Door knob types

Doorknobs

When we renovate a home, we often think about lighting fixtures, countertops, drywalls, flooring and so on. Yet, we often forget about the little (but important) things like the doorknobs!

When we buy those doorknobs, we should know what kind(s) of doorknobs we need as they differ.

At least five common kinds of doorknobs exist:

Handlesets (exterior doors)

(usually for front doors)

We typically use handlesets for front doors, where we need a secure lock and a large handle. Most often, each side comes with two parts (sometimes together in one unit or separately): a handle and a lock. Some higher-tech versions come with keypads that we can open with buttons, fingerprints or even mobile apps. Those electronic versions would also have a backup physical key lock in case of power outages. Some have temporary key combinations for visitors, which can be useful for guests or house-sitters.

Keyed entry

(usually for offices and rooms with valuables)

We typically use keyed entry doorknobs for rooms which require decent security. Inside the room, the knob will have a twist or button to lock the door. Outside the room, the knob will have a keyhole that can lock or unlock the door only with a key.

Privacy

(usually for most bedrooms and bathrooms)

We typically use privacy doorknobs for rooms which allow the room's occupant(s) to lock the door from the inside. We would not need to lock the door from the outside. As with the keyed entry knob, the privacy doorknob would have a twist or button to lock the door. Outside the room, the knob will have some kind of pin hole to open the door in case of emergencies. Thus, this knob provides privacy but not security. So, this knob would work best for most bedrooms and bathrooms.

Passage

(usually for hallways, common area rooms, walk-in utility areas)

We typically use passage doorknobs for rooms which do not require privacy. On both sides, the knob will appear "clean" with no keyholes or locks. This knob provides neither privacy nor security, as it includes no locking mechanism of any kind. So, this knob would work best for hallway doors leading into more hallways, living-dining combo-rooms with French doors in between them, laundry rooms or walk-in, pantry-type closets.

Dummy

(usually for closets)

Finally, we typically use dummy knobs for doors that don't need to be opened or closed from one side. Of course, these knobs won't have any locks. The other side of the door will simply have no knob! These knobs also don't turn so we would open the door by pulling on the knob, and close the door by pushing on it. So, this knob would work best for most coat, linen or small bedroom closets.

Other things to note

After establishing the function of a doorknob, we can also look as its form:

• Finish (bronze, brass, glass, nickel, chrome, matte black, etc.)
• Style (antique, rustic, classic, modern, etc.)
  • typically, the finish usually provides the style
• Shape (round, egg, lever, bell/tulip)

Summary

• At least five different types of doorknobs exist :
  • handleset
  • keyed entry
  • privacy
  • passage dummy
• Other qualities of a doorknob include :
  • finish (material)
  • style (design)
  • shape