Door hardware looks simple… until the wrong handle doesn’t fit, coastal air destroys the finish, or a sliding door turns out to be barely secure. A few smart choices up front can save costly returns, frustration, and hardware that gives up after a few months.

So before you buy door accessories in NZ, here are the key things to check—straightforward advice that actually makes hardware last.

Get Your Measurements Right

Your door’s probably not standard size. Mine wasn’t. The backset measurement – that gap between your door’s edge and where the handle sits – threw me completely. Grabbed a tape measure, wrote everything down on my phone. Door thickness, existing holes, all of it. Saved me returning stuff three times like my neighbour did.

Salt Air Ruins Everything

Live near the beach? Forget the cheap handles. My mate in Raglan replaced his twice before figuring out the coastal air was destroying them. Stainless steel costs double but actually lasts. Even Auckland’s humidity can wreck poorly finished hardware faster than you’d expect.

Sliding Doors Need Better Locks

Standard sliding door locks are rubbish for security. We learned this after someone tried our back door while we were home. Now we’ve got proper locks that grab top and bottom. When you buy sliding door locks, get ones with anti-lift features too – they stop people lifting the whole door off its track.

Your House Has a Personality

Victorian villa with ultra-modern chrome handles? Looks wrong. New build with fake antique brass? Also weird. I mixed metals in our place – black in the kitchen, brushed nickel in bathrooms – but kept each room consistent. Works better than I expected.

Those Grade Numbers Mean Something

Commercial buildings use Grade 1 hardware because it gets hammered daily. Your front door and main bathroom? Worth spending on Grade 1 or 2. That spare room cupboard nobody opens? Grade 3’s fine. I went cheap on our bedroom doors, regretted it when the handles started wobbling after six months.

Don’t Trust “Easy Install”

Bought what looked like simple locks for our shed. Needed a drill press and router I definitely don’t own. Check YouTube for install videos before buying. If everyone’s complaining about stripped screws or wonky alignment, pick something else.

Check the Warranty Length

Found two similar handles last week. One had a two-year warranty, the other had lifetime. Same price. Guess which company actually believes in their product? When you buy door accessories in NZ; that warranty difference tells you everything about quality.

Spent way too much time learning this stuff. Could’ve saved hours if someone had just spelt it out. Your doors aren’t going anywhere – get the hardware right the first time.

Need Decent Door Hardware?

Stop second-guessing every purchase and driving back for returns. Doric New Zealand’s got the full range, from basic everyday stuff to premium gear that’ll outlast.

Explore Products Now and find what actually works for your doors.