The usual advice is to sort out door hardware for new house moves at the very end, once the painting is done. We disagree, at least partly. Locks and handles go on last, yes, but the decisions about them should be made early, ideally when the carpenter is still cutting shutters. Leave it to the last week before the griha pravesh and you end up buying whatever the local shop has in stock, in three different finishes, with a bathroom door that will not latch on the day the pandit arrives.
This griha pravesh checklist goes room by room, then ends with a short timeline so nothing gets missed during the rush.
Start with the main door hardware
The main door carries more weight, literally and otherwise, than any other door in the house. It is also the door that appears in every griha pravesh photo.
For main door hardware, plan for a good mortise lock or a smart door lock, a handle set or pull handle on both faces, an aldrop for padlocking when you travel, tower bolts at top and bottom on the inside, and a door stopper so the door does not slam into the wall. Add a door closer if the door is heavy or opens onto a lobby where it should not be left ajar.
Choose one finish for all of these and stick to it. Brass antique suits carved teak, while black, gold matt or rose gold suit modern veneer and laminate doors. The main door sets the tone for every other door in the house.
Bedrooms and the door kit for new home planning
Bedroom doors need a handle with a privacy lock, a pair of good hinges, a tower bolt on the inside, and a stopper. That is the core of a sensible door kit for new home planning, and buying it as a matched kit is easier than buying each piece separately.
For children’s rooms, pick a lock that can be opened from outside in an emergency. For the master bedroom, a keyed lock is worth having if you keep jewellery or documents there. If parents will live with you, lever handles are easier on older hands than round knobs.
Keep the same handle design across all bedrooms. The corridor reads as one space, and it makes spare keys and replacement parts far easier later.
Bathrooms, kitchen and utility
Bathroom doors face steam, water splashes and frequent use. Choose a lock with a thumb-turn inside and an emergency release outside, a small tower bolt, and hardware in a finish that copes with humidity. Satin and matt finishes generally hold up better here than bright polished ones.
Kitchen doors in many flats are rarely closed, so a plain lever or a pull handle with a magnetic or floor stopper is often enough. Utility and store room doors usually need only a tower bolt and a simple handle, though a store room with valuables deserves a key lock.
Wardrobes, pooja room and the small stuff
This is the part people forget, then rush to finish while relatives are already arriving.
- Wardrobes and almirahs. Cabinet handles or pulls on every shutter, plus drawer locks on at least one drawer for documents and jewellery.
- Pooja room. A handle in brass antique or gold matt suits most pooja doors, with small tower bolts if the doors are a pair.
- Kitchen cabinets. Matching cabinet handles or knobs in a finish that sits well with the countertop.
- Balcony and terrace doors. Strong tower bolts top and bottom, and a lock if the balcony is reachable from outside.
- Spare keys. At least two sets for every keyed door, labelled and stored in one place.
A small detail that pays off. Ask for drawer and wardrobe locks keyed alike where possible, so one key opens all of them in the same room.
Timing your door hardware for new house moves
Working backwards from the griha pravesh date keeps the hardware from becoming a last-minute scramble.
- Six to eight weeks before. Decide on finishes and styles for the whole house. Share them with the carpenter so shutters are cut for the right locks.
- Four weeks before. Place the order. For a full flat or villa, a bulk order straight from a manufacturer is often simpler than multiple shop visits.
- Two weeks before. Fix main door hardware first, then bedrooms and bathrooms, then wardrobes and cabinets.
- One week before. Test every lock, latch and bolt. Check that every key works and every bathroom door can be opened from outside.
- The day before. Wipe down all hardware, keep spare keys sorted, and put the main door key on its own ring for the ceremony.
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Shift in with Atom Locks
Atom Locks has been making door hardware in Aligarh since 2002, including main door locks, smart door locks, mortise handle sets, aldrops, tower bolts, hinges, door stoppers, door closers and complete door kits. Plan your home room by room on www.atomlocks.com, and order from shop.atomlocks.com. If you are a builder handing over several units, the Bulk Query form on the site is the easiest place to start. For help putting your list together, call +91 9412273735 or email sa***@*******ks.com.
