Door Knobs and Door Handles

The door with an internal latch is a relatively new development in door furniture, although they are almost universal in homes now. In Victorian times, there was a mixture of the older style of pull handle – a simple upward projection affixed to a backplate, used to open the door. The Victorian fixation with appearance and presentation meant that pull door handles were often carved or scored for decoration, with a rounded end for both comfort and safety when opening the door. External latches could be used – these were often spring operated, so the door handle is attached to a rocker bar below an L-shaped spring. The spring holds the latch in place, and the door handle is used to release it.

Knob shaped door handles came into prominence during the Victorian era. Their rounded design was much more streamlined and unobtrusive than some of the other upwardly-projecting door handles. The rounded shape offered opportunities for decoration and personalization – so flower-shaped door knobs, rectangular and other polygonal door knobs, and a myriad of variations in shaping became common.

Door knobs were made of decorative materials such as ceramic, clear or coloured glass, and easily shaped and worked metals such as brass and iron.

The more public rooms in a Victorian house featured the more decorative door handles – those made of ceramic or glass were used here. Small brass door knobs were used in more private areas. Finger plates were also quite common in the more public areas of the home. They were usually matched in style and material to the door knob and other door furniture.

Rim Locks and Mortise Locks

Rim locks were simpler to mount than the newly developed mortise lock, which was set within the door. This is another respect where wealthy homes were set apart from working class homes – those that could afford to have their door furniture renovated did so, with the new mortise lock, and those that couldn’t stayed with the older rim lock design.

If you are renovating a Victorian door, rim locks are quite easy to install yourself. They are often beautifully decorated, as the surface of the lock gives great opportunity to introduce decoration and art into the door furniture. Brass, iron and wood were the most usual materials used to make rim locks.

Mortise locks are somewhat more secure than rim locks – they are set into the door, with only keyhole exposed. This means they can’t simply be pried off or unscrewed, and makes them more suitable for use on exterior doors. They became popular later in the Victorian era, and with them came a new item into the realm of Victorian door furniture – the escutcheon.

Escutcheons

Escutcheons are rotating covers set on top of the keyholes of mortise locks. They are designed to prevent dust getting into the lock mechanism, and also serve a decorative purpose. Round, square and teardrop-shaped escutcheons were all popular during Victorian times. They were usually made of metal or china.

Hinges

Of course, strap hinges were needed on batten plank doors, but even here architects and builders did what they could to make these doors more presentable, with wrought iron lacework on these where it could be incorporated.

On panelled doors, folding hinges were hidden between the door frame and the door, as they are on houses today. This made hinges a less important part of the door furniture from Victorian times onwards, and greater prominence and attention was given to door knobs and door handles.

 Repair and Maintenance

 The relatively good quality of Victorian doors makes it more viable to renovate or repair them. You can use a blowtorch, sander or chemical paint stripper to remove old paint – as mentioned earlier, be careful not to ingest the dust, as it will often be lead-based paint.

Fill any minor cracks with wood filler, and use several coats of paint to finish the door. It is best to paint the door before installing door furniture, to avoid either getting paint on the metal or ceramic, or having paint missing around the edges of the door furniture.

Advice by ArchitecturalClassics.com