Iver door handles buying guide
Iver door hardware is built from solid brass and sold as complete kits: a pair of levers or knobs, the plates behind them, the latch or lock, the fixings and the instructions. Searches for Iver door handles, Iver levers, Iver knobs and Iver architectural hardware all end up on the same shelf. This guide goes through the seven door ranges, the three kit types, the three plate styles, the sizes that decide fit, the fire test information that applies to some kits, and how to choose a finish. The brand overview, with the cabinet hardware that matches these doors, is on Iver.
The seven door ranges
Each range is a lever or knob shape that comes with the same set of plates and functions, so the choice is really a choice of shape. The differences are these.
Puerto is a contemporary lever with clean lines and balanced proportions, made for a simple, understated look. It is the range that also includes a flush pull for sliding doors. Helsinki is a structured lever that pairs with round, rectangular and oval plates. Sarlat is a sculpted lever, and it is the range that offers an inbuilt privacy version in which the lock sits inside the lever set. Osaka is a clean lever with the same plate options as Helsinki. Baltimore is a classic lever with a long established profile, and it is also made with inbuilt privacy. Brunswick is a traditional lever with clean lines. Cambridge is a smooth round knob inspired by the Victorian era, and it is the only knob in the group.
The ranges have their own pages if you already know the shape you want: Puerto, Helsinki, Sarlat, Osaka and Baltimore. Brunswick and Cambridge have a page for each plate style: Brunswick round rose, Brunswick rectangular backplate, Brunswick oval backplate, Cambridge round rose, Cambridge rectangular backplate and Cambridge oval backplate.
Levers or knobs
A lever is easier to use than a knob, because it works with a push of the hand or the elbow and needs no grip or twist. That is the reason levers are the usual choice for hallways and anywhere people carry things, and the reason they suit people with limited hand strength. A knob takes a firm grip, and its round shape sits closer to the door face with less sweep. The Cambridge knob in this range is 58mm long and reaches 67mm from the door, which is a deeper projection than the levers. Choose a knob when the look is the point, as it often is on a traditional or Victorian style door, and a lever when ease of use comes first.
Knobs and levers also behave differently beside a wall. A lever sweeps through an arc as it turns, so it needs room, and a knob turns in place. When the door opens close to a wall or a cabinet, check the clearance and fit a door stop so the handle does not strike. See door stops for matching options, and door knobs and door handles for the wider choice.
Passage, privacy and entrance kits
The kit type is what the handle does once the door is closed.
A passage kit latches the door and has no lock. The lever works freely from both sides, and it is the format for easy access between rooms. It suits hallways, living areas, laundries and any internal door that is never locked.
A privacy kit lets the door be locked from the inside. It comes in two forms. A privacy kit with a separate privacy turn pairs the lever with a small turn on the inside, and a privacy kit with inbuilt privacy places the locking mechanism within the lever set itself, so there is no turn to mount on a plate. The inbuilt version is offered in the Sarlat and Baltimore ranges. Privacy kits suit bathrooms, toilets and bedrooms, where the lock is a courtesy and not a security feature.
An entrance kit is for a door that locks with a key. The entrance kit has a high security lock with a key and thumb turn, so the key locks and unlocks from outside and the thumb turn works from inside. The lock is a euro mortice lock, and two keys come in the box. There are two layouts: a backplate kit that combines the lever and the lock on one plate, and a round rose kit with a separate high security lock fitted above or below the lever. For the sets by function, see passage door handles, privacy door handles and entry door lock sets.
Round rose, rectangular and oval plates
Each lever shape comes in three plate styles, except Brunswick and Cambridge, which come in two styles on the kit pages. A round rose is a small disc behind the lever, 52mm wide. A rectangular backplate is a long plate, 38mm wide and 240mm long in the passage and privacy kits, with fixing centres of 205mm. An oval backplate has the same length with softer ends, and it measures 40mm wide on the Helsinki and Sarlat kits.
