Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, usually a screwdriver or cordless screwdriver is sufficient to remove the protective fittings and pull out the door handle.

To disinfect a door handle set, you need a virucidal disinfectant for surfaces and disposable wipes - such as from a kitchen roll.
In the first step, wet the door handle completely with disinfectant. The areas where the palm of the hand rests on the door handle are particularly important. For WC sets, do not forget the WC lock. 
Afterwards, the disinfectant must act according to the manufacturer's instructions. Follow the respective product instructions.
Finally, wipe the surface with the disposable cloth. When doing so, avoid rubbing the cloth back and forth on surfaces that have already been disinfected and avoid using the cloth several times.
To ensure that the surface remains beautiful after frequent disinfection, it can be wiped with water or soapy water. Disposable cloths should also be used for this purpose. Throw the water away afterwards.

Mortice lock door handle sets, BB sets for short, are suitable for room doors made of wood. Doors that are typically equipped with a door lock cylinder require a door handle with profile cylinder insert, or PZ for short. The most common door handle for use on bathrooms and toilets is the WC set with closer. For more intelligent closing and locking, there are door handles with Griffwerk smart2lock technology. The locking mechanism is integrated in the handle. You no longer need a key rosette. Smart2lock handles also impress with a modern and puristic design.

A continuing trend: Black Door handles. Griffwerk offers a comprehensive range of these. The special feature: The black door handle is available from Griffwerk in the specially developed black shade Graphite black: particularly matt, high-quality, soft feel.

Escutcheons consist of door handle and cover or border of the door lock. Escutcheon fittings: Door handle and keyhole are connected with a metal plate ("door shield"). Interchangeable sets consist of two different door handles: on one side a classic door groff, on the other side a knob. 

Half sets are characterized by the fact that one side has a completely different door handle installed than the other - mainly to connect two rooms with different interior style. 

Door handles can be made of metal, aluminum, brass, stainless steel or plastic. Most door handles are silver, gold or black. Plastic door handles can have almost any color. Round and curved door handles go best with playful furnishings. To a design interior fit clean and straight lines.

It is best to buy from specialised retailers, such as timber merchants or glaziers. You can find recommended dealers at www.griffwerk.de/en/store-locator/

The price of a sliding door depends on how big it is, whether it is single or double-leaf and what glass is used. A single-wing door in the simplest version can be obtained from about 100 euros glass + 250 euros hardware, whereas a double-wing sliding door with digital printing decoration can sometimes cost more than 1,000 euros. 

Of course, there are both sliding and swing doors in all price segments. On average, sliding doors are somewhat more expensive than hinged doors because a different mechanism is required. However, the investment is usually worth it because sliding doors save a lot of space and open up rooms that would otherwise be unusable.

High-quality sliding doors are best purchased from a specialist dealer. You can also purchase sliding doors from GRIFFWERK from our contractual partners in the online store.

In principle, it is possible to retrofit a tight-closing system on sliding doors. There are ready-made sets with rubber bands to stick on. Of course, you can also ask a specialist for help. At Griffwerk, the sealing system is permanently built into the product. Therefore, retrofitting is not possible.

Instead of permanently transforming a large room into several small ones by putting up a wall, sometimes a floor-to-ceiling sliding door is more suitable: it divides large rooms into smaller ones - temporarily or forever, but in any case without taking away light. How exactly to do this, read our blog.

Sliding glass doors let daylight into every room and save space at the same time. They are also wonderfully suitable as room dividers and optimal for barrier-free living.

The weight of a sliding glass door as an interior door depends on the thickness of the door leaf and the dimensions of the door. As a rule, they weigh between 30 and 40 kilograms.

As a rule, LSG panes are 8.8 mm thick. However, the thickness of our LSG glass doors depends on the format. For larger formats, we recommend a thickness of 10.8 mm.

Green glass adds a special unexciting color accent to rooms - without actually being colored glass itself. Glass doors made of green glass are timeless and fit into any living concept. 

