Your door and its hardware are the first things guests will notice and come in contact with when they visit your home or business facility, which is why you shouldn’t overlook their importance. Selecting the right door handles is a great way to showcase your home’s personality, and believe it or not, even increase its value. As is the case with most home improvement projects, putting some thought before upgrading your door handles will yield much better results than hitting the stores and expecting to make the best choice then and there. That being said, here are some of the things you need to consider before browsing through all the available options in online or retail stores.
The first thing you need to consider is the style. You should approach the handle’s design the same way you’d approach any other design task. Consider your home or business’ overall theme, then consider the design of the surrounding area or room, and lastly, the type of door. For instance, if traditional design prevails in your home, then D handles for doors can be a nice fit. If you’re more into modern curves, then a straight stainless steel door handle may look out of place instead of acting as a contrast. Besides D handles for doors, some other popular door handle styles are lever on backplate, lever on rose, flush pull handles, door knobs, etc.
Besides the style, you also need to consider the environment and the material of the handle. For instance, antique bronze and brass look great in warm-coloured homes, whereas cooler schemed homes would look better with a stainless steel, chrome or porcelain handle. If you live near the ocean or in a tropical area, you should get a handle that can withstand salt and humidity, such as stainless steel or chrome.
There are many finishes that can improve the handle’s resistance properties, but also its appearance. Matt black is one of the favourites, and so are antique nickel and brass. The material and finish will determine how much maintenance your handle will require. Materials like stainless steel and chrome require less maintenance than most other materials, since they’re more resistant to corrosion and the elements.
And lastly, you’ll have to consider your budget. You generally get what you pay for, so expect handles that are made of better quality materials to cost more. However, door handles are a long-term investment, so it’s always better to shop for quality than having to go through the buying process again in a year or so.
