Ordering the wrong function is the most common (and most expensive) hardware mistake. Here's a clear breakdown of every function and where to use it.
Every lever, knob, and deadbolt you order has a "function" — and ordering the wrong one is the single most common and most expensive hardware mistake we see. A privacy lever installed on a closet door. An entry function on a bathroom. A passage set on a front door. These mistakes happen constantly, and they are entirely preventable.
The six functions you actually need to know
1. Passage
A passage function lever or knob turns freely from both sides and has no locking mechanism. There is no button, no turn piece, no keyway. The latch retracts when you turn the handle, and that is all it does.
Use it on: hallways, closets, pantries, laundry rooms, and any interior door where privacy is not required.
Passage hardware is sometimes called a "hall/closet" function in manufacturer catalogues. They are the same thing.
2. Privacy
A privacy function has a locking mechanism on one side — typically a push-button or a turn-button — and a fixed rose or escutcheon on the other side. It cannot be unlocked from the outside with a key; instead, most privacy sets include an emergency release — a small slot or hole on the outside rose that accepts a coin, a small flathead screwdriver, or a manufacturer-supplied tool to release the lock in case someone gets stuck inside.
Use it on: bathrooms and bedrooms. Any room where occupancy privacy is needed but keyed security is not.
3. Dummy
A dummy handle is decorative. It has no mechanism behind it — no latch, no lock, nothing that engages with the door frame. It is surface-mounted and simply gives you something to pull the door open or push it closed.
Use it on: the stationary panel of a double door. Closets where the door is held by a magnetic catch rather than a latch. Any application where the visual presence of a handle is needed but the mechanical function is not.
Dummy sets come in single and pair configurations. For double doors, you typically use a dummy on the fixed panel and a passage or entry function on the active panel.
4. Entry (Keyed)
An entry function is keyed on the exterior side and has either a push-button or turn-button on the interior. It provides the basic security of a keyed lock for exterior doors, though in most applications it is paired with a deadbolt for actual security.
Use it on: front doors, back doors, and any exterior door where keyed entry is required.
Note: an entry function lever set is not a replacement for a deadbolt. The latch in a lever set is a spring latch — it can be defeated with enough force. A deadbolt adds the second layer of security that makes an exterior door actually secure.
5. Keyed Both Sides
This function requires a key to lock and unlock from both sides. It is sometimes used on glass doors or doors adjacent to glass where an intruder could break the glass and reach a thumb turn. Less common in residential applications due to fire egress concerns — a keyed both-sides door requires finding a key to exit in an emergency.
Use it on: specific security applications with appropriate egress planning. Not recommended as a standard residential choice.
6. Storeroom (Classroom)
A storeroom function is always locked on the outside. To enter, you need a key every time. From the inside, the handle always turns freely — you can always exit without a key. This is a commercial function but occasionally specified in residential applications for storage areas, server rooms, or wine cellars.
Deadbolts: a separate category
Deadbolts are not "functions" in the same sense — they are a separate hardware category that adds a second locking point to a door. For any exterior door, the correct specification is an entry function lever set plus a deadbolt. The lever set manages access; the deadbolt manages security.
Explore Emtek deadbolts for options that coordinate with their lever collections, or Taymor for value-oriented options across multiple finishes.
Quick reference chart
- Hallway / Closet: Passage
- Bathroom / Bedroom: Privacy
- Stationary double door panel: Dummy
- Front / Back door lever: Entry
- Front / Back door deadbolt: Single cylinder deadbolt
- Door adjacent to glass: Double cylinder deadbolt (keyed both sides)
Still unsure which function applies to your specific door? Contact our team or visit the VK Hardware showroom in Oakville — we specify complete door hardware packages for custom homes across the GTA every week.
VK Hardware
Questions about your project? We are always happy to talk hardware.
