Door Knobs

About

Door knobs buying guide A door knob turns a latch by hand, and it comes in four functions: passage, privacy, dummy and entrance. The knobs in this collection are mostly solid or pressed brass, with some zinc alloy, and they cover everything from a plain round knob for a wardrobe to a heritage set for a Federation front door. This guide sets out what decides the choice: the function, how a knob compares with a lever, whether the set fits the door you have, what comes in the box, and which style suits the house. For the wider range, see door handles and door hardware . Choose the function first A passage knob has a latch but no lock. It has no button, snib or key, so it is simple to use, and the fewer moving parts mean less wear over time. It suits hallways, living areas, laundries, studies and bedrooms that do not need to lock. A privacy knob adds a lock that is set from inside the room, usually with a push button or a turn snib, and it suits bathrooms, toilets and bedrooms. A dummy knob is fixed, with no latch and no lock. It gives a door something to pull or push, on a wardrobe, a linen cupboard or the fixed leaf of a pair of doors. An entrance set is built for front and rear doors and includes a keyed lock. The function decides the part you buy, so settle it for each door before choosing a finish. A bathroom door fitted with a passage knob cannot be locked, and a privacy knob on a hallway adds a lock nobody needs. For each function on its own page, see passage knob sets , privacy knob sets , dummy knobs and exterior door knobs . For internal doors in particular, see interior door knobs . How a privacy knob releases A privacy lock is a convenience lock, not a security lock. It can be released from outside in an emergency, usually with a coin or a small pin pushed into the hole on the outside rose. That matters in a bathroom, where someone must be able to open the door if a person inside needs help. The TradCo Milton privacy set has an inside thumb turn for securing