All about door handles
They can significantly change the look and style of the interior: Door handles. What types there are and what materials they are made of - an overview.
What are door handles?
To be able to open and close doors, every door needs a suitable handle. Door handles are available in a wide variety of designs and materials. In addition to the right look, there are also other aspects that need to be considered before buying. Corrosion resistance, quality, workmanship and the corresponding DIN standard determine the service life of the door handle.
What types of door handles are there?
Rosette door handles
Door handles with rosettes consist of two parts: the door handle and the cover or border of the door lock, which is called a rosette. They come in square or round designs.
Shield door handles
Shield door handles consist of one part. This means that the door handle and the keyhole are connected by the shield. Escutcheon door handles are available in short or long versions.
Knob handle rose sets
This type of door handle set consists of two different door handles. On one side, usually on the inside, a classic door handle is mounted for pushing. On the outside, there is an immovable door knob. An interchange of door handle types - hence the name.
Door handle half-set
The solution for doors that connect two rooms with different interior styles. Doors with half-set door handles can have completely different door handle designs on the inside and outside. Playful country house style on the one hand and modern designer furnishings on the other can thus be wonderfully rounded off with the matching design of the door handles.
Ulmer door handles
A special door handle design: The Ulmer Türklinke is a mathematically designed door handle made of diminishing ellipses. The Ulm handle has no bend in its lines: it is shaped into an arc. It was designed in the 1950s by the former Bauhaus student Max Bill. Together with the student Ernst Moeckel, he developed the door handle in question.
What materials are door handles made of?
Iron, brass, stainless steel or aluminium - door handles are made of a wide variety of materials. An inexpensive, but somewhat less durable variant: plastic door handles.
Stainless steel door handles
Stainless steel door handles are particularly stable and resistant thanks to their nickel-steel alloy. The smoother the surface of the stainless steel door handles, the more corrosion-resistant they are. Important: Regular repolishing with stainless steel cleaner.
Aluminium door handles
Matt or glossy: door handles made of aluminium are equally corrosion-resistant due to the anodised protective layer and are therefore robust and easy to clean.
Brass door handles
Brass door handles are more susceptible to corrosion than handles made of other metals without proper care. To prevent darkening: Regularly polish the door handles with special brass cleaners.
Plastic door handles
Cost-effective door handles in all colours: Plastic door handles are usually made of polyamide, which can be produced in a wide range of colours. They are easy to clean and do not become statically charged. Disadvantage: UV rays can make them porous, fade and make them less durable.
The standard for door handles: DIN EN 1906
The DIN standard EN 1906 gives indications in different categories of how durable, burglar-proof, fire-resistant and corrosion-resistant door handles are: From categories of 1 (very low) to 5 (very high), they indicate how pronounced the various properties of the respective door handles turn out to be.
