How to Choose Exterior Door Hardware

The celebrated Missouri-born architect and designer Charles Eames once said, “The details are not the details. They make the design.” This is a great concept to keep in mind as you go about selecting the hardware for any new exterior door you choose for your home. The doorknobs and handles you add to your front entry door or patio doors may seem like small details, but they’ll play a big role in the visual appeal of your door and how well it complements your home’s overall exterior design.

For example, an intricately beveled Shaker-style door may lose a bit of its wow-power if it’s paired with an ordinary keyed-entry doorknob or a sleek, modern lever that’s better suited for a minimalist door style. From an exterior design standpoint, a handle set with a vintage finish might add exactly the right flourish to turn your fancy new entry door into the ideal centerpiece of your home’s façade.

Additional Factors to Keep in Mind

Of course, doorknobs, handles, and locksets are much more than exterior door embellishments. They also serve as the keys to your kingdom—your home and everything in it—so you’ll want to be sure that your door hardware allows ease of entry and exit by your loved ones and guests while creating a formidable barrier to unauthorized visitors. The renowned entry door manufacturer ProVia^® offers a terrific solution with a unique combination door handle and deadbolt design that provides excellent protection against break-ins while facilitating quick exits when you’re in a hurry. This hardware option allows you to simultaneously retract both the deadbolt and passage latches with a simple turn of the interior knob or lever.

Weather Resistance

Naturally, you’ll want to avoid investing in hardware that looks beautiful for a year or two after your exterior door installation but then loses its luster or, worse, starts sticking and causing difficulty when you want to enter or exit your home. This is especially important in rainy, muggy climates like that of the Kansas City area. Marvin^® sliding glass patio doors provide a great option for homeowners who worry about their door hardware becoming corroded or discolored due to humidity. The hardware on these doors is available in your choice of Oil-Rubbed Bronze or Satin Nickel, and it can be coated with a physical vapor deposition finish for the ultimate weather resistance.

At Johnson County Siding & Window Co., we offer an ample selection of high-quality exterior doors that will go the distance in our Kansas City climate. Plus, we provide design consultations so that you can select the features, including exterior door hardware, that best suit your tastes and priorities. Contact us today for more information.