How To Measure UPVC Door Handles
15 August 2023 :: How To Guides, Door Handles & Knobs & Front Door Furniture
How To Measure UPVC Door Handles
Useful Guide To Replace UPVC Multi-point Door Handles On Your Front Door
Multi-point door handles, often called uPVC Door Handles, are designed to operate the modern multi-point lock systems that are often fitted to external doors. Although they are most commonly fitted to modern UPVC and composite doors, they can also be used on timber doors that have a multi-point lock system.
The basics of measuring for multipoint & uPVC door handles:
A multi-point lock system runs the length of the door edge and will usually operate 3 or 5 different bolts to lock the door securely into the frame. The bolts are operated by the door handle being lifted upwards to engage or shoot the bolts, and then locked with a Cylinder. This gives a very secure fitting to the door, and by using cylinders the lock itself can easily be changed as required. However, there are some special requirements for these door handles and certain measurements are very specific, which means you cannot fit any door handle as the lock systems will vary.
More Handles sells a great range of Multi-point Door Handles in many styles and finishes to get the perfect match for your front door. We stock from a range of high-quality manufacturers so you can be sure to get the right choice.
In this guide, we will help you understand how to measure the handles correctly to ensure you get the right one for your door.
Over time different lock manufacturers have designed lock systems using varying sizes and measurements, which does cause some confusion, so please do not assume your lock will fit every door handle.
The first thing to establish are some key measurements that must match exactly to the lock system on your door.
PZ Centre Measurements
Sometimes called the PZ measurement (although no-one seems to know why!), this is the distance between the centre of the door handle lever and the centre of the round part of the cylinder.
SKUs: 1B000/1B001 (Black/White) | Both £13.01 INC. VAT
This measurement will usually be either 92mm or 70mm. Over the years the 92mm system has become themes popular, but the 70mm is still commonly used. Other measurements also exist, but they are unusual and therefore will limit the choice of door handle designs available.
If you are still at the point of specifying your lock system we recommend using a 92mm PZ Centre Measurement to give you the most choice in the market for the door handles.
Fixing Centre Measurements
The second important measurement is the distance between the centre of the fixing screws. This can also vary depending on the lock system, but must be an exact match for your door handle to fit. There is always a fixing screw at the bottom of the plate, and some have a second fixing hole under the lever, others at the top of the plate.
Do not be tempted to drill new holes in your door to match as you risk drilling through the lock mechanism inside the door.
Backplate Width
The third measurement to understand is the width of the backplate. These door handles are usually supplied on a narrow plate, this is intentionally designed to allow room for the large frame that often secures the door, and the narrow width of many UPVC designs.
Most designs of the door handle will be able to fit, but still an important measurement for you to check as some can be too wide.
SKU: RM12NP92CP | £18.83 INC. VAT
Design
Once you have checked all the measurements on your lock system you can begin to define your search and choose from the many designs available. There is always the popular white powder coated handles to match the UPVC doors, they do not stand out and last very well in external conditions.
However, lots of manufacturers have brought new and interesting designs to the market in recent years allowing you to choose a range of finishes in brass, bronze, steel, black, and chrome.
The choices now available also allow you to use a much more traditional lever design. This is great if you are updating an older property, or want to choose a coordinated theme with the other handles in the property.
There are some excellent options by manufacturers like From The Anvil Multi Point Door Handles that combine traditional designs with modern technology.
Always remember that fitting door handles externally means they will be subject to the British weather, and some of the value ranges - especially in lacquered brass may begin to show signs of wear after a while. Other finishes may require regular cleaning to maintain their look.
Security
The main reason for choosing a multi-point lock handle is the security, so just some reminders for you.
Some handles have excellent security designs that include an armoured section around the cylinder to add further protection like the Eurospec Prosecure Handle.
SKU: ML050234 | £56.10 INC. VAT
Using a multi-point lock system is great for security and peace of mind, but is actually only as secure as the cylinder you fit into the lock. When fitting on external doors, you should always ensure the cylinder is of British Standard quality with a minimum 6-pin system and additional security features. If an insufficient cylinder is used then, unfortunately, you could be at risk of simple lock snapping techniques, and potentially uninsured as a result.
Lock Cylinders should always be measured carefully to ensure they do not protrude through the handle backplate. You can see our other blogs 'How To Replace A Euro Lock Cylinder’ for more details on this.
Reminders
Just a few final words of advice to ensure that your multipoint door handles fit perfectly.
Please measure carefully from the centre to the centre. Your measurement should always be read in millimetres to be sure of the correct distance.
If you are replacing existing handles then you may also want to keep the spindle from the old handles as this may already have been cut to the required width for your door.
If you would like any further advice on UPVC Multi-point Door Handles, then call and speak to the team at More Handles who will be able to answer your questions and make some helpful suggestions on the huge range of choices available.
TEL - 01228 516516
WEB - morehandles.co.uk
EMAIL - sales@morehandles.co.uk