Door Knocker Installation
Installing a door knocker may seem like a simple project, but there seem to be a few questions that need to be answered before you get 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 look twice, but there it was, a beautiful little urn-style knocker that was not only mounted high on 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 makes a living selling knockers.
Knockers are typically purchased that use surface mount or through the door mount.
Surface mounting would be the easiest. The screws go through the latch body and into the back door.
The thru-the-door mount, as the name implies, uses bolts that go through the door and screws into the door knocker 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 must be cut to the proper length to match the width of the door.
If you are replacing an existing door knocker that is worn through the door assembly, you need to find a new door knocker that uses the exact same latch pattern, or as it is properly called, latch 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 added 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 latch with the same dimension as the center of the bolt, but this is not always possible. There is no standard and the center of the bolt is usually determined by the design of the door knocker.
And now for what appears to be the hundred thousand dollar knocker installation question. Where do I put it on the door?
The pattern and design of the door itself can determine where the knocker mounts. 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 door 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 eye level for the average person, plus or minus a bit to match the pattern of 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 may not make much of a difference, but if you’re expecting results, that’s another case. The knock of the knocker will not resonate through the door frame or wall well enough to be heard well 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.