LocksandSafes.com Blog

Door Hardware Handing Guide

Determining Door Handing (or Door Lock Handing) can be confusing !!! Many “old Pros” often make mistakes when ordering locks and door hardware! Why? Well, a left hand door is the same as a right hand reverse! Just like a right hand door is the same as a left hand reverse for the purpose of lock handing and door hardware handing! Confused yet?

Rest Assured! Locksandsafes.com wants to simplify the door hardware ordering process. First, for the purpose of explaining door handing, let’s take an OUTSWINGING door, or one that opens to the outside. This is known as a REVERSE door.. Exit devices can only be installed on reverse doors because they open “Out”:

Left Hand Reverse Handing – If the hinges are on the left (while standing outside) and the door opens towards the outside.

Right Hand Reverse Handing – If the hinges are on the right (while standing outside) and the door opens towards the outside.

NEXT, let’s take a look at INSWINGING door:

Left Hand Handing – If the hinges are on the left (while standing outside) and the door opens towards the inside.

Right Hand Handing – If the hinges are on the right (while standing outside) and the door opens towards the inside.

Door Handing Chart | Lock Handing Chart

Some other folks like to understand lock handing in the following way:

To determine which type of door handing you have, first stand on the outside of the door with your back towards the door. This would mean that you stand on the locking side of the door, if it is a locking door. Which of your hands can reach the lock? Right hand? Right handed door or the opposite! (see drawing above)

Extra credit question: Why is a right hand reverse the same as a left hand (for an inswinging door) for lock handing purposes?

Answer: because the bevel on the latch will be the same for both, you see? This is why the terms LHR/RH are synonymous (the same) and vice versa.