Backset Slot Measuring

If you are going to buy a lock, there are two important dimensions that apply: the backset and the lock recess. The lock recess is the distance between the handle hole and the lock hole or keyhole. The backset is the distance from the handle and the lock hole and from the edge of the door. In this blog article we talk about the slot recess and backset.

A lock recess only applies to locks with a cylinder. So a lock that you can close and open with a key. A barrel lock does not have a cylinder or key, so a lock recess and center-to-center distance do not apply to this door. A barrel lock is the lock that is used on interior doors, because these doors do not need to be completely closed.

Slot recess

The lock recess is the distance from the handle hole to the lock hole or keyhole. The slot recess is also called the center-to-center distance. You can find more about this measurement in this blog article: measuring shields . In that blog article we will discuss the different types of center-to-center distances, such as PC, WC, keyboard and blind. It is important that the lock you buy or already have matches the size of the shield you buy or already have.

Backset

The backset is the distance of the door handle or knob handle from the edge of the door. If this is 50 mm, the door handle (and the lock and key) will be closer to the edge of the door than if the backset is 55 or 60 mm. The backset always increases in steps of 5 mm. The standard dimensions that we have in the Netherlands are different than in France and Germany, so pay attention to that.

If you have any questions, please call or text us. Door Hardware Expert Locks Specialist .