Hardware Terms

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• Back Plate: an oval or rectangular plate that holds the doorknob in place; it can be as plain or ornate as you wish.

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• Backset: distance from the center of the doorknob or key cylinder, to the edge of the door; 2-3/8" is the backset of most residential doors; 2-3/4" is the backset of most commercial doors. The ideal backset is one half the width of the stile.

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• C to C: center to center; the distance between the center of the screw holes on an item of hardware. 

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• Double cylinder deadbolt: the cylinder requires a key to open it on both the interior and exterior.

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• Dummy set: fixed doorknobs that do not turn; they are often used on second door of a pair of double doors.

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• Escutcheon: a plate that goes around the keyhole.  It can have a cover that opens and closes to hide the hole.

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• Exterior mortise lock: this lock is recessed into the edge of the door. A modern key is used to unlock a deadbolt cylinder on the exterior of the door, and the lock is operated by a turn piece on the interior.

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• Ferrule: doorknob shank; the most common diameters are 5/8” and 3/4”.

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• Handing: describes which way the door opens, with door opening out or in or left or right. From inside the room, when the doorknob is on the left and the door opens into the room, it is a left handed door (inswing) LH. If it opens out from the room, then it is a LHR (left hand reverse or out swing).

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• Hinge: measured when fully opened, total length by width not including any decorative tips.

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• Interior mortise lock: recesses into the edge of the door. Utilizes either a skeleton key or privacy turn to lock the door.

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• Key hole spacing: the distance from the center doorknob to the round part of the key hole measured on center. The most common measurement is 2-1/4,” but that may vary in antique hardware.

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• Offset: measurement between two parallel mounting surfaces.

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• Pocket door edge pull:​ recesses into the edge of the sliding door. It has a pop-out handle that is used to pull the door out of its pocket.

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• Pocket door handle: recessed cup located on the front/back side of a sliding door.

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• Pocket door jamb bolt: small toggle used to lock pocket doors for non-mortise lock application.

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• Rail: horizontal areas that run between the stiles, and above and below the door panels.  The lock rail is where the lock or latch is located.

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• Rim lock: surface mounted lock, which is also known as a box lock.

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• Rosette: a round plate that holds the doorknob in place.  

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• Single cylinder deadbolt: has keyed cylinder on exterior and turn piece on interior.

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• Spindle: the rod that connects two doorknobs. Most modern doorknobs do not use a spindle. Spindles adjust to the thickness of the door. Threaded spindles are for doorknobs that screw into place. Tapped spindles are for doorknobs that slide onto the spindle and are held in place with set screws. The industry standard size is 5/16".

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• Stile: vertical area on the edge of the door adjacent to the door panels.

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• Strike plate: receives the latch bolt or deadbolt and is mounted on the door frame.

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• Tube latch: modern mechanism that allows the doorknob to turn. May have passage or privacy functions. Reproduction tube latches use spindles, others do not.

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