Door handles and door furniture are a subtle but very important feature of a home or workplace. There are lots of door handles in a typical building design, probably more than you think, and as such they play a significant role in how a building looks both in small detail and as an overall design. Door handles tie the overall look together, much like accessories do when we get ready for a night out, so although they might represent small detail we would miss them if they weren’t there.
And because door handles tie rooms and features together, they add to the natural flow of a building, they enable consistency and uniformity but can also allow you to make a bold statement if there is one room – such as a boardroom for example – where you want to create a different appearance to add prestige, elegance and importance.
What makes a quality door handle?
Quality is a very important element of a door handle, and in a variety of ways can create the difference between handles giving you the performance you require and creating the visual appeal that you require. So let’s look at why door handle quality is so important:
- Design
As a functional item you want the door handle to be easy to grip, to work consistently and to not be an obstruction or something that keeps catching your clothes or an elbow as you walk past. You want the latch to work well and not stick or become squeaky. You want the handle to be sturdy enough to create the leverage you need to open a door, ie. you need a strong handle to match a heavy door for example, and when considering this you want to think about how often the door is used.
- Materials
The type of material you select for your door handle is also important for a number of reasons and is a big factor in the eventual quality of door handle you achieve. The material needs to be durable for the amount of use a door gets (many of our handles are tested to BS EN 1906 Grade 3 and 4), it has to look good and be able to retain that look long term, and it needs to be cost effective, particularly if you have a lot of door handles to buy and install. Typical door handle materials and finishes include brass, bronze, black, chrome, satin nickel and stainless steel. Of course materials go through trends in terms of what is fashionable at any one time, and while this is important, you also need to consider how often you want to change your door handles, and hence you might be better with a design that enjoys an enduring popularity. And that is usually because it is good quality also.
- Installation
A door handle can look great and be the right material at the right price, but if it is badly installed it can become damaged, unsafe and unreliable. Even if the handle is well installed it can work loose and come off if it is completely inappropriate for the type of door you have. But it is important to have door handles professionally fitted so that they don’t sag and can function properly and consistently for many years.
Quality door handles from EM-B
Of course, a big factor in choosing a quality door handle is in the type of handle you choose. These can be lever handles, pull handles or door knobs, and similarly they can have a back plate or be mounted on a rose (round or square) or can be oval, rounded, angular, classic or contemporary in their design. There is so much choice with EM-B that there is no excuse for not ensuring your business has reliable and great-looking door handles throughout the property.
And in the current economic climate business is all about making small gains. Getting your door handles right is a big reflection of your business and how it projects itself. So if you want to promote professionalism, reputation and assurance then you need to get the details right, and that means quality door handles, so get in touch with EM-B today and we can bring even more quality to your business.