Babette Door Handles September 24th, 2017 - 05:20:48
When you consider that some 120 million doorways exist in the United States alone and another two million are installed each year, you can only imagine the vast number of door knobs. Going back in history, doors were initially made from textiles and animal hides. However, during the ancient Mesopotamia and Egyptian era, wooden doors were developed. Soon, materials for making doors expanded to include stone, glass, metal, and even paper.
Doors throughout history have also changed regarding functionality. For instance, we still find doors of all types, those that roll, slide, swing, and fold. Of course, for doors to function, hardware is required to include door handles. Just as with doors, handles have a long history although these were first manufactured during the mid-19th century in America. The first handle was shaped like an egg and today, they are still found in many homes, especially older homes. Interestingly, because of the way this type of door handle is grasped, it has proved to be the easiest to open.
Used by every member of the family, door handles are an important part in planning the interior of the house. Choosing the right type gives a complete look to a new or a refinished door. This is the part of the interior design that most people usually ignore. Those with good aesthetic sense, however, are very choosy about the look and feel of the door with respect to the handles attached. It does ruin the affect of the décor style, if it is not matched in accordance with the door look. It can add elegance to a room since, the door is the first thing people encounter when they enter a room. So they are important accessories in terms of interior decoration.
As door handles easily catch germs and bacteria because of the variety of individual hands that touch them in the course of a day, it is important to consider the materials used. It is believed that certain materials like brass, copper and silver discourage the growth of bacteria and germs through some kind of electro-chemical effect; while other materials like aluminum, stainless steel, glass and porcelain do not have the same action. However, this belief has remained just that... a belief: and studies have not been extensive enough to confirm or disprove this possible effect, except in the case of silver. Hospitals in particular are experimenting with handle materials as they continue their fight against infectious disease within their wards.