// Hardware Basics
4 min read
Door Handing Explained:
LH, LHR, RH, and RHR
If you've ever ordered a lock, hinge, or closer that didn't fit your door, there's a good chance "handing" was the culprit. It's one of the most common points of confusion for homeowners — and one of the most common return reasons for hardware suppliers. Here's how to get it right every time.
The quick answer
Handing describes two things about a door: which side the hinges are on, and which way the door swings. Once you know both, you know the handing:
|
Code
|
Hinge side
|
Swing direction
|
|---|---|---|
|
LH (Left Hand) 1
|
||
How to check it yourself
- Stand on the "key side" of the door — the side you'd stand on to unlock it from outside, or the secure/hallway side for interior doors.
- Look at which side the hinges are on. Hinges on your left = left-hand door. Hinges on your right = right-hand door.
- Note which way the door swings when you open it. If it swings away from you into the room, it's a regular (non-reverse) door. If it swings toward you, it's a reverse door.
That's it — hinge side plus swing direction gives you one of the four codes above.
Why this matters
Handing determines:
- Which way a lock's latch bevel faces — install the wrong handing and the latch won't seat properly, or the door won't close at all.
- Which side hardware like closers, panic bars, and kick plates gets mounted on.
- Whether a lockset needs to be "reversed" — many modern locksets are field-reversible in seconds, but some older or specialty hardware is handed at the factory and can't be changed.
That's it — hinge side plus swing direction gives you one of the four codes above.
A few things to double-check before ordering
- Exterior vs. interior doors are always checked from the same reference side — outside for exterior doors, hallway/corridor side for interior doors. Checking from the wrong side flips the answer.
- Some manufacturers use "handing" to mean something slightly different — always check the specific brand's handing chart if you're ordering commercial or specialty hardware.
- When in doubt, take a photo of the door from the reference side, hinges included, before you order — it takes ten seconds and prevents most handing mix-ups.