The plate changes how the handle sits on the door. A round rose leaves the door face open and gives a lighter look, and it suits panelled doors with a narrow stile because it takes little room. A backplate covers more of the door, hides the lock area, and gives a longer, more architectural line. On a flat flush door the backplate looks tidy. On a panelled door, check that the plate length fits within the stile before ordering, since a 240mm plate needs a clear run of at least that length.
Sizes that decide fit
Every kit in the range suits doors 35 to 60mm thick, which covers most internal doors and many external ones. The backset, the distance from the door edge to the centre of the handle, is 60mm on the kits, and the sliding pull kits use a 45mm backset. The kits are made to the 85mm centre to centre spacing used by euro and privacy locks, so they fit a standard door preparation.
Projection, the distance the handle stands off the door, varies by range. On the backplate kits it is 53mm for Sarlat, 52mm for Osaka, 54mm for Baltimore, 57mm for Brunswick, 58mm for Helsinki and 60mm for Cambridge. The round rose levers project a little further, with Puerto at 61mm and Sarlat at 56mm on the entrance kit. If a door opens against a wall, a handle with a smaller projection leaves more space.
If you are replacing an existing handle, an adaptor plate is needed with the Puerto lever when the lever is retrofitted to an existing 57 to 60mm hole. Measure the hole, the backset and the door thickness before you order, and photograph the old handle from both sides.
Fire tested kits
Several kits are tested for up to 2 hours of fire rating. These are the Sarlat passage and entrance backplate kits, the Baltimore, Brunswick and Cambridge kits, and the Cambridge knob privacy kit, which suit projects requiring compliant door hardware. A fire rating belongs to a tested assembly of door, frame and hardware, so a rated handle on an unrated door does not give a rated door. If your project needs a fire door, read the product page and the specification sheet for the exact kit, and confirm the door and frame with the certifier.
Sliding door pulls
The rectangular sliding door pull kits are made for cavity sliding doors. They come in an entrance version with a high security lock and a privacy version with an integrated privacy turn. The pull measures 225mm long and 45mm wide with 205mm fixing centres, and the lock is a euro mortice with a 45mm backset on doors 35 to 60mm thick. Because the pull sits within the door face, the door can slide fully into the cavity. The Puerto flush pull is the simpler option, a recessed pull with no lock, made for sliding, cavity sliding and pocket doors. Matching cavity fittings are on cavity slider hardware and sliding door handles.
Finishes
Finishes across the door range are satin nickel, signature brass, matte black, brushed brass, brushed gold PVD and polished chrome, and each range page shows which are made in that shape. The coating depends on the finish. Brushed gold is a PVD coating, the brass and nickel finishes are lacquered, and matte black is powder coated. A lacquered finish should be wiped with a soft damp cloth, since scouring wears the lacquer, and a powder coat resists scuffs but can chip if struck at an edge.
When you are choosing between finishes, look at the other metal in the room. Satin nickel and polished chrome are cool and sit well with stainless steel and chrome tapware. Signature brass and brushed brass are warm and suit timber and warm paint colours. Matte black is neutral and works with most colours, and it is a common choice for hinges and frames. See matte black, brushed nickel and brass for the wider choice in those finishes.
Fitting and care
Fitting a kit takes a screwdriver, a drill and a pencil. Mark the position, drill the spindle and tie bolt holes, and fit the latch before the handle. Hand tighten the final turns of each screw, and check the lever returns to level when released. A lever that droops usually means the spindle or the tie bolts are loose. Wipe the handles with a soft cloth, keep abrasive cleaners away from the coating, and tighten the fixings once a year as the timber moves.
Choosing a set
Start with the shape of the lever or knob, then the finish, then the kit for the door's job. Check the plate length against the stile, and the door thickness and backset against the product page. Order the full set for the room at the same time, so the finish matches across every handle. If you want cabinet hardware to match the doors, the cabinet pulls and knobs are on Iver cabinet hardware.
Order the whole set for a room at the same time. Iver kits are made in batches, and a lever bought months later in the same finish can differ slightly in tone from the first. If you are fitting a house in stages, buy the passage, privacy and entrance kits you need now and add a spare kit or two in the same finish, so the later doors match the earlier ones.