We offer a glass door made of green glass as an ESG or VSG variant. 

No, Glass doors usually require less maintenance as they do not rot or warp.

Glass doors cannot be subsequently shortened in height or width. When ordering the glass door, the appropriate size should therefore always be ordered. Special sizes are also possible. For a small surcharge, most glass doors are also available in a white glass version. These have a special lighting effect and brilliantly accentuate decors.

First of all, you can choose different glass qualities at Griffwerk: Green glass (BASIC GREEN), white glass (PURE WHITE) or gray glass (MOON GREY, SMODEK GREY, SATIN GREY). The latter offers some privacy, thanks to gray shading.

Then there are several ways to design a glass door: Frosted, partially frosted, screen or digitally printed with motifs, sandblasted or laser engraving the glass door. 

Glass doors allow natural daylight into every living space. Rooms appear larger thanks to transparent room transitions. A glass door offers privacy through opaque matting, but still lets light into the interior. ESG and VSG glass offer certified safety. Individual motifs on the glass door create a creative interior design. Glass doors are durable as they are less susceptible to scratches and wear. The material of the glass door has no evaporation and thus contributes to healthy living.

Provided that you properly handle glass doors before and during installation, they are safe. So: do not put them on the edges, but on soft wood, styrofoam or cardboard - avoid bumping.
Glass doors are made of safety glass TSG (single-pane safety glass) or LSG (laminated safety glass) - this makes them less sensitive than "normal glass panes". Therefore, this is much less sensitive than a simple pane of glass. A glass door on two wooden trestles holds well and gladly 2-3 people standing on it.

Lockable window handles are suitable as an additional means of burglary protection or child safety. Whether plastic windows or noble wooden frames - whether plain silver or noble brass look - in our Griffwerk range you will find the right lockable window handle for every window variant. Ask your specialist dealer about Griffwerk products.

When choosing a window handle, consider to which side you have room to turn and to which side the window should open. Window handles for windows that are opened and closed often need to be more durable and fit better in the hand than those that are rarely used. Window handles should match the material, shape and color of the existing door handles and hardware or those being purchased. If the window is located on a poorly visible corner, on a lower floor or in the children's room, you should think about lockable window handles.

In the past, window handles were also called "window olives". This is because their shape was reminiscent of an olive. Nowadays, the one-armed lever or turn handles resemble the Mediterranean fruit less. But the term has still become common parlance in places of its own.

It depends. As burglary protection, they work mainly for casual burglars. Experienced thieves use more sophisticated methods to get into houses or flats. Here, the combination of different burglary prevention methods is the most important factor. Our tip: From Griffwerk you will also find protective fittings for your doors for optimum burglary protection.

Lockable window handles have a greater benefit as security against windows being opened from the inside. They reliably protect children, pets or cognitively impaired persons from unintentional opening of the window. This can prevent dangerous situations and, in the worst case, accidents. For this reason, lockable window handles have proven their worth in kindergartens and schools, but also in hospitals, for decades.

Changing a window handle takes a maximum of ten to 15 minutes. Remove the cover to the screws, unscrew the screws, pull off the window handle, attach the new one. Done. 

Plastic window handles are cheaper than stainless steel handles. Brass, stainless steel, aluminum or chrome wears out less. The interior style also affects the choice of window handles: For example, in an Art Nouveau room, an ornate brass handle would be better than a no-frills black window handle.

What type of glass doors do you need? Thanks to our wide range, you are guaranteed to find the right glass door for you: choose from the following types:

- Sliding glass door

- All-glass revolving door

- White glass door

- Smoked glass door

- ESG door

- VSG door

- Glass door with digital print

- Glass door with screen printing

- Laser engraved glass door

- Clear glass door

- Frosted glass door

- Textured glass door

- Partially frosted glass door

Yes, you can replace glass fittings for glass doors yourself. A Phillips or slotted screwdriver and, if necessary, a hexagonal wrench and a drilling template are sufficient in most cases to change glass fittings.

