Door Hardware / Door Pulls

Door pulls for passage and entry doors

Door pulls are larger-format pulls designed for full-height passage doors, pocket doors, sliding barn doors, and main entries rather than cabinets. They typically run between 8 and 36 inches long and use thicker stock than cabinet hardware because the load is different — a full door swung daily by an adult pushes more force into the pull and its mounts than any cabinet door.

Where each type belongs

Pocket doors and sliding barn doors usually take long flush pulls (recessed into the door face) or surface-mounted ladder pulls running most of the door's height. Pantry passage doors take shorter pulls, often 6 to 12 inches, mounted vertically. Entry doors take heavy ladder pulls in pairs (one each side) sized for adult two-hand use. The mounting on an entry pull also needs to survive weather: stainless steel and bronze hold up; lighter-substrate finishes can corrode if the door is fully exposed.

Sizing and mounting

Door thickness matters more here than on cabinet hardware: a thick solid-wood entry door needs through-bolts long enough to reach. Standard residential doors run 1-3/8 to 1-3/4 inches thick; commercial doors go thicker. Order pulls with mounting hardware specified for the door thickness, not just the pull length. Pulls used on both sides of one door need their mounting holes aligned exactly, so order them as a back-to-back pair when possible.

Coordinating with the rest of the door hardware

Door pulls usually pair with a deadbolt and latch in the same finish. The cabinet hardware inside the house doesn't have to match the entry door hardware, but it should sit in the same finish family — oil-rubbed bronze entry pulls work cleanly with brushed bronze cabinet hardware. For the cabinet side of the project, see bar pulls.