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Door and Cabinet Pulls Buyer's Guide
There are several different types of pulls, most of which are made with a metal, ceramic, or acrylic material. They can be used in applications ranging from bin and appliance pulls to door and cabinet pulls, depending on your needs.
Terms
There are not too many terms you need to be familiar with before you buy your cabinet hardware. But, there are a few involving product measurements that you may want to become familiar with.
Center-to-Center: The distance between mounting/screw holes. If you have the option, it is always recommended that you wait to drill your holes until you have actually received the pull. This is also referred to as “Hole Spacing.”
Length: Length is just that, the total length of the pull.
Projection: The distance the pull sticks out from the cabinet or door.
Pre-drilled: This usually refers to cabinets that have previously existing holes. If this is the case, you may want to stay away from hand-made pulls that might have small variations from what is pictured.
Types of Pull
Bin Pull: Usually half oval pulls; they should be strong enough to support a clothing or pantry bin without issue.
Appliance Pull: Often times these are mounted on refrigerators or stoves. They should be sturdy enough to open a fully loaded fridge door without any problem.
Door Pull: Used both commercially and now more commonly in residential situations, they serve to open doors in the place of door hardware.
Cabinet Pull: The most common pulls, they are used in the same manner as knobs, but are slightly bigger and generally have two mounting points.
Materials
As far as materials go, there are many different options to choose from. Here is a list of some of the most common materials and a brief description of their individual strengths.
Pewter: Pewter is a tin-based alloy. There was a time when it contained lead, but modern pewter does not, and is safe to have in the home. It is considered by many to be the fourth most valuable metal in the world, behind platinum, gold, and silver. Little maintenance is required for pewter hardware and it even benefits from constant use, as it will become more polished and richer in hue.
Steel: Steel hardware is easy to maintain and is usually stainless, so you won’t have to worry too much about wear. Steel tends to be more durable than brass and is a great option as long as you aren’t looking for anything that is too elegant.
Aluminum: Aluminum is generally inexpensive, lightweight, durable, and hassle free.
Bronze: Bronze is a heavy, sturdy beautiful metal. There is a reason it is one of the most commonly used metals for door and cabinet hardware.
Iron/Wrought Iron: Iron is heavy, resistant to corrosion, and strong. Often times, even today, it is hand crafted by a blacksmith. People seeking high quality antique reproduction door hardware often look at iron as their first and best option.
Zinc: Zinc alloys are very tough. Their impact resistance is significantly higher than plastics and cast aluminum. Zinc costs less money and energy to make, and has a low melting point, which allows for easier casting. Zinc is one of the cleanest metals available, it is non-toxic, and is recycleable.
Pulls may appear to be fairly simple thing to shop for, but, there is still a lot to consider before making the right purchase, so let us know if there anything we can help you with. We have a full staff on hand and ready to chat live at www.knobsandhardware.com or, if you would like, you can call one of our many customer service reps at 1-800-496-5058.
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