Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Door & Hardware Terms

ASTRAGAL

A molding applied to the meeting edges of a pair of doors to protect against weather and/or fire.

BACKSET

A dimension from the edge of the door to the center of the knob, cylinder or function hole. On doors with a beveled edge, distance is measured from the center of the door edge. Tubular (cylindrical) locksets usually have a 2 3/8″ or 2 3/4″ backset.

Backset diagram:

BEVEL

The angle of the door edge in relation to the face of door. Usually described as 1/8″ of bevel in 2″ of door thickness. This is equivalent to 3.5 degree angle (approximately). Doors opening in have a regular bevel, doors opening out have a reverse bevel.

CYLINDRICAL LOCK

See TUBULAR LOCK.

DEADBOLT

A lock bolt having no spring action, which must be operated by a key or turn-piece.

DOOR NOMENCLATURE

FUNCTION

Function describes the type of operation that the door latch hardware provides. Different functions are appropriate for different doors in your home. Four major categories are:

• Entry or Entrance Set: Used on exterior entrance doors that require security, an Entry Set is locked with a key from the outside and usually includes a locking deadbolt.


• Privacy Set: Often used on bathroom or bedroom doors, a Privacy Set latch can be locked for privacy from the inside by depressing a pin or button, but can be opened from the outside in an emergency through a small access hole. No deadbolt.


• Passage Set: Appropriate for interior doors that never need to be locked, such as kitchens, dining rooms, etc. A Passage Set includes a non-lockable latch bolt only, and allows free access through the door in both directions at all times.


• Dummy Set: Non functioning hardware most often used on the non-active door in a pair of double doors, also sometimes on closet doors. No latch mechanism at all is included - just the knob or lever and associated trim. Called Full Dummy if on both sides of the same door, and Half Dummy if on one side only.

EDGE PULL

A recessed pull mortised into the edge of a pocket door. 

FLUSH BOLT

A bolt recessed flush into the edge of the inactive leaf of a pair of doors at the top and bottom to secure door.

HAND

All doors are handed from the outside or locked side. Determine if door opens in or out (99% of residential doors open in). Standing on the outside -

• If door opens in and hinges are on left, it is Left Hand (L)
• If door opens in and hinges are on right, it is Right Hand (R)
• If door opens toward you and hinges are on left, it is Left Hand Reverse Bevel (LR)
• If door opens toward you and hinges are on right, it is Right Hand Reverse Bevel (RR)

Door hand diagram:

The best way to describe multipoint door locking hardwareis to contrast it with the more common single point hardwarefound on most doors.

See HLS9000 Hoppe Parts Finder for more information on finding specific parts.

 

HINGE, HALF MORTISE

This configuration is used for door jambs that do not allow mortising (e.g. channel iron frame). One hinge leaf is mortised into the door edge, and one leaf is applied to the surface of the door frame.

HINGE, FULL SURFACE

In this configuration, one hinge leaf is applied to the surface of the door, and one leaf is applied to the surface of the door frame.

HINGE, HALF SURFACE

In this configuration, one hinge leaf is applied to the surface of the door, and one leaf is mortised into the door jamb.

KEYWAY

The aperture in a lock cylinder that receives the key. Shape of the milled slot is peculiar to each lock manufacturer.

LATCH BOLT

A bevel-headed spring bolt that holds a door closed, and is usually operated by a knob or a lever handle.

MORTISE LOCK

Lock type which installs into a large mortise or pocket (typically about 5-1/2" high and 4" deep) which has been cut into the edge of door, as opposed to a tubular (cylindrical) lock which installs through round holes bored into the face and edge of the door (see TUBULAR LOCK).

Photo of Baldwin mortise lock - BODY ONLY (without knobs, levers, roses, escutcheons, lock cylinder):

MULTI-POINT LOCK

 

Hoppe makes two different types of multipoint locks, a European style HLS9000 mechanism with the key below the lever and an American style HLS 7 Series with the key above the lever.

 

The best way to describe multipoint door locking hardware is to contrast it with the more common single point hardware found on most doors. A single point mortise lock consists of a latch and deadbolt only. The deadbolt provides the single locking point between the door and jamb. A multipoint mortise lock has multiple locking points which simultaneously lock into place through the action of a continuous travel drive rail. This drive rail is usually activated by lifting the door handle. We offer a shootbolt system which provides three locking points: at the deadbolt, at the top shootbolt (where it enters the top jamb), and at the bottom shootbolt (where it enters the sill). See HLS9000 Hoppe Parts Finder to find specific parts.

 

 

RAIL

In a door or sash, one of two or more horizontal members, such as the top rail or the bottom rail.

RIM LOCK

Lock type that is installed on the inside surface of door, not mortised into the edge of the door.  Also referred to as a surface mount.

ROSE or ROSETTE

Round disc installed behind knob or lever.

STILE

In a door or sash, one of two or more upright members, such as the lock stile or the hinge stile. See "Door Nomenclature" diagram.

STRIKE

Metal plate installed in a shallow mortise on the door jamb and struck by the latchbolt when the door closes. May have a curved lip or a straight lip. Types include:

• box strike (also called a T strike)
• full lip strike
• ASA strike (meets ANSI standards; usually used on steel doors only)
• combination privacy strike (a strike for both the latchbolt and the deadbolt)

Thick doors may require an extended lip strike, which is wider that a standard strike.  The lip-to-center dimension ("LTC") is often used to size strikes, and is the distance from the edge of the lip to the center of the hole.

TUBULAR (CYLINDRICAL) LOCK

Lock type which installs through a round hole bored into the face of door (usually 2-1/8") and a round hole bored into the edge of the door (usually 1"), as opposed to a mortise type which installs into a large mortise in the edge of the door (see MORTISE LOCK).

Photo of Baldwin tubular lock, with levers and roses:

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