Lever & Door Handles
Handles Inc. stocks door handles for every door in the house, on a rose, on a backplate, as knobs and as recessed handles for sliding doors, in black, stainless steel, chrome, nickel and brass finishes.
- Showrooms in Kramerville, Parkhurst, Pretoria & Umhlanga
- Free delivery to the main cities on orders over R1000
- Sold as a pair, with the spindle & fixings in the box
- Ask us which handle fits your lock before you order
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Which Door Handle Do I Need?
Start with the door and the lock already fitted in it, and choose the handle last. A handle has to suit the lock behind it, so find out which lock is fitted before you choose.
| Type of Handle | Best For | Before You Order |
|---|---|---|
| Lever on a rose | Internal doors and front doors. The lever sits on a small round or square plate, and the keyhole gets its own cover. | Add the matching escutcheons if the product name does not say they are included. |
| Lever on a backplate | Front doors and any door where the keyhole or cylinder sits directly under the handle. | Check the keyhole in the plate against your lock. KH in a product name means keyhole and CYL means cylinder. |
| Door knob | Classic and period-style doors, and internal doors that do not need a lever. | A knob usually needs a lock set further in from the edge of the door, otherwise your knuckles catch the frame. |
| Recessed handle | Sliding and pocket doors, where a lever would stop the door sliding into the wall. | Measure the door thickness, because the handle is cut into the door. |
| Escutcheon | Covering the keyhole or cylinder beside a lever on a rose. | Match the finish and the shape, round or square, to the rose. |
Door Handle Materials & Finishes
Most of the range is made from solid brass, stainless steel or zamak, a zinc alloy. The finish is the colour and surface of the metal. It sets how the handle looks on the door and how well it holds that colour. Match the finish to the other metal in the room, such as taps, window frames and light fittings, so the handle does not stand out against them.
Aged gold, and currently our most requested finish, for classic interiors and older houses
Brass colour sealed under a hard coating, for front doors and busy doors where the colour must not wear off
Near the coast, salt air tends to mark a plated finish first. On the KwaZulu-Natal coast, choose brushed stainless steel or a PVD finish over polished chrome or plated brass, because a plated handle by the sea can mark much sooner than one inland. Some ranges carry a finish guarantee, and the product description says where one applies.
Door Handles for Interior & Exterior Doors
An exterior door handle takes sun, rain and a key several times a day, so it needs a hard finish and a lock behind it. An interior door handle needs a latch and little else.
| Door | Handle to Use | What Sits Behind It |
|---|---|---|
| Front or entrance door | A lever on a backplate with a cylinder hole, a lever on a rose with escutcheons, or a pull handle | A cylinder sash lock for a lever, with a deadlock above it for more security, or a roller lock for a pull handle |
| Internal door | Lever on a rose, or a door knob | A sash lock |
| Bathroom, toilet or ensuite | Lever on a rose with a turn and release, which locks from the inside without a key | A bathroom lock, with a privacy indicator on the outside if you want one, or a toilet cylinder, which can also be unlocked from the outside |
| Sliding or pocket door | Recessed handle | A hook lock, or nothing at all on a door that stays open |
| Patio or garden door | Lever on a backplate in brushed stainless steel or PVD | A cylinder sash lock, so the door can be locked from both sides |
What to Check Before You Buy a Door Handle
The lock
A sash lock has a latch that the handle pulls back. A deadlock has no latch, so a handle fitted over a deadlock turns and nothing happens.
Keyhole or cylinder
A handle on a backplate is cut for one or the other, and the product name says which.
The centres
The distance between the keyhole and the square hole the handle turns in. Centres only matter on a backplate, and most of our cylinder locks use 85mm centres.
Door thickness
It sets the length of the spindle and the fixings that come in the box.
The old screw holes
A new rose or plate smaller than the old one leaves the holes showing, so compare the sizes before you order a replacement.
Our locks range can be filtered by backset and centres, so you can narrow it to the lock that matches your door and your handle. If you are replacing a handle on a door you are keeping, bring the old handle or a photo of it next to a tape measure, and we can match it in a few minutes.
Door Handle Showrooms in Kramerville, Parkhurst, Pretoria & Umhlanga
All four Handles Inc. showrooms have the door handle range on display.
Kramerville
17 Kramer Road, Kramerville, Johannesburg
Parkhurst
80 6th Street, Parkhurst, Randburg
Pretoria
Shop 14, Atterbury Lifestyle Centre, corner of Atterbury Road and Windsor Road, Faerie Glen
Umhlanga
Shop 14, Beacon Rock, 21 Lighthouse Road, Umhlanga, north of Durban
The showrooms open Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00, and Saturday, 09:00 to 13:00. If you order online, collect from any of the four showrooms or have the order delivered. Delivery to the main cities is free on orders over R1000. Outlying areas carry a surcharge, and delivery there takes three to four days from payment.
Not Sure Which Door Handle You Need?
At Handles Inc., we match handles to doors every day, for a single replacement handle at home and for every door in a new build. Tell us about the door first: what it is made of, which lock is fitted in it, and which finish is on the taps and window frames nearby. We then confirm the handle, the escutcheons and, where you need one, the lock and cylinder.
Send the details through our contact form and tell us which showroom is nearest to you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Door Handles
Do door handles come in pairs?
Yes. A door handle is sold as a pair, one for each side of the door. The spindle that joins them through the lock comes in the box, with the fixings. Handles on a rose often include the two escutcheons as well. Buy one product for one door, and add a second only where a double door needs a handle on each leaf.
How much do door handles cost?
The material and the finish set the price. A plated handle generally costs less than one made in solid brass, and a PVD finish adds to the price because the coating lasts longer than plating. Each product page shows the price for the pair and lists what comes in the box, so compare products on the page rather than on the photograph alone.
Do you sell handles for sliding, barn and aluminium doors?
Sliding and barn doors take different hardware, because the door moves sideways and a lever would be in the way. Our sliding door hardware range covers sliding and barn door handles, and our pull handles range covers the long bar handles fitted to entrance and pivot doors. Aluminium doors are thinner than timber doors. They take a narrow lock, and the handle has to suit that lock, so tell us the door is aluminium before you order.
Can I match my door handles to my cabinet handles?
Yes. Choose the same finish name in both categories, such as matt black or satin brass, and the two ranges will match in the same room. Our cabinet handles range lists the finish on every product, so filter both categories by the finish you have chosen.
Does Handles Inc. supply door handles for architects and builders?
Yes. Architects and builders can upload a plan and a hardware list to our specification tool, and the contact form asks for your customer type, so tell us there that you are specifying for a project. Bring the plan into any of the four showrooms and we will work through it with you at the counter.