A whisper latch is a door latch that has been partially coated with plastic. The plastic dampens the impact of the metal latch in the lock. Doors can thus be closed "whisper quietly". Whisper latches are available for door handles for wooden doors as well as for glass lock cases on all-glass doors.

LSG doors can be used for glass door systems with clamp mounting SENSA by GRIFFWERK. The inner foil is only slightly elastic. We nevertheless recommend readjusting the screws of the fixing after some time and later if necessary. Glass doors, like wooden doors, can adapt to changing room conditions and thus change. Please refer to the respective product data sheets for detailed information.

Glass fittings are made of sturdy material, such as metal, stainless steel, brass or aluminum.

When cleaning glass fittings, water with a little washing-up liquid is often sufficient as a cleaning agent. After wiping with a towel, always dry well to avoid rust.

To ensure that doors stay open or to protect against a hard impact, it is worth using a doorstop. Especially for glass doors, which break more easily if hit too hard. The door leaf and wall are thus not damaged. Glass doors in particular are protected with a doorstop.

Floor and wall door stops: To prevent the door from hitting the wall, door stops are fixed to the floor or wall. They are screwed or glued to the wall. Some are also equipped with magnets to stop the door. There are also floor doorstops that hold the door open by their own weight without being fixed. Door wedges are only placed on the floor and thus prevent the door from falling into the lock unintentionally. Risk of breakage: Door wedges should not be used for glass doors. Soft rubber door stops are suitable for glass.

There are heavy doorstops made of metal that stop doors based on their own weight and can weigh up to a kilo or more. Door wedges made of plastic or wood weigh only a few grams. As with door stops that are screwed into place, the weight does not matter because they are fastened with screws or wedged in place.

Doorstops are often made of silver stainless steel. Door stops made of plastic are available in almost all colours. For a harmonious overall appearance, it is worth considering the colour of the glass door and the door fittings.

Door stops can be made of stainless steel, metal, plastic, rubber or silicone. Door wedges are often made of wood as well as plastic. Sack-like door stops that are placed on the floor are usually made of fabric.

A security fitting is mounted on the front door and protects the profile cylinder and mortise lock from mechanical impact. This means that the lock cannot be broken open without considerable force - which deters burglars because it costs them time. The goal: to protect your house or flat from unwanted intruders.

Good security fittings are labelled with the manufacturer's name or mark, the resistance class and the test number. They are marked with the corresponding test and inspection mark.

A security upgrade in rented flats, like all changes affecting the building fabric, must be agreed with the owner. It makes sense to obtain written permission, which also excludes the obligation to dismantle the building when moving out. Ideally, change requests can be clarified before the tenancy agreement is signed.

Protective fittings protect doors, locking cylinders and handles against manipulation from the outside. They are composed of an inner shield with a door handle or door knob and a resistant outer shield to which a knob, handle or door lever is attached. Screwed from the inside, protective fittings have no attack surface for burglars: nothing sticks out that can be broken off or twisted or pulled out.

Anyone who wants to provide additional protection for their home or property can take one of the following special measures. GRIFFWERK does not sell these products, please contact an appropriate specialist dealer if you are interested.  

• Multi-point lock: A multi-point lock is an alternative to the mortise lock that secures the front door with up to 7 locking elements.  
• Hinge side security: With hinge side security, several toothed elements interlock in order to keep the attack surface for mechanical effects as small as possible. 
• Sturdy striking plate: High-quality striking plates allow the deadbolt and latch of the mortise lock to engage when the front door is closed.
• High-quality locking cylinder: A burglar-proof locking cylinder ensures increased security through drilling and picking protection. 
• Stable door hinges: Door hinges connect the door frame or frame and the door leaf - similar to a hinge. Deeply anchored door hinges protect against the door being prised open.

