Knob Knowledge: Do All Door Knobs Fit the Same?

Door knobs may seem like an insignificant purchase, but they play a huge part in daily life. Aside from securing your privacy, they also keep your home safe when locked and can even enhance a room’s decor while still being functional.

If you’re looking at replacing some of your door knobs, perhaps you’re asking yourself, “do all door knobs fit the same?”. If so, keep reading for our handy guide on all things door knobs.

Types of Door Knobs

The main thing you need to decide when choosing a door knob is what you need it for. There are many different types of door knobs available, but how do you know which is best?

Let’s start with the two main categories for knobs. First, you have indoor and exterior door knobs. The former is the one you’ll use inside your house, while the latter is made to be used outside the home.

Interior Door Knobs

As the name suggests, interior door knobs are designed to be used inside the home. Therefore, they will come in various shapes, sizes, and finishes. However, there are a few subcategories of interior handles which we will outline below.

Passage Knobs

You can use a passage knob in any room that does not need to be locked as it requires no privacy. Therefore, passage knobs typically come without a door knob lock.

Privacy Knobs

A privacy knob is tailor-made for doors that, as the name suggests, require privacy. Typically you’d use these knobs on the bedroom or bathroom doors to keep people from accidentally walking in at the wrong time.

Most commonly, they don’t require a key but instead have a lock on the knob itself; however, it’s essential to note that this type of lock is not secure enough to be used as an exterior lock.

Faux Knobs

Also known as dummy knobs, these are merely for decorative purposes or just for providing the simple function of being a handle. For example, you’ll find these knobs typically on cabinets where the doors don’t need to be locked, but they provide function in opening the cabinet doors.

Exterior Door Knobs

As mentioned earlier, these knobs play a more significant part in their function than their counterparts. Exterior knobs will use a key to lock, so they can safely secure your home from intruders. These locks also will be made from a more robust, more durable material to handle (see what we did there?) the elements.

However, we can still break down this category into two subcategories which we’ll discuss below.

Keyed Entry Knobs

Probably the most common type of exterior knob, this door knob style will require a key to open, so entry is limited to only those who hold a copy of the corresponding key.

Some exterior knobs can be locked from both the inside and outside with a key, but most just require a key for opening from outside and have a latch-style lock on the inside.

Keyless Entry

While these are only now starting to gain traction as a home-style trend, these keyless door knobs allow entry by inputting the correct combination code in the dial pad.

This is especially handy if you want to offer entry to more than one person but don’t want the key to be misplaced. If you have this on your garden gate, you can also give the code to your gardener, who can then let themselves in to do their job while you’re at work.

How to Get the Right Door Knob for Your Door?

If you’re looking to upgrade or replace your existing door knob, you’ll need to do some measurements to ensure you’re getting the right size door knob parts. You can do this in three easy steps:

1. Measure the Diameter

The first measurement you want to take will help you decide the right size door knob you need to get. So for this, you’ll want to measure the diameter of the borehole on your door.

To do this, you will want to measure across the circular hole. First, measure from the widest point by placing your tape measure at the bottom of the hole and pulling the tape to the top of the hole.

Make a note of this measurement before proceeding.

2. Measure the Distance

Now you are going to want to measure the distance from the hole to the door’s edge. This is called the ‘backset.’

Industry standards have set this measurement to typically 2⅜ or 2¾ inches; however, a slight difference is permitted.

To get this measurement, place your tape measure at the center of the borehole and measure towards the edge of the door.

Make a note of this measurement before proceeding.

3. Measure the Thickness

Finally, you’ll want to measure just how thick your door is. For an interior door, your measurement should be around 1⅜ inches thick, while on an exterior door, you should get a 1¾ inch measurement.

To get this measurement, open the door and measure the thickness from left to right.

Make a note of this final measurement before proceeding.

Choosing the Right Door Knob Size

With all your measurements, you should be well equipped to find the perfect fitted door knob. You’ll want to check the following when choosing your door knob:

Borehole Diameter: Match the diameter of the circular hole to the new door knob.

Backset: If your chosen door knob doesn’t have an adjustable backset, you will want to get one in the exact size for the measurement you took in step two above.

Thickness: Most door knobs come in standard thickness sizing for interior use and exterior use, so simply choose the one that matches your door thickness, and you’re good to go.

No More Guesswork

That’s it; those are the simple steps you need to take to ensure your door knob fits the functionality you require as well as actually fits your door.

Remember, not all door knobs are made the same, so take the time to get your measurements correct to avoid having to redo it all again.

If you’re in need of new door knobs for your home, contact us, and we will be able to find you the perfect knob for your home.