FAQ

Installing a door set involves drilling holes in your door - holes that will vary depending on the type of door set you have.

Most door sets in pre-1930s houses were of the mortise lock type. These distinctive box-like locks were installed in a large hole, or mortise, in the edge of the door [A]. Mortise locks allowed for locking with a key or thumbturn, and utilized independent plates and knobs connected through the door with a steel spindle.

Today, most door hardware uses a cylinder latch designed to mount in a 2-1/8" hole, or bore [B]. Cylinder latches are built as a whole with their plates and knobs, and cannot be intermixed with older knob-and-spindle type door sets.

The cylinder latch was introduced in 1924 by Schlage, and by the late-1940s had pretty much displaced traditional mortise locks as the standard for door hardware. Because they remain the industry standard to this day, many new doors come pre-bored to accept cylinder latches.

Our door sets have a foot in the past and a foot in the present. Our door trim is of the knob-and-spindle type just like old hardware, and will work with new or existing mortise locks, as well as easy-to-install tube latches. Tube latches mount in a simple hole drilled into the edge of the door [C]. Our sets are also designed to hide or accommodate a standard 2-1/8" bore, although it is preferable to install them on unbored doors.

And for you true old-house enthusiasts, we offer a unique and proprietary privacy system. This system uses dual tube latches with a single joining faceplate [D]. When installed, our privacy system looks and operates just like the old thumbturn-type mortise locks used to.