Never just pull the front door closed. Under certain circumstances, they are legally considered to be unlocked. In order to benefit from insurance cover in the event of damage, it is worth checking with your insurance company. Take this opportunity to clarify whether the resistance class of the protective fittings is sufficient.

Doors are divided into five sound insulation classes:

• Sound insulation class 0: Test value (Rw,P) min. 27 dB corresponds to requirement value (Rw,R) min. 22 dB
• Sound insulation class 1: Test value (Rw,P) min. 32 dB corresponds to requirement value (Rw,R) min. 27 dB (for corridors, workrooms, staircases etc.)
• Sound insulation class 2: Test value (Rw,P) min. 37 dB corresponds to requirement value (Rw,R) min. 32 dB (for classrooms, hotels etc.)
• Sound insulation class 3: Test value (Rw,P) min. 42 dB corresponds to requirement value (Rw,R) min. 37 dB (for treatment rooms in surgeries etc.)
• Sound insulation class 4: Test value (Rw,P) min. 47 dB corresponds to requirement value (Rw,R) min. 42 dB (special cases)

Windows and doors influence how much sound enters a room. Windows and doors are also sound-reflecting surfaces. They therefore also change the room acoustics in a room. In a normal living environment, however, sound reflection through doors hardly plays a role, especially since large wall surfaces, and especially ceilings, have a much greater influence on room acoustics. However, if you are very particular, sound sources should not necessarily be positioned near windows and doors and should not be exposed to direct sound. In general, there should be no large, sound-reflecting surfaces opposite speakers.

Bel is an auxiliary unit of measurement named after Alexander Graham Bell. It is common to express values in decibels (dB). One decibel is equal to ten Bel. Decibels are used to measure the level of noise. The higher the value, the higher the level and the louder the noise. Even a quiet garden has a noise level of about 25 dB. A television broadcast is already at 35 dB and a normal conversation at 45 dB. An aeroplane, measured at close range, comes to 114 dB. Also interesting: a difference of 10 dB represents a doubling or halving of the level. So the difference between 110 dB and 120 dB is immense. On the other hand, a sound insulation of 10 dB already halves the noise pollution by about 50%. A door with a sound insulation value of 30 dB (sound insulation class 1) therefore already minimises a conversation of 45 DB to the level of rustling paper or the ticking of a clock. Zero decibels would correspond to absolute silence. This practically does not occur. Noise is only perceived by humans from approx. 2 dB.

Balanced room acoustics can lead to an extraordinary sound experience. Musicians know this. It is important that all frequencies are reflected as harmoniously as possible. It would be particularly negative if noises were emphasised and fine nuances were swallowed. Long reverberation times are generally unpleasant. They blur the sounds into one another. It becomes exhausting to listen to someone. Speech intelligibility suffers. One feels stressed.

The sound reduction index of a door is measured in Rw,P and determined in a laboratory on a test bench. In the installed state, the values can deviate due to the environment and installation; in this respect, one assumes approx. 5 dB and speaks of a so-called conditional measurement. This means that the actual test value of a door (Rw,P) must be at least 5 dB higher than prescribed for the respective application. The requirement is measured in Rw,R. The formula is therefore: Rw,R = Rw,P - 5 dB. Detailed information is recorded in DIN 4109 or VDI 4100.

Sound can be compared well with water waves. Similar to these, it basically spreads out in all directions from the source. However, some sound sources, such as a loudspeaker, generate a directional sound field. Sound is absorbed or deflected by the surface it hits. It can therefore change direction. Incidentally, it is also true for sound that the angle of incidence corresponds to the angle of reflection. So if sound hits a reflecting surface perpendicularly, it is also reflected back directly. If, on the other hand, it hits at a flat or acute angle, it is deflected according to the angle of incidence.

Sound is created by a sound source that generates mechanical vibrations. These propagate in matter (gas, liquids and solids). One speaks of a sound when the waves are uniform (sinusoidal), in the case of a noise they are irregular.