Installing a door knocker may seem like a simple project, but there seem to be a few questions that need to be answered before getting started.
I just had one of the best laughs I’ve ever had. While watching one of my favorite TV shows, the main characters came up to a house to knock on the door. I had to do a double take, but there it was, a beautiful little urn-style knocker that was not only mounted to the top of the door, but installed upside down. This situation required a very tall visitor to use a door knocker that probably couldn’t generate enough hits to be effective.
Needless to say, knuckles were used instead.
This was a good laugh, but it exposed a reality to a guy who sells knockers for a living.
Knockers are typically purchased that use surface mounting or through door mounting.
Surface mounting would be the easiest. The screws go through the body of the latch and into the back door.
Through-the-door mounting, as the name implies, uses bolts that go through the door and screws into the latch to hold it in place.
The through-the-door method is a bit more complicated because holes must be drilled through the door to match the mounting points on the knocker. To complicate things many times, the mounting bolts need to be cut to the proper length to match the width of the door.
If you are replacing an existing door latch that is worn through the door assembly, you need to find a new door latch that uses the exact same bolt pattern or, as it is correctly called, bolt center as the old one.
The bolt center measurement is the exact distance from the center of one mounting bolt to the center of another mounting bolt.
If you purchase a replacement door knocker with a different bolt center dimension, you will need to drill another hole through the door. The additional problem is that there will be an unused hole in the door that needs to be covered or filled.
It is usually preferable to find a replacement hasp with the same bolt center dimension, but this is not always possible. There is no standard and the center of the bolt is generally determined by the design of the door knocker.
And now for what seems to be the hundred thousand dollar question for the installation of knockers. Where do I put it on the door?
The pattern and design of the door itself can dictate where the knocker is mounted. There always seems to be the nagging question of how high?
Again, there is no standard, but logic should dictate that the average person should be able to reach the knocker in order to use it. Even if you intend the knocker to be purely ornamental and not used, it just doesn’t look good if it’s positioned too high or low.
A typical height from the bottom of the door would be around 5 feet, or about the average person’s eye level, plus or minus a bit to match the pattern on the door.
As a final thought, a knocker should really be mounted on the door itself, not next to it. Again, if the knocker is there for purely ornamental reasons, it might not make much of a difference, but if you’re expecting results, that’s another case. The knocker blow will not resonate through the door frame or wall effectively enough to be heard clearly on the other side.
A door knocker is a wonderful and inexpensive addition to your home that can add charm and warmth to your entryway. Once installed, it should require little attention or maintenance for many years.
