You bought a new home! Congratulations! There are so many options to consider when making a space yours: from the lighting to the floors, to the kitchen cabinets and door hardware, to the decor—how do you know where to begin?
Whether you are looking for some quick fixes or a full gut renovation, start with your door hardware to make a big impact affordably.
First, you’ll need to know the function of each door that needs hardware. Let’s review Emtek’s basic order process.
Function
In addition to front door entry sets, electronic locks and a variety of door accessories, like hinges and door stops, Emtek offers three kinds of functions for a standard knob or lever set: privacy, passage, and dummy.
A privacy function has a small push pin lock, perfect for a bathroom or bedroom that demands a bit of discretion.
Passage functions work well for a regular hallway, offices, kids’ bedrooms, and latched closets. They also pair well with a separate deadbolt for exterior doors that have 2 boreholes, much like the door in your garage or side entry door.
Dummy knobs and levers are surface mounted and do not include a latch. Use them in closest door applications or for the non-active side of a pair of French doors.
Note: This phase is also a great time to measure your door’s “backset.” The backset is the length of the passage or privacy latch your need for the door and is determined by the location of your door’s borehole. Measure from the edge of the door to the middle of the hole for the doorknob. For residential locks, the standard distance is 2-3/8” but 2-3/4” backsets are also available.
Material
The majority of Emtek’s products are made in solid brass. This gives them some weight and durability. There are 11 standard brass finishes in matte and polished options, plus an unlacquered brass that is uncoated and has an antique patina appearance.
Also available are a collection of three Living Bronze finishes, meant to gracefully age and patina to slowly reveal the base bronze over time. These finishes have a great rustic feel and quality. The sheen or coloration the bronze develops is caused by oxidization and use and signifies a bronze object’s age.
Prefer steel? We have wrought and brushed stainless versions, as well as Lost Wax Cast Bronze options.
Style
Once you determine the finish, you’ll have the option between more than 50 lever styles and 50 knob styles. Determine what style you want to achieve by browsing. Do you prefer levers or knobs? Are you more of a Modern Brass or Rustic Bronze fan? Do you prefer classic styles or something contemporary? Crystal knobs or Designer Brass levers?
You’ll want to determine the rosette and knob or lever style for each set.
Emtek offers the ability to customize your hardware with no additional lead time. So, if you want a Contemporary Satin Brass Lever, you can just as easily pair that with a Flat Black American Heritage rosette, as you could pair it with a Satin Brass Contemporary Square rosette, as shown here in both applications. Or you could match a Polished Chrome Bath faucet on the inside of your privacy Egg knob set (but do a different finish in the hallway to ensure all the doors match on the outside).
By assembling the hardware to order, Emtek gives you control over your home design, as well as the flexibility to match finishes and styles to each room or space. Mix and match to your heart’s content—there are no “rules” when it comes to designing your own home.
Handing
Different than carpentry handing, Emtek’s door handing doesn’t rely on the in or out swing of your door. Instead, handing is determined by the location of the hinges when you’re standing on the outside of the door, looking inside. If the hinges are on your left, then the lever should be ordered as a Left Hand Lever.
So there you have it! Now you’re ready to order the Emtek products designed and built just for you and your home.
Have questions? Our expert customer service team would love to help!
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