Builders Hardware Guides

Rim, surface vertical rod, concealed vertical rod or mortise? See where each exit device type latches, how Von Duprin, Sargent and Corbin Russwin number them, what less bottom rod (LBR) means, and what to specify when you order.

Matching an existing door hardware finish? This chart shows the codes used most often in our catalog: BHMA numbers such as 626, 630, 613 and 622 with the older US codes, plus what manufacturer finish tables say about base materials and differences between brands.

Ordering a door lock? Here is what passage, privacy, entrance or office, storeroom and classroom locks do on each side of the door, Sargent and Schlage function codes with the ANSI numbers from their catalogs and manuals, and how the function sits in a Sargent model number.

Need the hand of a door for a lock, exit device or hinge? How manufacturers define LH, RH, LHR and RHR, what reverse bevel means, the other abbreviations you will see (LHRB, RRB, LR) and where the hand appears in our product names.