Escutcheons

An escutcheon is the small plate that surrounds a keyhole or euro cylinder on the face of a door. It hides the rough edge of the drilled hole, protects the timber from key scratches, and ties the lock into the same finish as the handle. They are sold in pairs because a keyed door needs one on each side.

Which escutcheon do you need?

Match the plate to the lock: a keyhole escutcheon for a traditional mortice lock, a euro profile escutcheon for a cylinder, and a bathroom version for a privacy turn. Check what is fitted first in locks and latches, dead locks and sash locks.

Order escutcheons in the same finish as your door handles or door knobs. For bathrooms, a turn and release replaces the escutcheon entirely, and the full category is door hardware.

What an escutcheon actually does

An escutcheon is the cover plate that surrounds a keyhole or a spindle on the face of the door. It has two jobs: it hides the rough edge of the drilled hole, and it stops the timber around the hole wearing as the key or the turn is used. Because it is fitted on the visible face, it is the small part that gives a doorway away when the finish does not match the handle.

Which type for which lock

A euro profile escutcheon suits a lock taking a euro cylinder and has the wider keyhole shape. A standard keyhole escutcheon suits a traditional lever lock or a dead lock. A bathroom turn and release set replaces the escutcheon entirely, because the turn and the emergency release are built into the plates: see bathroom turn and release cylinders and bathroom locks. If the handle sits on a plate rather than a rose, the keyhole is usually already part of it, so no separate escutcheon is needed: see handles on back plate.

Match the finish, not just the shape

Escutcheons should be bought in the same finish and, ideally, the same range as the handles and hinges on that door. Ranges from Carlisle Brass, Atlantic UK and Zoo Hardware carry the same finish names across all three parts. If you would rather not check three part numbers, a handlepack covers the whole doorway.

Do I need one escutcheon or two?

Two, one on each face, unless the door is only ever locked and viewed from one side.

Are escutcheons needed on a fire door?

They are fitted the same way, but the door still needs fire rated hinges and intumescent strips and pads to hold its rating. See fire doors.