Door hardware purchase plan

Interior and exterior hardware are not interchangeable

A passage or privacy set designed for an interior door is not built for exterior exposure, and an exterior entry set is generally overbuilt and more expensive than an interior door needs. This plan separates the two counts so each gets priced with the right product category rather than one blended average that overstates the cost of interior doors or understates the cost of exterior ones.

A privacy set, used on bathrooms and bedrooms, locks from the inside only; a passage set, used on hallways and closets, does not lock at all. Both are typically priced the same and counted together here, but confirm which function each of your doors actually needs before ordering, since a privacy set on a closet door or a passage set on a bathroom door is a functional mismatch even though the hardware looks similar.

Deadbolts are a separate line item, not part of an entry set

Most entry door hardware sets include a locking handle or lever but not a deadbolt, which is sold and installed as its own unit even when it is designed to match the entry set's finish. This plan counts one deadbolt per exterior door by default, since a single lock point is not considered adequate security on most exterior doors, but adjust the count down if any exterior door in your project already has a deadbolt you are keeping.

Handing determines which product actually fits

Some hardware, particularly certain lever and deadbolt designs, is handed, meaning it is manufactured for a specific door swing direction and will not function correctly if ordered for the wrong one. Confirm each door's handing, left or right, in-swing or out-swing, against the product listing before ordering, since a wrong-handed lockset typically has to be returned and reordered rather than adjusted on site.

Keying is worth deciding before you buy, not after

If you want every exterior door to open with the same key, confirm the deadbolts you are buying can actually be keyed alike, either from the factory or by a locksmith after installation, before finalizing your purchase. Buying deadbolts from different product lines can make matching keys difficult or impossible, which is a much easier problem to avoid before ordering than to fix afterward.

Verify before you buy

• Confirm door handing (left or right, in-swing or out-swing) for any hardware that is handed, before ordering.
• Check backset and door thickness against the hardware you are buying, since both vary between product lines.
• Verify whether your exterior doors need a keyed-alike deadbolt to match existing keys, which some hardware sets support and others do not.