An antique door knob has a
classical touch and looks really elegant. It can be classified as the
type of finish for a particular door knob or it can be a door knob style
for a certain kind of decor. They are mainly designer knobs that enhance
the overall appearance of the door. Antique door knobs are so designed
so that match with other interior furnishing hardware of your home.
Materials
Used
Antique door knobs in the old days were crafted out of beautiful wood.
Crystal and glass were also used for making antique door knobs in the
earlier days. Nowadays, a wide variety of metals and metal alloys are
used for making antique door knobs. The most commonly used materials
are:
- Cast Iron
- Brass
- Wrought Iron
- Bronze
- Ceramic
- Porcelain
Design & Finish
Door knobs are an integral part of door hardware and contributes a lot
to enhance the interior decor of your home. They are available in
various designs and styles. Selecting the right style of door knob for
your home is very important for the appearance of your doors. Antique
door knobs are available in chrome, nickel and patina finishes. Black
antique finish also looks elegant and is popularly found in antique door
knobs.
Cleaning Tips
Antique door knobs are extremely beautiful and serve decorative
purpose. Hence, proper care of these door knobs is essential. Dirt, rust
and grease mostly makes these knobs look dull. In order to retain their
beauty and shine, following steps needs to be taken for cleaning antique
door knobs:
- The dirt that gets deposited on antique porcelain door knobs can
be gently wiped with the help of a damp cloth.
- This is followed by removing the screws and the stem hardware,
marking the sets from which they were taken.
- Antique door knobs that are coated with multiple layers of thick
old paint can be cleaned by wetting the knob and then rubbing with
sand paper or steel wool.
- After that a metal polish is vigorously rubbed onto the knob
until all old paint and rust is removed and the surface becomes
clean and smooth to the touch.
- Q-tips of the knob are soaked in Simichrome and the interior of
the fitting is thoroughly cleaned to remove all rust. The screw hole
and inner side of the fitting are cleaned until the q-tip is
completely cleaned.
- Simichrome is then applied in a light circular motion on the
surface of the knob to remove dirt, oil, grime, and oxidation from
the finish. A damp cloth is then used to wipe off the brass polish
and the oxidation from the knob. With the help of a soft towel, the
knob is dried and one last coat of a cream metal polish is put on
the fitting and left until dry.
- Other chemicals like beeswax and orange oil are massaged whole
over the finish of the antique door knob. Once the beeswax and
orange oil are dried, the surface of the knob is rubbed with a
flannel cloth till the time it shines.
