Lock Finishes Explained | Door Hardware Finishes Explained

This article is about lock finishes explained and door hardware finishes explained and will answer your question “What are the Different types of Door Hardware Finishes?”

There are two standards in the United States which have identified and defined door hardware finishes. The earlier standard is the United States Standard, developed by the Institute of Standards, and finishes in this standard are depicted as US10B, US26D etc. The  more recent standard has been defined by the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) and is known as BHMA A156.18 Materials and Finishes. The BHMA Standard not only defines a finish, but maps it to its equivalent US Standard finish.

The difference between the BHMA Standard and the US Standard is that the BHMA Standard take into account the base material over which the finish is applied. For example, while there are three BHMA Standard numbers for Satin Chromium Plating; BHMA 626 is Satin Chromium on brass or bronze, BHMA 652 is Satin Chromium Plated Steel and BHMA 682 is Satin Chromium Plated Zinc, there is only one equivalent US Standard number for Satin Chromium Plating; US26D.

When choosing a door hardware and finish, it is important to select one that should blend with the surroundings. Other factors to consider when deciding upon a base metal and finish is, where the door hardware will be used and its exposure to elements, such as whether the hardware will be used inside or outdoors, what weather conditions and temperature range will it be exposed to, etc.

The most commonly used base metals for making door hardware are Brass, Bronze, Steel, Stainless Steel, Aluminium and Zinc.

Types of Finishes

Finishes can be broken into Bright or Satin (one that has a low luster). The different types of finishes that can be applied on the different types of metals include:

Bright or Satin finish of Brass. For example, BHMA 605 is Bright brass on brass, whereas BHMA 606 is Satin brass on brass. Brass finishes can also have a coating applied to prevent tarnishing.

Bright or Satin finish of Bronze. For example, BHMA 611 is Bright bronze on bronze, whereas BHMA 612 is Satin bronze on bronze. Bronze finishes can also have a coating applied on it to prevent tarnishing.

Uncoated finishes of Brass or Bronze have an oil rubbing applied on them.

Bright or Satin finish of Stainless Steel. For example BHMA 629 is Bright Stainless Steel, while BHMA 630 is Satin Stainless Steel.

Plated finishes are the most common types of finishes and are applied using electrolysis.

Anodizing is applied on Aluminium base metal and forms a protective layer on it.

Most Common Finishes

Other Finishes

Architectural Hardware Finishes

Following are common finishes found in US. The first column indicates the BHMA number, the second column indicates the old US standard number (if available), the
third column indicates the finish and the fourth column indicates the base metal on which finish is applied.