Door Pulls and Locks

Interior Door Hardware Guide

Door Pulls and Locks

The right pull or lock should match the way an interior door opens, the amount of privacy required, and the available space around the doorway. This guide explains the most common hardware choices for hinged, pocket, bypass, bifold, and other sliding interior doors.

Bedrooms and bathrooms Privacy lock
Closets and pantries Passage pull
Pocket doors Recessed pull and edge pull
Bypass closet doors Flush pull
Round pocket door passage and privacy pulls with attached edge pulls

Pocket Door Hardware

Round Pocket Door Pulls and Locks

Round pocket-door pulls fit into a circular door preparation and provide a clean alternative to a projecting doorknob. Some models combine the recessed pull, latch, and edge pull in one assembly.

Passage

Passage hardware operates the door without locking. It is suitable for closets, pantries, laundry rooms, and other areas where privacy is not required.

Privacy

Privacy hardware locks from inside the room and is commonly used for bathrooms, bedrooms, dressing rooms, and home offices.

View Round Pocket Door Pulls
Rectangular heavy-duty pocket door passage and privacy pulls

Traditional Pocket Door Style

Rectangular Pocket Door Pulls

Rectangular pocket-door pulls combine a recessed handhold with a folding edge pull. They are available in locking and non-locking versions and work well in traditional and transitional interiors.

  • Passage versions for rooms that remain unlocked
  • Privacy versions for bedrooms and bathrooms
  • Recessed design that clears the wall pocket
  • Available in finishes that coordinate with other hardware

Builder note: Rectangular pulls require a properly sized notch in the edge and faces of the door. Confirm the template and door thickness before machining.

View Rectangular Pocket Door Pulls

Common Hardware Types

Choosing Pulls for Different Interior Doors

Round recessed flush pull

Flush Pulls

Flush pulls are recessed into the face of the door so the panel can pass another door or slide fully into a pocket. They are commonly used on pocket, bypass, and other sliding doors.

Round pulls provide a simple appearance, while rectangular pulls offer a longer gripping area.

Rectangular recessed flush pull

Rectangular Flush Pulls

Rectangular flush pulls are useful where a larger finger grip is preferred. They work well on wide pocket doors, bypass closet doors, barn-style sliding doors, and decorative panels.

Use matching pulls on both sides when the door must be operated from either direction.

Solid brass pocket door edge pull

Edge Pulls

An edge pull mounts into the narrow edge of a pocket door. When the door is fully open inside the wall, the pull folds outward to provide a grip for drawing the door back into the opening.

Separate edge pulls are often paired with non-locking flush pulls.

View Solid Brass Edge Pulls

Lever Handles and Knobs

Standard hinged doors generally use knobs or lever handles. Levers are easier to operate and are often preferred in accessible homes, while knobs provide a familiar traditional appearance.

These are normally available as passage, privacy, keyed-entry, or inactive trim. Interior applications most often use passage or privacy functions.

Dummy Pulls

Dummy pulls are fixed handles with no latch or locking mechanism. They are commonly installed on closet doors, pantry doors, French-door pairs, and other doors that use separate catches.

A single dummy pull may be used on one inactive door, while a pair creates a balanced appearance on double doors.

Privacy Bolts and Specialty Locks

Surface bolts, concealed bolts, and specialty sliding-door locks may be used where a standard latch is not practical. These are often selected for French doors, double pocket doors, and custom-built openings.

Hardware should be chosen according to the door construction, meeting stile, frame design, and desired emergency access.

Lock Functions

Passage, Privacy, Dummy, or Keyed?

Select the function according to who uses the room and whether the door needs to latch, lock, or simply provide a handhold.

01

Passage

Latches the door but does not lock. Best for closets, hallways, pantries, laundry rooms, and shared living spaces.

02

Privacy

Locks from inside and normally provides emergency access from the hallway side. Best for bathrooms, bedrooms, and dressing rooms.

03

Dummy

A fixed pull without a latch. Best for inactive doors, closets, cabinet-style doors, and double-door applications.

04

Keyed

Provides keyed security. It is less common on interior residential doors but may be used for private offices, storage rooms, or restricted areas.

What to Check Before Ordering

Confirming a few measurements before purchasing helps prevent installation problems and mismatched hardware.

Door type

Identify whether the door is hinged, pocket, bypass, bifold, wall-mounted, or part of a double-door opening.

Door thickness

Check the hardware specifications against the exact door thickness, especially with solid-core and custom doors.

Existing preparation

Determine whether the door already has a round bore, rectangular notch, edge preparation, or no machining at all.

Backset

For bored locks, measure from the door edge to the center of the existing hole and select matching hardware.

Clearance

Sliding-door hardware must remain flush enough to clear the wall, adjacent door panels, trim, and floor guides.

Finish

Coordinate the pull or lock with nearby hinges, faucets, cabinet hardware, light fixtures, and trim details.

Related Hardware

Shop Door Pulls and Locks

Browse pocket-door locks, passage pulls, privacy pulls, flush pulls, and edge pulls available from Hartford Building Products.

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Choose Hardware That Fits the Door and the Room

Start with the way the door operates, then choose the correct function, preparation, size, and finish. Properly selected hardware makes an interior door easier to use, improves privacy, and creates a more consistent finished appearance throughout the home.