Exterior Door Knobs

Exterior Door Knobs for Front Doors and Entry Openings

Exterior door knobs include operating hardware used on front doors, side entries, garage entry doors, service doors, and other exterior openings. Designs range from residential entry knobsets to commercial keyed knobs and knob-and-deadbolt combinations. The lock function varies by product, so exterior knob hardware can provide keyed locking, non-locking latch operation, or specialized commercial operation while retaining a knob-style handle and latch mechanism.

Keyed entry door knobs use a keyed cylinder on the exterior side of the lockset and an interior locking control. These knobsets combine normal latch operation with keyed access and appear across residential entry hardware as well as selected light-commercial configurations. Cylinder format, keyway, latch design, backset, grade, door preparation, and trim style vary across keyed exterior knob designs.

Passage door knobs operate a latch without a built-in locking function. A passage knob can also be used on an exterior door where a separate deadbolt or another independent locking device provides security for the opening. In that arrangement, the knob operates the latch while the separate lock controls whether the door is secured.

Commercial exterior openings can use storeroom, classroom, vestibule, communicating, corridor, institution, and other commercial knob functions depending on the lock design. These configurations differ in how the inside and outside knobs operate, when a key is required, and how the lock responds from either side of the door. Grade ratings, cylinder systems, keyways, latch formats, and trim construction also vary across commercial knob hardware.

Exterior knobsets are also available as combinations that pair a knob lock with a separate deadbolt. These configurations place the latch and deadbolt in separate door preparations while coordinating the visible hardware. Across exterior door knob styles, physical differences include knob shape, rosette profile, backset, latch type, door thickness compatibility, cylinder configuration, keyway, mounting arrangement, grade, and finish family.