Posted by DDH Staff on 5/17/2012 to Tips
Well, we went over what is needed for closet doors. Let's move on to what hardware you may need to order for your front exterior door(s). There are a couple different styles of exterior doors like, regular single front door, double doors, and this could also include your back door, side door or maybe even your door that leads to your garage if you have one.

Single Front Door

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Let's get down to the nitty gritty. Let's say you have a regular single entry door, what do you need to order? For starters I think I would start with a handleset.

Single cylinder handlesets (like shown above) are most common. A single cylinder means that it has the key on the outside and a thumb turn on the inside. You could also order a double cylinder handleset which means it uses a key on the outside as well as on the inside.

width=Generally the double cylinders are used on doors that are part glass, an intruder won't be able to unlock the door without a key. It is not recommended on most doors because it in

If you don't really want the deadbolt and handle combo like the handlesets offer, you can simply order a deadbolt and a keyed entrance door knob/lever handle.

creases the danger of a person trying to get out in case of emergency.

Keyless Locks and Sideplate Locks are also something you could choose from.

Double Front Door

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Double doors are a tiny bit more complicated. You just kind of have to know what you want it to look like. Most people go with the handlesets on both doors. In order to do this you will need either a single cylinder handleset or a double cylinder handleset like we talked about above already. Then you will also need a dummy handleset, which is simply a stationary handleset that is mounted to the door. It will have an inside and an outside just like the active handlesets have, but it won't move at all. With double doors, you have an active door and a stationary door (aka dummy door) which can open by a bolt at the top and bottom of the door and lock into place in the door jam. These bolts are called either flush bolts or surface bolts. Normally, you need a total of two. Like I said before, it depends on what you want it to look like, if you only want to order the active handleset and leave the stationary door blank, go ahead and do that, but you will still need the flush or surface bolts. Just like the single door,  if you don't like the handleset idea, you can order a deadbolt and door knob/lever handle for the active door and or include a dummy door knob/lever handle for the stationary door. Many options to choose from. You can also check out the Keyless Locks or Sideplate Locks for the double doors.

Back Door/Door Leading to Garage

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Alright, so for the back door or misc. door, It would be just a simple keyed entrance function door knob/lever handle and single cylinder deadbolt. I believe most doors will have a deadbolt, although I have seen some without.

Don't forget your hinges!

Misc. Hardware You Can Also Include: