Door Knobs Advice

[PurplePansy05]

Hi all,

Looking for some wisdom from someone who put door knobs on interior doors!

I am about to buy some for all our interior doors throughout the house. The doors will be Cambridge style oak-like and I'm looking to buy similar looking knobs to these in the photo.

However, it's a minefield! What type knobs do I need for a simple internal door, if relevant most are fire doors?

How do I go about the bathrooms, what knob and lock are needed? I can't find any lockable ones.

Finally, is it a good idea to have door knobs instead of handles when I'm expecting a baby next month? Is it going to be a PITA when I carry him around?

Thoughts much appreciated!

Fwiw. I hate door knobs and handles as I’m forever getting sleeves caught in them. We went for latch door closures instead. I never got caught up in those. As for the bathroom, if you are staying in your home long term, and you want a lock, get one you can open from the outside. It seems inevitable someone will lock themselves in and be unable to unlock the door from the inside at some point!

Very good points especially with the baby coming soon!

For bathroom locks you want a thumb turn which will sit under the door knob. Most have a slot on the outer side meaning you can use a coin or knife to turn the lock from the outside if you need to.

As regards knobs v levers: what era is your house? Ours is Victorian so had to be knobs really.

Practically speaking: levers mean you can open with your elbow if both hands are full (only if pushing the door though), but levers get caught on stuff more / higher chance of bumping yourself on them. So swings and roundabouts really.

Knobs are more authentic for most period homes, but they can be a pain to open (not just carrying baby, but with wet hands, or if you’ve just applied moisturiser etc). So I would try and go for something that isn’t quite so smooth, perhaps shaped appropriately for the era, or maybe reeded.

You can also have oval style knobs - much easier to open a door with slippery or arthritic hands, than the round ones.

Yes agree oval are easier to open than round. And look lovely. Reeded also nice but harder to clean.

So the house isn't old - we're talking 1970s/80s. It doesn't have any of the beautiful old features. I am going for a fresh style, very clean, but also warm. There will be quite a few natural and light colours, quite a lot of wood, whites, some mix of darker colours to break it up, some slate finishes. It's in keeping with the location and the area.

The door I chose is similar to those in the photo. It will look really good in this hoise, especially with the flooring we chose. I think it needs knobs, what do you reckon?

I am not a big fan of oval knobs and because the overall decor will be on a simpler side, decorative knobs won't look good.

Sorry to be a bit thick, but is there a chance anyone could show me examples of door knobs that are suitable for standard interior doors and ones with locks for the bathrooms?

My builder was trying to explain but I just can't get my head around it, apparently some knobs don't fit as they have different fittings?!

I echo the difficulty in opening, smooth, round knob handles with wet hands. Even when not wet, I find them far more difficult to twist and almost impossible when I had tendinitis of my wrist!

Here's the door, sorry!

Those doors are quite 1930s in style and a wide variety of levers or knobs will go.

I’d probably go for a simple lever like this although these are pricey!!

The thumb turn is separate but most companies will sell thumb turns that match h their range of handles. For example this is the lever I linked to above with its matching thumb turn

Oooh, these are nice. OK, not the cheapest, but frankly all door knobs are around the £50 mark anyway so not much of a difference.

I am that person always getting bruised by hitting my arms on various handles though. I've promised myself no more handles.

I really don't know what to buy. Need some inspiration and it needs to be satin brass/gold tone to match some other fittings.

this site has a good range. If you click through to an individual handle you like, you will see the matching thumb lock listed underneath under “accessories”

Ah ok cross posted with you wanting knobs and brass!

We have these everywhere, I think they look modern enough for a modern house too though. Nice quality and come in two brass finishes. Matching thumb turns also available.

I would only get knobs in a period property where it fits with the style. PIL's have knobs, and stiff knobs at that (ooo-er) in their 1980's home they built themselves. Any time I try to open them with damp or recently moisturised hands, or when trying to carry a cup of tea and a biscuit, I think "WHY?!"

I take it you're going to have them mounted 2/3rds-3/4 way up the door like the 1930's style, and I think that would be even less ergonomic tbh.

If you have to go for knobs then definitely get oval or ones with etching on them for grip, although the latter are harder to clean.

But it’s much easier to find modern and sleek handles than knobs, if modern and sleek is what you want. Knobs always look a bit more period - to me anyway.

I take it you're going to have them mounted 2/3rds-3/4 way up the door like the 1930's style, and I think that would be even less ergonomic tbh.

This is a very good point. If they are mounted 2/3 up as they will be with those doors, a round knob will be hard work.

That's a very good website, thanks!

So if I look at this one:
www.handles4u.co.uk/products/Door+Knobs/Door+Knobs+on+Rose/Brass+Door+Knobs+on+Rose/Heritage+Brass+Victoria+Rim+Knob+Satin+Brass+finish/1347672928

And then scroll down and pick a round thumb turn which appears on that page as a suggestion, this will make it suitable for the bathroom, right?

I also quite like this one:

www.handles4u.co.uk/products/Door+Knobs/Door+Knobs+on+Rose/Brass+Door+Knobs+on+Rose/Heritage+Brass+WES970-SB+Mortice+Knob+Westminster+Design+Satin+Brass+Finish/1925614480

What is the difference between a rim knob and a mortice knob though? Is this something to do with how they're fitted? Would either be OK for this type of interior door?

Yes, indeed, I was going to have them fitted at 2/3rds or 3/4s up...sounds like this is a baf idea then but I really like that look

You want a mortice knob. Rim knobs are designed to go with a rim latch which is one of those big metal boxes stuck to the door.

Basically mortice = all the mechanism sits inside the door, knobs come with roses and attach directly to the door. Rim = mechanism is in a box stuck onto the door, knob comes without a rose as it attaches to the box.

Unless you really want the big metal box look.

I'd go for oval brass knobs. I have round ones and they slip when your hands are wet or greasy.

With knbs, you need 3" or longer latch, otherwise you will bang your knuckles on the doorframe.

I suggest here

You need mortice, not rim. Rimlocks are those fixed to the inside face of a door, mostly seen in sheds now.

You can get matching mortice latches
and bathroom bolts
operated by a thumbturn with external release

I find the Altro brand very good.

Or you can get a bathroom sashlock, which is superior.

I have an older style with Horizontal Sashlocks. I'm not sure when they went out of fashion. Probably 1940's

Either of those locks or bolts is also suitable for privacy on a bedroom door. If you get sashlocks you can swap them with key-operated locks of the same dimensions when you want to keep nosey adults out.

If you have expensive M&T doors, a sashlock can weaken the tenons, so ask your carpenter. Modern less expensive doors, and fire doors, will not have tenons.

"PVD brass" is a non-tarnishing plating and I find performs very well.

I've got the altro antique brass knobs linked above, from ironmongery direct. V happy with the service and quality. They've been fine to open except for ds room where the bit the latch thing goes into is too big, so it can need an extra hard turn to open. My doors are 3 panel light coloured wood ones which I got dipped and stripped. Can post photo tomorrow if helpful

Oh and I haven't bothered with a bathroom lock yet...

Thank you so much all! I'll be looking at all the links now, I've learnt so much - cheers!