Door Entry Hardware Types | What Goes on Your Door

The wrong choice leaves gaps in security, code compliance, or curb appeal. Door entry hardware types break into a few families, each serving a specific job on a specific door. Knowing the difference between a handleset and a deadbolt — and where a mortise lock works — saves a failed installation or a safety violation.

Residential Entry Hardware: The Common Configurations

Most US entry doors use one of two setups. The first: a keyed entry knob or lever plus a separate deadbolt above it. The knob or lever locks with a key from outside and a turn button from inside; the deadbolt adds the actual bolt that resists forced entry. The second: a handleset, which combines an exterior grip with the locking mechanism in one unit. Allegion groups the major mechanical-lock types as tubular, cylindrical, mortise, interconnected, and deadbolt, but for a standard residential install the choice is between keeping the knob and deadbolt separate or picking a one-piece handleset.

If you are pricing options and models for a replacement or new build, our tested roundup of the best entry door hardware on the market shows the top choices with real installation notes.

Mortise Locks vs. Tubular Locks

Mortise locks are all-in-one rectangular metal boxes that contain the latch, deadbolt, and cylinder in a single chassis. They require a solid wood or wood-core door because the box needs deep support inside a routed pocket. Tubular locks use independent, tube-shaped components for the deadbolt and latch, and they fit almost any door type — hollow-core, solid, metal, or composite. For a diy replacement, tubular gear is more forgiving; mortise locks demand a carpenter who can rout the door edge precisely.

Deadbolts: Single-Cylinder, Double-Cylinder, and Grade

Single-cylinder deadbolts use a key from the outside and a thumb turn inside. The Construction Specifier warns that double-cylinder deadbolts are restricted in code-mandated egress locations, so check your local code before buying. The most common backsets are 2-3/8 inches and 2-3/4 inches; bore-hole diameters run 1-1/2 or 2-1/8 inches depending on the product. ANSI grades rank deadbolts: Grade 1 is commercial-grade highest security, Grade 2 is standard residential heavy-duty, and Grade 3 is basic builder-level.

Passage, Privacy, and Dummy Hardware

Passage sets do not lock — they are for closets, hallways, and rooms where you need a handle but no security. Privacy sets have a basic lock (often a push-button or turn-button inside) and belong on bathrooms and bedrooms. Dummy or inactive hardware has no latch at all: it is a non-operating pull or knob used on the inactive leaf of a double door or as a decorative accent. Schlage’s room guide recommends matching the function to the door, not the other way around — a passage set on an entry door leaves the home unsecured, while a privacy set on a closet is just unnecessary complexity.

Key Specs to Check Before Buying

Mismatching any of these is the most common mistake: the new hardware will not seat, or the deadbolt will not reach the strike plate, or the lock cannot support the door weight. Check door thickness first, then backset, then bore size, then latch type before you open the package.

Electronic and Electrified Hardware

Electronic locks replace the mechanical cylinder with a reader — keypad, card reader, or biometric terminal. They come in two types: standalone units that manage access locally and networked systems that report to a central controller. Electrified hardware uses power to control locking and unlocking, and is available in fail-safe or fail-secure functions. (Fail safe unlocks the door when power is lost; fail secure stays locked.) These are more common on commercial doors but are moving into residential use through smart locks that pair with a phone app.