Hardware is sold in grades that are described loosely, and on a large house the difference between grades is what decides whether something lasts five years or twenty. It is worth knowing what the words actually mean, because they are used freely and the price differences are real.
What separates one hinge from another
Hinges look similar and differ in three ways that matter: the material, the bearing at the pivot, and the load they are rated for.
A cheap hinge is pressed from thin material with no bearing, so the pivot wears and the door drops.
A good one is heavier, has a bearing, and carries a stated load. The word on the box is not the specification; the load rating is. So we tell you what is being fitted and what it is rated to carry, rather than describing it as heavy duty and leaving it there.
Why door weight is the number that matters
Almost every hardware failure on a house comes from an item being asked to carry more than it was made for.
A solid timber door, a large glass door or a wide gate weighs considerably more than a standard internal door, and standard hardware on it will fail.
So the first thing to establish is the weight of what is being hung, and then the hardware is chosen from that. Fitting whatever fits the existing holes is how a house ends up with the same failure every two years in the same place.
Matching across a house without over-specifying
On a large house people reasonably want the ironmongery to match, and that can push everything to the same high grade whether it needs it or not.
That is money spent on cupboard doors to match a main door.
So the sensible approach is to match the finish and the visible design across the house while varying the grade with the load. It looks consistent, it costs considerably less than specifying everything to the heaviest item, and nobody can tell from looking.
How the job works
- Tell us about the jobSend a few photos, rough sizes and what you need. Use WhatsApp or the form. For a repair, a short video of the door moving helps a lot.
- We call you back in about 2 minutesWe confirm what you need and a time to visit. Where we can, we give you a rough price on the call.
- We come and measureWe measure the opening and check the walls, floor and ceiling around it. Anything made to size is made to these measurements, so they must be right.
- You get a written priceIt lists each item, with GST as its own line. If anything about the job changes, we tell you before we go ahead.
- We fit itYou approve the price and pay the advance. Our own team fits the work, checks that every door and window opens and closes properly, and clears up. Most jobs are done in 3 to 4 days.
