The difference between entrance, dummy, passage and privacy functions.

Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the greatest function of them all.

Well to answer that, there’s no one best function as they are all fit for different purposes.

The functions can be broken down into entrance, passage, privacy, and dummy ranges.

Let’s start with entrance as it’s as simple as it sounds. These are the products that belong on the front door – the entrance to the home. They will primarily take the format of handles for houses and levers for apartments, but are not limited to one of the two. In some cases, knobs can also be an entrance function. An entrance set also has a lock and requires a key to unlock from the outside. Whether or not you need a key to unlock from the inside depends on whether it is a single or double-cylinder lock.

Moving onto the passage, it is used for doors that don’t have locking as a requirement. It has a latch but no lock. This could be for general areas such as hallways, laundry rooms or closet walk-ins.

The privacy function speaks to itself. It is for areas of the house that require privacy, and as such need to be locked. The most common areas for this are bathrooms and bedrooms.

Lastly, a dummy handle is used in areas that require no locking capabilities. They are put on doors where no latch or lock functionality is required such as closet doors and storage rooms. They are more of a decorative fixture, with no locks or latches giving the impression of a lever without all the extra functionality. Quite simply, it just works as a pull handle.

Depending one the room in which the lever/knob/handle is required, you can pick the function that best serves that purpose. Browse the Lane product range to find the product best suited to you.