Locksets, hinges, catches and the hardware terms that show up on a door or cabinet schedule.
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Jump to a term: Ball-Bearing Hinge / Spring Hinge · Butt Hinge / Leaf / Knuckle / Barrel / Pin · Cylinder / Thumbturn · Deadbolt · Door Bump · Door Stop (Hardware) · Hinge Leaf · Hinge Mortise (Gain) · Knob · Latch / Deadlatch / Faceplate · Lockset · Passage / Privacy / Keyed / Dummy Function · Self-Closing Hinge · Strike / T-Strike / Full-Lip Strike · Strike Plate (Full Phrase) · Strike Plate Mortise (Latch Mortise)
Ball-Bearing Hinge / Spring Hinge
Ball-bearing hinges have bearings between the knuckles for smoother operation under heavier loads (standard on Sun's Up exterior doors, 4x4in vs. 3.5in interior); spring hinges self-close.
Butt Hinge / Leaf / Knuckle / Barrel / Pin
Also called: NRP.
The standard door hinge: two leaves (flat plates) joined by interlocking knuckles that a removable pin runs through, forming the barrel.
'Leaf' can also mean a door slab in spec language, covered on the Doors hub. Here it means one of the two flat hinge plates.
Cylinder / Thumbturn
Also called: thumb turn.
The keyed cylinder and interior thumb-turn that operate a deadbolt.
Deadbolt
Also called: deadlock.
A separate keyed lock, no spring-latch mechanism, that throws a solid bolt into the jamb strike. Standard on exterior doors.
In the US, deadbolt is the standard name. British sources often call the same hardware a deadlock. If a spec sheet or an imported product says deadlock, it means the deadbolt.
Door Bump
Shop talk: hinge bump.
A shop-talk alias for a door stop; the piece that keeps a door handle from hitting the wall.
Door Stop (Hardware)
Also called: hinge pin door stop, hinge-pin stop.
A door stop protects a wall or trim from door-handle damage; types include hinge-pin-mounted, baseboard-mounted, and wall-mounted (floor or wall bumper).
Do not confuse this with the jamb stop, the strip of molding on a door jamb that the door closes against. That is a different part, with its own entry on the Doors hub.
Hinge Leaf
Either the pin-side or barrel-side plate of a hinge.
'Leaf' can also mean a door slab, covered on the Doors hub. Here it means one of the two flat plates of a hinge, not the door itself.
Hinge Mortise (Gain)
Also called: mortise.
The shallow recess cut into the door edge and jamb that a hinge leaf sets into, flush.
The word 'mortise' also names the classic mortise-and-tenon joinery joint, a different thing entirely, and the strike-side pocket in the jamb, which is Strike Plate Mortise (Latch Mortise). It is used as a verb too, for cutting any of them: 'mortise the hinge' or 'mortise the strike.' Context tells you which.
Knob
The generic hardware noun for a door's turning grip, as opposed to a lever.
Latch / Deadlatch / Faceplate
Latch is the spring-loaded bolt that keeps a door closed. Faceplate is the plate on the door edge the latch mounts through. Deadlatch is an auxiliary pin that keeps the latch from being shimmed open.
Lockset
The catalog and services umbrella term for a door's knob or lever mechanism, covering passage, privacy, keyed and dummy functions.
Passage / Privacy / Keyed / Dummy Function
The four common lockset functions: passage (no lock, hallways/closets), privacy (push-button/thumb-turn, no key, bed/bath), keyed/entrance (keyed one or both sides), dummy (non-functional, decorative pull only).
Self-Closing Hinge
Also called: self-close hinge.
A spring hinge that closes a door automatically without a hand pushing it, required on house-to-garage doors for fire/code separation.
Strike / T-Strike / Full-Lip Strike
Strike is the metal plate on the jamb that the latch or deadbolt engages. T-strike and full-lip strike are specific shapes: a T-strike straddles both stop faces, and a full-lip strike wraps around and covers the jamb edge.
Strike Plate (Full Phrase)
Also called: keeper. Shop talk: strike.
The metal plate on the jamb that a latch or deadbolt bolt engages into.
Strike Plate Mortise (Latch Mortise)
Also called: latch mortise, strike mortise, strike plate mortice.
The shallow recess cut into the jamb so the strike plate sits flush with the jamb face. A second, deeper pocket behind it gives the latch bolt somewhere to land.
Pro note: Cut too shallow and the plate stands proud, so the door will not close clean against the stop. Cut too deep and the screws pull the plate below the surface and the latch catches on the lip. On a factory pre-hung the strike mortise is already cut; you only cut one when you are hanging a slab, moving a strike, or fixing a door that will not latch.
Carpenters say 'mortise' for both this and the hinge pocket, and as a verb for cutting either one. This entry is the STRIKE side, in the jamb, for the latch. The hinge pocket is Hinge Mortise (Gain). Different location, different hardware, same word.
What does your crew call it? If you use a different word for something on this page, or we are missing a term you use every day, tell us and we will add it.