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!

We have round brass presumably victorian knobs, but apart from the porch door and the kitchen to rear porch door I never close any doors so rarely if ever touch them.

Knobs are much less troublesome for catching things on though imo.

P.s.

In the bathroom, where you probably have chrome taps, plugholes, coat hooks etc

You should be able to get matching chrome or stainless knobs and fittings for the inside of the bathroom door, the hinges, and the lock fore-end because it opens into the room. The doorknob inside the bathroom should be oval even if all the others are round because you will be opening it with wet or greasy hands.

The doorknob into the passage should match the other doors, in brass or whatever.

P.p.s.

You say most of the doors will be fire doors.

I recommend matching fire doors even in the bathroom where they are not obligatory. They are much more substantial and will block sound.

As well as the knobs you need a strike plate per door (little doodad that sits in the frame for the latch to catch on so it stays closed) and a latch for the knobs to work with (if the pair you buy don’t have a latch included).

Get your builder to write down exactly what he’s expecting you to buy. Then go to Screwfix – £50 a knob is bonkers, especially if you’re going for plain round ones; you could probably get knobs, latches and plates all in for £50 at a big DIY shed place like that

Builder told me to just get the knobs and locks for the bathrooms, he'll get the rest apparently. I have no idea about anything else and no brain to absorb this info now tbh!

I sent him some links to mortice oval knobs following this discussion and he's checking if they're gonna be ok for the doors, I hope so!

Ok, that’s fine for him to get the latches and strike plates but I recommend that you have a discussion with him about backset before he buys them. Latches are available in different backset sizes.

Backset is how far the centre of the knob will sit from the edge of the door. You want it far enough that your knuckles do not catch on the door frame when you turn the knob. I have quite often seen knobs installed too close to the door edge meaning you bump your knuckles every time you open the door…