Door furniture explained: part two

In the second instalment of our two-part buying guide, we cover all the smaller details like hinges, thumbturns and escutcheons.

Door furniture explained: part two 
Part one of our door furniture buying guide (you can read that here) is all about choosing the right handles, locks and latches.

The remaining details are on the smaller side overall, but they’re no less important, and when chosen carefully, they’ll bring a cohesive look to your whole door.
Door hinge
This essential component allows a door to swing open or closed.

The most common type of door hinge is the butt hinge. It’s made up of two rectangular plates with screw holes along the lengths. They’re connected by a central pin that lets the plates pivot.

One plate is attached to the door jamb (the vertical portion of the door frame), and the other is attached to the inside of the door.

Most interior door hinges are designed to be morticed into the door and jamb. This just means the plates are installed into shallow recesses or ‘mortices’ the same size and thickness of the hinge.

As a rough rule, one hinge should be used for every 30 inches (that’s about 76cm) of a door’s height, but the thickness and weight of the door should be taken into account too. We’d recommend using three hinges on a 120kg door, for example.
We’ve engineered our hinges to be friction free, so they’ll run really smoothly.

Our solid brass Hazel hinge is made with polymer glide bushings, while our solid brass Curtis and steel Saxon hinges are engineered with steel ball bearings (these sit between the ‘knuckles’ of the central pin).

Both Hazel and Saxon are FR60 fire rated too (in other words, they’ll be fire resistant for an hour) something that’s crucial for interior fire doors in non residential properties.

It’s important to note that Hazel must be used with our intumescent pads to reach this fire rating.

Push plate
As the name suggests, push plates are there to be pushed on. They protect against finger marks and scratches on a door’s wood or paintwork.

You can use them on either side of a door that swings both ways or on the opposite side of a door with a pull handle. You could even use them above lever handles or knobs in particularly high traffic areas.

Our push plates come in two lengths and are made from solid brass that feels really pleasing to the touch.
Thumbturn 
A thumbturn offers a quick and easy way to lock and unlock an interior door from the inside without the need for a key.

This type of lock will give you plenty of privacy while you’re in a loo, bathroom or bedroom, but it can also be opened from the outside by rotating the cointurn if there’s ever an emergency.

You can read more about the type of locking system a thumbturn is used with in part one of the buying guide here.

Escutcheon
An escutcheon is a metal plate (solid brass in the case of our designs) that’s used to bring a clean and tidy look, as well as protection, to a keyhole.

There are two types: uncovered and covered.

The uncovered option will protect against damage to a door that might be caused by the key if it misses the keyhole.

The covered one (which has a pivoting second plate on top) also helps to protect against draughts, provide privacy and extend the life of the lock by preventing water and dirt getting into the internal workings.

Our covered Canning and Warwick escutcheons will fit well over any keyhole, while the uncovered versions can be glued over any normal Euro lock. 
Door stop 
The function of a door stop is pretty straightforward. It’s used to protect walls, skirting boards, furniture and, of course, the door itself.

We make our three door stop designs from solid brass so they’re sturdy enough to withstand the demands of daily door use.

Our Clifton style takes the form of a half moon and has a rubber buffer insert, while Seymour is cylindrical and squat. Its broad rubber buffer goes around its circumference. Both are designed to be fixed to the floor.

Then there’s Montpelier: our wall mounted tubelike option with a rubber tip.

Ready to start shopping? You can find our complete coordinating door furniture range here.