Accessories
To properly equip the handle at the gate, it is important to first decide what type of handle it will be - whether a lock will be required, what type. The lock can be designed independently or a ready-made mechanism can be purchased. The main task is practicality. Before installation, pay attention to what material the gate itself is made of. Installation is carried out in accordance with its design. Locks as additional protection are presented in a wide range - padlocks, rack and pinion, sound, electromagnetic, mortise, etc.
Handle for gates and gates with your own hands
Types of handles for gates
In their appearance, street door handles differ from each other. Conventionally, they can be divided into the following types.
Fixed or static. They are tightly attached to the door leaf. In this case, the gate is opened by pulling.
In turn, they come in the form:
- Staples and flasks (simple mounting, convenience, but few functions, there are holes for fastening with self-tapping screws);
- C-shaped and L-shaped (for metal doors, fastened by welding or with self-tapping screws).
Movable type. To open the gate using a similar mechanism, you need to either press the handle or turn it. This type of handle is divided into:
- On knob handles with a snap mechanism (the mechanism is set in motion by turning the knob, a special knob). They are convenient to use, but are not intended to protect against unwanted guests;
- Hazel (pressure type). The action inside the locking mechanism is driven by pressing the lever. The samples are also comfortable to use as the hand grips the handle securely without slipping.
The consumer chooses at his own discretion the type of handle for the gate, but the choice is made based not only on the convenience and beauty of the product, but also on practicality and combination with the door material in terms of installation.
Cold and hot forging
Customers are provided with elements produced by hot and cold forging. The first technology involves manual processing of ductile metal heated at high temperatures. In this case, artistic forging operations are used.
Hot forging is characterized by painstaking and lengthy work by the blacksmith, which results in high cost.
Reference. To produce elements using hot forging, you need to have extensive knowledge and skills. Therefore, craftsmen undergo training in blacksmithing institutions. Some performers acquire skills on their own or through forging workshops.
Handles produced using cold forging technology are sold at lower prices. This method is characterized by high productivity and low labor costs, which guarantees short production times. But the finished product also has a drawback - it is a standard design.
Types of handles by installation method
Depending on how a particular handle is mounted, they are divided into the following types:
- Overlays (attached to the surface of the canvas using self-tapping screws, and welded to metal ones or also mounted with bolts/screws);
- Mortise (in order to install them, you need to cut a hole in a hollow wooden or metal gate);
- Through (these are double handles, which are attached on both sides, and are connected to each other by a rod passing through the door leaf. The handle has a locking mechanism in the form of a “tongue”. The shape is distinguished between L-shaped and round).
Many craftsmen make false pens themselves from improvised materials - from leftover wood and metal.
Where to buy or order
Forged handles perfectly complement different types of gates. You can purchase a ready-made element or submit a request for the production of an original part by contacting specialists.
Forged gate with wood and metal handle. Photo Hovhannisyan Eduard (Art-Fe - artistic forging)
To purchase a gate of the model you like, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the contacts of the companies that are collected in the section “Where to buy and order forged gates.”
Types of handles by material
Outdoor door handles installed on the leaves of all kinds of gates differ in the composition of the materials from which they are made, as well as the manufacturing method:
Metal products (steel, aluminum, brass coated with chrome, nickel or polymer):
- Welded (welded from steel, then painted);
- Forged (the most beautiful and expensive, durable, available in the form of brackets and rings. They look great and fit almost all types of gates);
- Cast (handles cast using special molds. The most spectacular ones are made of brass and bronze).
Polymer. Such products are made from plastic.
Prefabricated. The structure is assembled from different parts fastened together.
Wooden. Not very popular due to shorter service life. They are for wooden gates. They have a prefabricated or “cast” appearance. A wooden handle must be impregnated with a protective antiseptic and painted.
A special coating is applied to metal fittings to protect the material from climatic influences (high/low temperatures, water and humidity) that damage its structure. The color of the products is most often silver and gold, or black.
Self-production
Before you can construct a simple model yourself, you will need to prepare a set of tools. If the product is planned to be made of wood, then you need a carpentry tool set, and for a metal product you will need a welding machine.
Below is an algorithm for creating an ordinary fixed handle yourself:
- Decide on the size of the product. To make it convenient to use the handle, the working part should be made in length equal to two fists of an adult, and the distance to the canvas should be at least one fist.
