Bathroom Door Knobs – Choosing A Style That Works For Your Home
A bathroom can present several difficulties when selecting new or replacement door hardware. For example, do you require the door to lock? If so, what type of lock do you need? If there are small children in the home, how do prevent them from accidently locking themselves in? Another common difficulty is matching finishes – most bathrooms use chrome or nickel hardware while the rest of the home may have polished brass or even bronze. How can you make an informed choice with so many issues to cover?
The answer is simple – break the process down into a series of steps that will answer the questions and narrow down the options. The entire point of choosing new door hardware is to select a style that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also serves all the functions needed for your home.
1) Does this bathroom require a lock?
That usually depends on where the bathroom in located in the home. If it is a main bathroom that will be used by several different people throughout the day, a lock would be recommendable. This will allow family and visitors to have privacy without the fear of someone accidently walking in. If the bathroom is adjacent to a room that will only have one or two people using it, a lock is optional.
If you decide your bathroom will require a lock search for a privacy style interior doorknob (more information below). If the bathroom will not require a lock, a standard passage style doorknob can be used.
2) What type of lock do I need?
There are many types of door locks available and there is a significant difference between interior door locks and exterior door locks. Exterior door locks will typically utilize a deadbolt that requires a key to lock and unlock the door –this would be an inappropriate choice for a bathroom in the home. (Many businesses however use this system to prevent customers from entering the bathroom without their knowledge).
An interior door lock can use a push pin system which is a simple pin on the rosette that is pushed in to lock the door and turning the knob from the inside will unlock the door. Thumb turn locks can also be used but will need to be turned and unturned manually to lock/unlock the door (these may require a different style of latch mechanism).
3) Safety Issues
If there are small children in the home it is important to select a locking knob that can be opened from the outside in case of emergencies. Push pin lock mechanisms offer a safety feature whereby the lock can be undone from the exterior by inserting a narrow object through a hole in the exterior rosette plate.
4) Mix and Match Finishes?
If all the door knobs in your home and your bathroom uses standard polished chrome hardware, which finish do you match? Both, ideally. Selecting a doorknob that is available in a mixed finish option will allow you to have perfectly matching hardware inside and outside the bathroom. Be careful when choosing finishes however as the interior and exterior components of a doorknob set are not usually interchangeable (depending on style).
5) Tips and Suggestions
Choose a doorknob style that will flow with the existing patterns in the home. Glass doorknob sets are an elegant option and will provided added detail. Solid brass doorknob sets are also a wonderful option because they are available in a wide variety of styles to match any architectural motif that currently exists in the home (ranging from elegant Victorian patterns to unique Art Deco designs).
Choose cabinet knobs and pulls to match your new doorknob set to create a common theme. Most home hardware can be installed with little to no training and with common tools around the home.
The answer is simple – break the process down into a series of steps that will answer the questions and narrow down the options. The entire point of choosing new door hardware is to select a style that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also serves all the functions needed for your home.
1) Does this bathroom require a lock?
That usually depends on where the bathroom in located in the home. If it is a main bathroom that will be used by several different people throughout the day, a lock would be recommendable. This will allow family and visitors to have privacy without the fear of someone accidently walking in. If the bathroom is adjacent to a room that will only have one or two people using it, a lock is optional.
If you decide your bathroom will require a lock search for a privacy style interior doorknob (more information below). If the bathroom will not require a lock, a standard passage style doorknob can be used.
2) What type of lock do I need?
There are many types of door locks available and there is a significant difference between interior door locks and exterior door locks. Exterior door locks will typically utilize a deadbolt that requires a key to lock and unlock the door –this would be an inappropriate choice for a bathroom in the home. (Many businesses however use this system to prevent customers from entering the bathroom without their knowledge).
An interior door lock can use a push pin system which is a simple pin on the rosette that is pushed in to lock the door and turning the knob from the inside will unlock the door. Thumb turn locks can also be used but will need to be turned and unturned manually to lock/unlock the door (these may require a different style of latch mechanism).
3) Safety Issues
If there are small children in the home it is important to select a locking knob that can be opened from the outside in case of emergencies. Push pin lock mechanisms offer a safety feature whereby the lock can be undone from the exterior by inserting a narrow object through a hole in the exterior rosette plate.
4) Mix and Match Finishes?
If all the door knobs in your home and your bathroom uses standard polished chrome hardware, which finish do you match? Both, ideally. Selecting a doorknob that is available in a mixed finish option will allow you to have perfectly matching hardware inside and outside the bathroom. Be careful when choosing finishes however as the interior and exterior components of a doorknob set are not usually interchangeable (depending on style).
5) Tips and Suggestions
Choose a doorknob style that will flow with the existing patterns in the home. Glass doorknob sets are an elegant option and will provided added detail. Solid brass doorknob sets are also a wonderful option because they are available in a wide variety of styles to match any architectural motif that currently exists in the home (ranging from elegant Victorian patterns to unique Art Deco designs).
Choose cabinet knobs and pulls to match your new doorknob set to create a common theme. Most home hardware can be installed with little to no training and with common tools around the home.
