Locksets and Push/Pulls

The handle is the last thing to worry about. Start with the door.

For broader project planning, explore WBC’s doors and millwork resources.

Architectural door hardware covers the locks, handles, and pulls needed to secure and operate doors, and choosing the right one means balancing security needs, traffic levels, and physical door constraints like thickness, material, and backset. Pick by looks first and the order comes back wrong. Pick by the door — its prep, its thickness, how the room gets used — and the hardware drops in clean.

This guide walks the decisions in the order that matters: grade, lock type, then how it mates to the door you’ve already got hanging.

Grades, Lock Types, and What They Mean

ANSI/BHMA grading is the clearest signal of where a lockset belongs and how long it’ll last. Grade 1 is the heavy-duty standard for high-traffic or high-security commercial applications, Grade 2 is for light commercial use, and Grade 3 is strictly residential. Spend up where the door gets hammered. Match the grade to the abuse, not the other way around.

Then the locking mechanism. Two main camps. Mortise locks offer superior durability and security, making them the standard for exterior entries and high-traffic corridors, while cylindrical locks are more cost-effective and easier to install, serving well for lower-traffic interior office doors. For Montana’s commercial and public buildings — doors that swing hard all winter — Grade 1 mortise is the durable call on a heavy exterior entry.

Push/pull trim is its own category, built for places where people have full hands or need to move fast. Pull handles are used on entry, glass, or storefront doors and often require separate coordination with the door material and fixing method. The institutional push/pull locks share a useful trait: they’re offered in a variety of functions and configurations, and on classroom-function units the outside key locks and unlocks the outside lever while the inside lever stays free for immediate exit, with an auxiliary latch that deadlocks the latch bolt when the door is closed.

Here’s where the spec sheets line up across a few representative commercial push/pull mortise units:

Spec	TownSteel MSS-PP	Sargent 8200	Cal Royal SC8070HL
Grade	Grade 1 (BHMA A156.13-2012)	Grade 1	Classroom (ANSI F05)
Function	Multiple per catalog	Passage	Classroom
Fire rating	UL 10C, 3-hour	UL10C, 3 hr	UL Listed
Door thickness	1-3/4” standard, others available	1-3/4” to 1-7/8”	1-3/4” (44mm)
Backset	2-3/4”	2-3/4”	—
Handing	Non-handed, field reversible	—	Non-handed, field reversible
ADA	Compliant	Compliant	—

The TownSteel sheet spells out the door fit clearly: it’s built for solid core wood or hollow metal doors, with a stile width minimum of 4-1/2”, 1-3/4” standard door thickness, and a 2-3/4” backset. Field-reversible handing is the friend of anyone ordering ahead of a measure — the push-pull trim can be mounted vertically or horizontally in the field, and handing is easily reversible.

Matching the Hardware to Your Door

Most botched orders trace back to one thing: the hardware didn’t line up with the existing prep. Run the checklist before anything ships.

Thickness. Standard commercial doors run 1-3/4”. Older interior doors often come thinner. The institutional push/pull units above are built around 1-3/4” (44mm) hollow metal or wood doors, with thicker options on request.

Function. This is the room’s job description. Always verify that the function — entry, passage, privacy, or classroom — matches the specific operational requirements of the space. A closet doesn’t need a keyed entry; a classroom does.

Backset, stile, and handing. Commercial push/pull mortise locks run a 2-3/4” backset with a 4-1/2” minimum stile width. Confirm handing — many push/pull trims are non-handed and reverse in the field, which removes a whole category of ordering mistakes.

The big one. When buying, confirm that hardware is compatible with the door’s prep, thickness, and handing. Review installation templates and make sure the hardware is in the schedule before starting work.

On the residential side, the everyday hardware covers the same function logic — passage, privacy, entry, deadbolt — in lever and knob trim, including deadbolts, hall and closet knobs, entry locks, passage and privacy leversets, and handlesets from familiar names like Kwikset and Schlage.

Finishes, Corrosion, and Code

Finish isn’t just looks — it’s corrosion resistance, and that’s a real factor on Montana exterior doors fighting freeze-thaw and moisture. The BHMA finish range is wide. Push bar and pull lines run from satin chrome (US26D/626) and satin stainless (US32D/630) to oil rubbed bronze, matte black, and antimicrobial options.

For anything outside, go stainless. The Ives EZ pulls come standard with 316 Series stainless, which makes them highly recommended for all external applications. That’s the grade that holds up where coated brass eventually gives in.

Two code lines are non-negotiable on commercial openings. Always confirm that the selected hardware meets local code requirements, including ADA accessibility and fire ratings. For ADA pulls, the clearance number to know: Ives ADA-compliant pulls (EZ) have a door-to-pull clearance of 2-1/2” or greater. For fire-rated openings, the hardware has to be UL-listed — the institutional mortise units above carry UL 10C 3-hour ratings. Confirm the local requirement before you order, not after.

Push Bars and Push/Pull Combos for High-Traffic Doors

For entry and storefront doors, coordinated push-pull sets are the smart play — using coordinated push-pull sets prevents finish mismatches and simplifies installation. The Ives 9100 Series is built around exactly this. It meets ANSI/BHMA 156.06, is made from brass and stainless steel, and is tested to withstand high-traffic areas and abuse.

Sizing is straightforward. Standard lengths are 28” and 33”, with whole 1” increments from 25” to 45”. The combos come in straight and offset layouts — a solid straight pull/push combo, a 45° offset, and 90° offset versions, including ADA-compliant models. Door thickness fit: standard for 1-1/2” to 1-3/4”, optional for 2” and 2-1/4” thick doors.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between Grade 1, 2, and 3 hardware? Grade 1 is the heavy-duty standard for high-traffic or high-security commercial applications. Grade 2 is for light commercial use, and Grade 3 is strictly for residential environments. The grade tells you where the lockset belongs and how much daily abuse it’s engineered to absorb.

When should I use a mortise lock instead of a cylindrical one? Mortise locks offer superior durability and security and are the standard for exterior entries and high-traffic corridors. Cylindrical locks are more cost-effective and easier to install, and they serve well on lower-traffic interior office doors.

How do I keep from ordering the wrong lockset? Match it to the door. Confirm the hardware is compatible with the door’s prep, thickness, and handing. Review the installation templates and make sure the hardware is in the schedule before beginning work. Many push/pull trims help here because they’re non-handed and field-reversible.

What backset and thickness do commercial push/pull mortise locks use? The common standard is a 2-3/4” backset, 1-3/4” door thickness, and a 4-1/2” minimum stile width, with other thicknesses available on request.

What finish holds up best on exterior doors? For outdoor and high-corrosion spots, go stainless. 316 Series stainless is highly recommended for all external applications. That matters on Montana entries that take moisture and freeze-thaw cycling year-round.

What hardware does a fire-rated door need? UL-listed hardware. Several institutional push/pull mortise locks carry UL 10C 3-hour fire ratings. Confirm the selected hardware meets local code requirements, including fire ratings, before ordering.

What’s the ADA clearance requirement for door pulls? ADA-compliant pulls require a door-to-pull clearance of 2-1/2” or greater.