How to choose the right door handle

Choosing the right handle for your door is as important as deciding on the style of your home, and your paint colour. This is mainly because handles add that final touch to enhance the appearance and aesthetics of your door. While choosing a door handle may be mostly about its visual appeal, there are still a few things to consider before you decide on the right handle for your door.

With a wide range of door handles to choose from, we are often not aware of what we should be looking for. Below are a few points to consider the next time you need to make that purchase for your door handles.

1. Material

The material that the handle is made out of is very important to ensure the strength and durability of the door handle. The material will also determine if the handle will be able to withstand any weather conditions, especially for those who live in coastal regions. Handles made out of high grade stainless steel can resist corrosion, resulting from the moist air in coastal regions. All UNION door handles from ASSA ABLOY go through a rigorous durability test. They also undergo a salt spray test to ensure durability in tough user situations, making them suitable for coastal regions.

2. Lock

When choosing a door handle you should also consider the lock that goes with the handle. Most handles will be compatible with any lock that you choose but the handle mounting is of critical importance to check (an existing door with backplate on the handle means you can probably only replace with a handle on backplate again due to the screw holes). When deciding on a lock, you have the option of a lever lock or a cylinder lock. Depending on the lock you choose, the level of security differs. A lever lock offers fewer key differs than a cylinder lock, which offers more than 5 000 key differs. This makes a cylinder lock a better option and ensures high security paired with your new handle.

3. Warranty

Any product of high quality will often carry a warranty for a long period. This ensures that the manufacture of the product is confident in its quality and lifespan. It is therefore always important to choose a door handle that has a warranty. UNION door handles from ASSA ABLOY offer a 5 year warranty, ensuring you of good quality as well as durability.  

You can also purchase additional items like escutcheons. These help to protect a lock cylinder from being drilled out or snapped. They also protect the area from damage and wear from the end of the key when it misses the keyhole. Escutcheons are normally purchased separately to the door handle.

There is much to consider when choosing a door handle. Always ensure that you don’t just look at its style, but that you evaluate its strength and durability too.

If you would like any more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us