Door handle glossary: Complete guide for everyone

Everything you need to know about the vocabulary and glossary of door handle components.

When considering choosing door handles for your home or workplace, it is crucial to master the associated terms and the specific vocabulary of door hardware. This knowledge will enable you to make informed decisions when purchasing your door handle.

Two fundamental questions come up quite often: what are the main parts of a door handle? And how to understand this technical terminology to properly define your needs?

What are the different parts of a door handle?

The door handle, although often perceived as a simple functional element, is in reality a complex piece composed of several essential parts that work in harmony. Each component has its own role, from simple aesthetics to securing your space.

The handle or lever:

A door lever represents a dynamic duo composed of two parts: the bar, where you naturally place your hand, and the neck, the part located under the bar. These handles are generally sold in pairs, comprising a right-hand and left-hand version.

Glossary related to the lever or handle:

• Lever: Technical term in locksmithing used to designate the door handle.
• Neck: The reduced part of the neck of a lever that fits into the door plate or rose.
• Return spring: Option allowing the levers to automatically return to the horizontal position.
• Furniture: Set of door handles sold in pairs (left + right).
• Right-hand half handle: Handle to be positioned on the right side of the door with the hinges located on the right.
• Left-hand half handle: Handle to be positioned on the left side of the door with the hinges located on the right.

The handle plate:

Sometimes called protection plates, they are flat pieces framing the door handle for aesthetic or functional purposes. They may include holes for screws and other fixing elements. Plates can have different shapes, whether rectangular, round, square, or original. They serve as a link between the handle components. Different types of plates are available, including standard plates, narrow plates, and invisible pillar plates.

Glossary related to the plate:

• Handle plate: Flat piece framing the door handle, for aesthetic or functional purposes.
• Invisible pillar plate: Plate with invisible fixing, ideal for security doors and external doors
• Narrow plate: Plate designed for French doors, 24 to 29 mm wide.
• Standard plate: Plate suitable for standard doors, 32 to 40 mm wide.

The square spindle (or shaft):

The door spindle or square spindle is this small square metal rod that connects both sides of the handle. This rod passes through the lock mechanism to be mortised and connects to the handle levers. Standard square spindles measure 7 mm, but there are also thinner 6 mm versions (practical for renovations) and 8 mm European versions.

Glossary related to the square spindle:

• • Door spindle: Square metal rod that connects the handle on plate or rose to the lock to facilitate the movement of the handles.
  • Follower: Part of the mortise lock through which the door spindle passes to operate the mechanism.

• • • Spindle one side grooved | one side drilled: Used for mixed mounting with a nail lever and a grub screw lever, whether on plate/rose or in free version.

  

  • Drilled spindle: Intended for mounting a set of pin levers.

• Spindle mounted on base plate: Used for swing doors, the plate fixed to the door immobilises the lever.
• Spindle mounted on rotating plate: Suitable for entrance doors with one landing side and one lever side. The spindle operates in one direction whilst keeping the landing side stationary

The rose (or cover plate):

The rose is the customisable component of the handle. It replaces the usual plate between the door and the handle. The rose is often used with a door knob, but sometimes with a lever handle or a lock cylinder. Think of it as a cover that dresses the hole in the door, whilst adding character.

Glossary related to the rose:

• Rose: Alternative to the door plate in the form of a small round.
• Lock cylinder or barrel: The barrel is the moving part of the lock that receives the key.

The lock:

Door handles can be secured with different types of locks. These locks can be either integrated into the handle itself or installed separately in the door. It is important to note the significant difference between the handle and the lock. They are two distinct components, even if they work in tandem to lock and unlock the door. They are sold separately, so it is crucial to select your handle according to the type of lock you have chosen.

Glossary related to the lock:

• Cylinder lock: A lock using a cylinder to lock and unlock the door.
• Deadbolt lock: A lock with a fixed bolt that engages into a strike plate to lock the door.
• Mortise lock: A lock recessed into the thickness of the door to be less visible
• Surface-mounted lock: Fixed to the surface of the door, the surface-mounted lock is visible from outside and mounted in relief on the door.
• Single-point lock: It locks the door at a single point, usually with a deadbolt.
• Multi-point lock: This is a lock that has several locking points, with deadbolts and possibly hook bolts that engage at different locations along the door frame.
• Magnetic lock: This is a model that uses magnets to control the opening and closing of the door.

How to understand the technical terminology of door hardware?

Navigating the complex world of door hardware can be bewildering, but with the right tools, choosing your door accessories will be a straightforward step. Here are the key elements and technical terminology to consider:

Locking system:

Considering the type of lock to pair with the door handle is always a real headache. It is essential to ensure their compatibility with different systems. The following common models exist:

• • I-key: Mainly used for entrance doors with an "i"-shaped key cylinder.

• • Barrel: The key cylinder that allows the door to be opened and closed.
  • Latch: A handle or door knob without a locking mechanism.
  • L-key: A standard L-shaped locking system, which can be operated from inside and/or outside.

• Privacy lock: A locking mechanism that only works from inside.
• Privacy/Emergency release: This mechanism allows the lock to be operated from inside, but also provides the possibility of opening it from outside in an emergency.

Important measurements:

When choosing door handles, do not underestimate the importance of measurements. Every centimetre must be taken into account and for this it is necessary to know the technical terminology related to each of your actions.

• • Fixing centres: Distance between the fixing of the 2 upper and lower screws of the door plate, often standard at 195 mm, but sometimes 165 mm.

• Lever centre distance: Measurement between the lever and the keyhole (for standard locks), the cylinder hole (for entrance doors), or the privacy/emergency release button (for bathrooms, bedrooms, etc.).

Installation accessories:

When dressing your doors with new handles, do not neglect the various essential accessories that hold them in place. Make sure you have the right technical terminology to obtain them and everything necessary for a secure and successful installation.

• • Through bolt: Fixes the handle onto a plate, adapting to any centre distance (165 or 195 mm) and material.

• • Pin: Essential for fitting a handle drilled for pins.
  • Circlips: Holds the lever onto its plate/rose.
  • Grub screw: Used to fix the handle onto the grooved square spindle, especially on modern models.

    

  • Allen key: L-shaped tool for tightening hexagonal socket screws and bolts.

• • Hinges or butts: A door hinge is an articulated mechanism that allows the door to open and close around a fixed pivot point.

• Espagnolette: is a locking device for closing a window