As our homes head towards the age of 40 in a few years, there are many original architectural elements that may have deteriorated or been expediently replaced by an inexpert tradesperson. This is the first of a series of articles intended to help the neighbors in Harbor Walk maintain and restore their home to its original condition, supporting continued excellent property values.
In November, a survey discovered that 53% of the brass mail slots and 67% of the address numbers had lost their protective lacquer coating and become tarnished and shabby, not to mention the decorative door latch hardware.
The first thought might be to replace the hardware. However, these solid brass elements were some of the high-end touches included in the original construction of our homes. Replacing the mail slot, door latch and address numbers with equivalent quality could run over $420 (total of on-line discount prices; $738 for list prices that might be charged by a tradesperson).
If you’re handy with a screwdriver, you can remove the outside hardware and get it refinished and relacquered for $79-99. A reliable source for this is Brassworks Co. at 1732 Eastern Blvd, 410-686-7280. As it takes several days, you might take the deadbolt in on a separate trip, or inquire if they still provide a same-day turnaround on deadbolts. (Observe that the original light fixtures at the front door are made of bronze with a permanent antique brass finish. They were never intended to be bright polished brass and need not be sent for refinishing).
One reason you might want to take the plunge on the cost of replacement hardware is that it can now be provided with a “lifetime” polished finish. Good quality elements that look like the originals include:
Door handle and thumb latch, Baldwin “Lexington” in Lifetime Polished Brass (6560.003), $321.51 at Build.Com.
Mail slot, Baldwin standard width in Lifetime Polished Brass (0017.003) or “magazine width” (0014.003), $81.96 at Build.Com. Note that the standard width, although close to the original that remains on 68 of the front doors, is about an inch wider, while the even wider “magazine width” has been adopted by 32 of the homeowners in Harbor Walk.
Although not available in a lifetime polished finish, the four-inch brass address numbers cost less than $7.00 per digit, coincidentally about the cost to have them polished. They are available from National Hardware as style V1901.
Other good reproductions for the front handle and latch include Schlage “Plymouth” and “Wakefield” lines, although it’s hard to determine if their “limited lifetime warranty” actually means a lifetime polished finish.
Consider that replacement rather than refinishing may involve cutting new holes in your door, and might be best undertaken when a new door is part of the project. Proposing a large, flat, brass cover plate to band-aid over the old holes should cause a delicate shudder of dismay on the part of the homeowner.
Note that the Association Board is considering guidelines for variations in the front door hardware to augment and clarify the original architectural guidelines. As always, before and after the adoption of these guidelines, any changes to your front door hardware (including the light fixture) should be submitted to the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) for review and, one hopes, board approval. That’s another thing you can avoid by refinishing your hardware every decade or so.
From Harbor Walk Happenings, January-2018