but there is also quite affordable. There are also worthy manufacturers from other countries.
According to reviews, they have proven themselves well:
- Terms & Conditions
- Columbo
- Anselmi (Italy)
- Palladium
- Apecs
Of the entire list, the cheapest are Apecs, but they have the largest backlash. Although it has been used for years. All the rest are about the same level in terms of quality, although prices for similar models may differ. But it’s about technology. Usually they relate to spraying – new technologies are being developed for applying various types of metals so that the coating does not “slip” during operation. Great success in this was achieved by the Italian company Colombo (Colombo). Years later, the appearance of the handles remains “like new”.
Photos of interesting models
Before choosing handles for interior doors, you need to know how the room will look. The design style should match, the shades should also be in harmony. Ideally, door hardware – hinges should also be the same color. If some color mismatch can still be ignored, then a clear color mismatch will be evident.
The trouble with our markets and shops is a similar assortment. Finding something really interesting is very difficult. Some work under the order with large firms. It’s not very convenient in the sense that you have to wait until they bring it, but at least you can somehow solve the problem if what everyone has doesn’t please you. In general, several interesting models are presented in this section.