- Selection of workpiece. Suitable steel fittings with a diameter of at least 10 mm, timber or part of a pipe.
- Carrying out markings. The length of the workpiece consists of the working part, the thrust part and the fastening area.
- Using a hammer, a vice and a pipe with a diameter larger than the workpiece, you need to progressively make bends until the part takes the desired shape. Wood products are cut from thick boards or timber, shaping the surface for ease of grip.
- At least two holes must be made on the site for fastening.
- The handle is attached using self-tapping screws and then welded.
- Installation is completed by cleaning and applying paint.
After completion and proper implementation of the work, the gate looks beautiful. With effort, a self-made pen looks no worse than store-bought ones.
Types of locks for gates
Very often, handles are purchased with built-in locking mechanisms in order to protect the house from intrusion by unscrupulous people. The lock can be installed nearby, but separately.
Types of locks:
- Mounted;
- Invoices;
- Electromechanical;
- Magnetic;
- Sound;
- Mortise;
- Radio waves.
Select a lock separately or purchase a single “handle-lock” design.
The nuances of installing a handle in a gate
The procedure for mounting a door handle consists of the following points:
- Markings on the canvas;
- Preparatory work;
- Fastenings.
The installation also depends on the type of product.
Electric strikes
In addition to conventional shutters, there are electric ones. They are more functional. Electric locks have increased security measures, a special access system, and operate without interruption. Today they are considered the most reliable. When choosing an electric strike, familiarize yourself with the existing types.
Types of electric locks:
- electromagnets;
- mechanical;
- latches;
- motor.
The first ones have a plate that controls the closing/opening of the gate. Everything happens under the influence of magnetic influence. They are highly resistant to adverse weather conditions and can withstand severe frosts.
Electronic lock
The most popular ones in installations on gates are mechanical ones. An electromechanical latch consists of a combination of mechanics and electricity. It uses a special key. The decent price is justified by the high degree of burglary protection.
Electric latches are the simplest among electric locks. If your yard is not a secret object, then this option is quite suitable.
Electromotor. The door will operate using a small motor (bolt) located directly in the lock. It is activated with a special key.
You can install such a lock yourself if you are familiar with electronics. Otherwise, entrust the installation to a specialist.
Installation of handle and mortise lock (step by step instructions)
The most frequently purchased gates are made from corrugated sheets. The door must be hollow.
To attach the overhead handle and lock to the profile sheet, you need to take:
- Drill with a nozzle for metal;
- Self-tapping screws for corrugated sheets;
- Screws;
- Screwdriver;
- Marker;
- Bulgarian;
- Building level.
The work process looks like this:
- Mark with a marker the location of the handle.
- A drill makes holes.
- They “place” the fittings on self-tapping screws.
- Using a grinder, cut out a rectangle for the lock in the canvas. The housing is mounted into it. Mark the attachment points with a marker.
- If the lock has a handle, then at this stage holes are drilled for the rod on which the handle is attached.
- The structure is fixed with screws.
The aesthetics of the appearance of the installed fittings, as well as its trouble-free service life, will depend on the accuracy of the intended attachment points.
How to make a handle for a gate with your own hands (instructions)
Sometimes you need to attach a simple handle for a gate in your country house or garden. If the hardware store is far away, and the accessories are needed at the moment, then they make them with their own hands from improvised materials.
To make your own handle for a wooden street door, you need to prepare:
- Plastic tube;
- Nail - 120 mm;
- Two small carnations;.
How to do it:
- First, a c- or U-shaped handle is formed from the tube by bending it using a large nail inserted inside.
- Then they make “legs” for the bracket. To do this, the ends of the curved tube are bent at the edges twice: once inward and once away from the product.
- Then take a small block of wood (or a piece of board) and nail the “legs” onto the nails using a hammer. And in this form the handle is already attached to the gate.
The product is not suitable for fences made of corrugated sheets and metal. This homemade handle has more simplicity than beauty, but it is perfect for gates leading into the garden.
Manufacturers of locking hardware often update their range, and each time door handles amaze more and more (especially forged ones) with their beauty, aesthetics, intricate patterns and original ideas.
