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What Should I Consider When Buying an Exterior Door Handle?

By Erika Peterson
Updated May 17, 2024
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When buying an exterior door handle, there are many essential elements you need to keep in mind. These are the things that will help you to choose the right exterior door handle to fit your needs. As the most important feature of a door it can be the showpiece of the front of a home. It is a functional and beautiful for any door; however, the perfect front door handle can be difficult to locate. After all, the right exterior door handle needs to be durable and elegant, and it needs to fit all of your home’s needs.

For many homeowners, the most important thing to consider when buying an exterior door handle is the style of the hardware. There are two factors that must be contemplated before a style is chosen, the décor of the building and the style of the existing hardware that is already on the door. Existing door hardware usually includes: the hinges, door bottom and the threshold.

Along with style, finish is an important thing to consider before making an exterior door handle purchase. Exterior door handles are exposed twenty-four hours a day every day to the weather. They battered with leaves, dust and dirt blowing in the breeze. They gets soaked in the rain, and a handle can see a large share of hot sunlight.

Weather and climate are the two main reasons that the finish of any door hardware is imperative, and certain finishes work well in different types of environments. There are a few common types of finishes for an exterior door handle. The most used finishes include satin nickel, brass, bronze, gold and stainless steel. These types of finishes work in a variety of climates and weather conditions.

Finally, before you think of buying an exterior door handle, you need to choose the right type of lock for your door. There are two main types of door locks. The first type of lock is referred to as a mortise lock. This lock is built into the door, and it has many benefits. The benefits of a mortise lock include durability and strength.

The second, and more common, type of exterior door lock is a cylinder with a deadbolt. Cylinder locks can be put in the door after the door is built. The convenience of aftermarket purchasing leads many homeowners to a cylinder lock. These locks can be bought to match any type of stylistic hardware or décor, and they are not all easy to install. In fact, many types of cylinder locks can be quite labor-intensive.

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Discussion Comments

By Animandel — On Oct 29, 2014

@Feryll - I believe in saving where I can, but I agree with the sales person you were talking to. A quality exterior door handle set allows the door to look its best. Cheap door hardware on a quality door does not work well. This combination makes the door less secure and makes the door look cheaper.

By Sporkasia — On Oct 28, 2014

If you can make it work in your budget then I strongly suggest you buy an exterior door handle with a mortise lock as mentioned in the article. I saw a demonstration given by a security professional. I was amazed at how much more abuse a lock already built into the door can withstand as compared to the cylinder locks. Someone trying to break through one of these locks will have a tougher job.

By Feryll — On Oct 27, 2014

To me, buying an attractive front door can improve the appeal of a house by leaps and bounds. That's why I am planning to move the current front door, which came with the house when he bought it, to the side entrance. The door at the side entrance is old and not a good security door, so we'll simply through it away. The current front door is solid and a good door, just a bit dated. It looks like it would have been more at home in the 1970s.

We are going to buy a really nice wooden door for the front entrance and that will help a great deal with the look of the house. After all, the front door is one of the first things people notice about a house.

I haven't really considered how much of a difference exterior door hardware can make in the way a house looks. At least, I hadn't considered it until I was in the store looking at exterior doors and the salesman was suggesting I buy one of the more expensive exterior door handle sets.

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