The details matter when designing your doors. A door is something you interact with a lot, so if the design isn't right, you'll be reminded every time you use the door. In addition, your front door is the first thing guests see and interact with when visiting, so you want the image conveyed by your handles and their tactile function to be exactly right.
We live in a world full of choices. With so many different manufacturers making so many different styles, materials, colours and textures, it is now possible for us to fully customise our homes, stamping our style onto every glorious aspect. Whether you are looking to upgrade the handles for your existing doors or choosing the right hardware to compliment your beautiful new doors, these tips and tricks should help you select the perfect handles to finish your home improvement project with style.
It's a good idea to consider not only the material the new handles are made from but also the material the door you're fitting them onto is made from. Consider whether you're fitting onto wooden, uPVC, composite, or aluminium doors before moving onto the colour of the doors, the style of design and other factors like glass used as well as other hardware like knockers, letter boxes, locks, draught excluders, peepholes, and trickle-vents. Consider whether you want harmony or contrast between the materials used.
As well as the aesthetics of your handles, try to envision how they're going to be used and who is going to use them. Will they need to be simple and easy to grip for children or the elderly, or can you choose a more technical handle? Do you need a handle with a locking mechanism or just a simple sleek handle that's convenient to use?
You can choose an eclectic mix of materials for a unique and striking combination or choose a more cohesive selection of hardware. When selecting all the hardware, try to identify a theme, such as 'modern', 'eclectic' or 'classic', that can be kept in mind when selecting the handles to best match all the elements.
It's always a good idea to measure not only the sizing of the fixing points but also the protrusion of the handles. Some doors will open to walls. When this is the case, door stoppers will be needed to prevent the handles from damaging the walls. Aesthetically, the size of the handles can also compliment or ruin the look of doors. Large bold doors can warrant distinct-looking handles, whereas more traditional, elegant or classic doors may be best suited to a more delicate size.
Something that’s used as often as a door handle becomes part of your everyday life. It's always good to ‘test drive’ something that’s going to play a daily part in your life. You wouldn’t buy a car without taking it for a spin to see how it feels. This is a good approach when choosing the door handles to compliment your doors. Some things can look the part in terms of style, colour, size and material but just don't feel right in the hand. Something tactile, balanced and operates smoothly can be the important finishing touch.
Different types of handles require different types of maintenance. Polished brass finishes, for instance, require specific brass cleaning products and regular polishing to keep the finish consistent. However, brushed or uPVC finishes require very little maintenance other than the occasional wipe-down and are more resistant to smudges and fingerprints.
Friends and family members with mobility issues or disabilities may require special consideration when choosing your door handles. DDA-compliant door handles may be needed if this is the case. However, there is a wide selection of styles, colours, materials and sizes contained within this subcategory of door handles, so you should still be able to find something that fits your theme.
More than just an interface between the door and the handle, the backplate is another customisable component to consider. This component can match the handle and blend the two seamlessly, or you can choose to highlight these two components by selecting different materials or colours to contrast them.
When choosing the right handles, applying these hints and tips should help you to make the right choices. However, once you whittle the possibilities down to just a few that tick all the boxes, you’ll need to trust your instincts. If you need any further advice, get in touch with the team here at Rock Solid Doors, and we’ll be more than happy to help.
Graham Kidd2 November 2023100% recommend Paul and Harry a great father and son team! I'm so pleased that we used them to supply and fit our new front door. Straightforward to deal with from start to finish and communication throughout was excellent. They are extremely knowledgeable and were able to offer advice and suggestions when we were choosing the door we wanted. Nothing was rushed during the installation with great attention to detail. They took away our old door and frame and left everything clean and tidy at the end of the job. Thank you, Harry, for taking the time to go through everything with us at the end of the job, much appreciated. I would not hesitate in using Paul and Harry again. Thank you both so much, we are so pleased!
Andrew Brant30 October 2023Had a door fitted today. Extremely happy with the quality of the finish, attention to detail. Left site clean and tidy. Very impressed. Would highly recommend
Daniel Ashworth6 October 2023Had a door fitted by these very friendly chaps about 18 months ago. We're very happy with it. When an issue arose with the mechanism, they came out and fixed it in about 5 minutes and it's as it if is brand new again. Very pleased, would highly recommend.
L Edwards2 October 2023Communication with Paul was faultless throughout. He was polite, knowledgeable and efficient. Harry and Paul installed our new door, problem solving along the way. The finish was neat and tidy and they offered us excellent after sales service aswell. Would highly recommend.
Susie22 September 2023Highly recommend. We had our front door fitted by this lovely team. They were friendly, helpful, willing to listen to me debate options and provided helpful advice for choosing the right door for us. When he had a slight issue (no fault of their own) they came out to us the very next day and sorted it. Such a good supplier to work with!
Ed Barkham21 September 2023Brilliant service. No hidden costs or fees and no heavy sales tactics. Very open and clear from the start, and they worked really hard to fit a great new door in our thinner than average doorway! Great value and great result. Will be recommending to all.
fiona richards10 September 2023Highly recommend Rock Solid doors. We have used this friendly family company several times and have recommended them to others who have been equally impressed with the high standard of work and the product. We have received quick service and found them to be very reliable knowledgeable with no hard sell. The installations have been carried out professionally and they go the extra mile to ensure you are happy with everything. The external doors are robust and we are impressed with the quality of the product.
James Cooper24 July 2023Faultless customer service from a fantastic company to do business with. From start to finish it’s been a pleasure buying composite doors from Rock Solid Doors – in fact, we were so impressed with the front door and installation service they provided (we opted for a Solidor Ludlow 2 with 2 x fully glazed side lights) that we got them back to supply our utility door (Windsor Solidor – fully glazed) shortly afterwards. Paul dealt with our initial queries promptly, came to measure on site and provided a competitive quote very efficiently. These guys are first-rate craftsmen and know their stuff: evidenced by working around a couple of quirky construction issues without any problem – leaving us really impressed with the end product. It’s great to come across a local business that takes pride in what they do, going the extra mile for customer satisfaction – we cannot recommend Rock Solid Doors highly enough! Thank you Paul and Harry!
Simon Gould25 June 2023Brilliant service from Paul at Rock Solid; our letter box seal had gone causing a slight leak - he responded immediately, attended this week and fixed with a new gasket. Would highly recommend the product and the service.
Lidia Duncan16 June 2023I ordered my Vogue Rock door with the Ocean glass from Rock Solid Doors at the end of 2021. I had a number of criteria when searching for my new entrance door. It’s ability to insulate had to be A rated. I also wanted it to have a good quality locking mechanism that is smooth in action. My new door needed to be modern with a pane that lets plenty of light in and thus goes lower than the half line on the door, while leaving sufficient height for the letter box, so it is sufficiently high to be comfortably reached by our postman. The Vogue Rock door provided all that and more. I love sailing and the Ocean glass design evokes the lines of a sail in a beautifully minimalistic fashion. It also makes the door look unique, which is always a bonus. During my search for the perfect door I had lots of technical questions too. Only Paul and his colleague from Rock Solid Doors were able to answer all my questions and provide a door that offered what I was looking for. They supplied and fitted my new door in early 2022. My heating bill has gone down noticeably, as a result. With the golden oak wood grain on the outside, my door looks beautiful and elegant. Everyone who comes to the house for the first-time comment on it. The multi-locking mechanism has a smooth action and it is easy to use. The white wood grain on the inside finishes off the hallway like a designer window and door in one. Paul and his colleague went out of their way to make sure that I have the door and the finish just, as I wanted and that it worked seamlessly there on. We could not be happier. Thank You!
