Builders' hardware or just builders hardware is a group of

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

hardware specifically used for protection, decoration, and convenience in buildings. Building products do not make any part of a building, rather they support them and make them work. It usually supports fixtures like

window A window is an opening in a wall, door, roof, or vehicle that allows the exchange of light and may also allow the passage of sound and sometimes air. Modern windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent mat ...

s, doors, and cabinets. Common examples include

door handle A door handle or doorknob is a handle used to open or close a door. Door handles can be found on all types of doors including exterior doors of residential and commercial buildings, internal doors, cupboard doors and vehicle doors. There are man ...

s, door hinges,

deadbolt A dead bolt, deadbolt or dead lock is a locking mechanism distinct from a spring bolt lock because a deadbolt can only be opened by a key or handle. The more common spring bolt lock uses a spring to hold the bolt in place, allowing retraction ...

s, latches, numerals, letter plates, switch plates, and

door knocker A door knocker is an item of door furniture that allows people outside a house or other dwelling or building to alert those inside to their presence. A door knocker has a part fixed to the door, and a part (usually metal) which is attached to t ...

s. Builders hardware is commonly available in

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...

, steel,

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

, stainless steel, and

iron Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...

. Well known suppliers of builders hardware mainly exist in China, India, Mexico and some in the U.S.

Classifications

While builders hardware is classified by supplying at least one of the three attributes listed above, it is usually broken down by where it is used, or by usage.

Bathroom hardware

Bathroom hardware includes the products that are used in constructing and maintaining the

bathroom A bathroom or washroom is a room, typically in a home or other residential building, that contains either a bathtub or a shower (or both). The inclusion of a wash basin is common. In some parts of the world e.g. India, a toilet is typically ...

appearance and decoration. Bathroom products includes

faucet A tap (also spigot or faucet: see #Nomenclature, usage variations) is a valve controlling the release of a liquid or gas. Nomenclature United Kingdom * Tap is used in the United Kingdom and most of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth ...

s, showers, holders, tubs, shelves, mirrors etc.

Door hardware

All those products that are used either in door decoration, maintenance, or in any other function come under door hardware, such as door handles, fasteners, hinges, hooks, number plates, knockers, etc.

Furniture hardware

Furniture hardware are those products that are used to support the furniture look, design and durability. Furniture hardware products include furniture frames, furniture legs, furniture arms, etc.Jijuan, Z., 2006. Decorating functions of traditional Chinese furniture hardware accessories ''Furniture & Interior Design'', ''10'', p.018.

Safety & security hardware

Buildings, goods and their occupants needs protection from fire, intruders, and other external agents. Proper protection systems include fire safe

security system A security alarm is a system designed to detect intrusion, such as unauthorized entry, into a building or other areas such as a home or school. Security alarms used in residential, commercial, industrial, and military properties protect against ...

, home monitoring,

smoke detector A smoke detector is a device that senses smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. Smoke detectors are usually housed in plastic enclosures, typically shaped like a disk about in diameter and thick, but shape and size vary. Smoke can be detecte ...

s, locksets, window guards, etc.

Plumbing hardware

Plumbing hardware products are used for supplying water throughout the building using hose, pipes and tubes. These hardware products ensure that water is supplied properly and continuously. Since water runs or remains all the time in these products, it is needed that the materials with which these products are highly

corrosion Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engi ...

resistant and can withstand extreme temperatures. The most common materials are

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

, steel and PVC.

Cabinet hardware

The products that are used to make cabinets working come under cabinet hardware like cabinet fasteners, brackets, latches, hinges, pulls, locks, etc. Cabinet hardware are small components that make cabinets functional. These products are made of materials like

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...

s and may be

glass Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling ( quenching ...

es.

Window hardware

Window hardware does not include window itself rather they are smaller components that are used to install, fix and protect windows, such as window extrusions, fasteners,

handle A handle is a part of, or attachment to, an object that allows it to be grasped and manipulated by hand. The design of each type of handle involves substantial ergonomic issues, even where these are dealt with intuitively or by following tr ...

s, hinges, locks and many more.

Curtain hardware

Curtain hardware includes products like hooks, curtain rings, curtain finials, etc. These products are used to hang curtain at doors, windows, verandas, etc. Curtain hooks and poles are used to handle and move the curtains. Curtain hardware products are made of varieties of materials including metals and plastics. Mostly aluminum and iron are used for making rings, hooks, rods and poles.

References

Bibliography

* {{Citation , last = Towne , first = Henry Robinson , title = Locks and builders hardware: a hand book for architects , publisher = J. Wiley & sons , isbn=9781231158838, year = 1904 , url = https://books.google.com/books?id=MvcoAAAAYAAJ.