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Frequently Asked Questions
What decides which handle fits?
What it has to drive, which is the mechanism rather than the appearance.
A cockspur handle hooks over a wedge and locks by itself.
An espagnolette handle drives a rod engaging keeps at several points.
A tilt-and-turn handle selects between two opening modes.
A casement handle drives a simple catch or short gearbox.
Identifying the existing gear before ordering avoids the commonest mistake.
How do I identify what I already have?
By looking at what the handle drives rather than at the handle.
A hooked arm engaging a frame wedge is a cockspur.
A rod running the sash height is espagnolette gear.
Three distinct handle positions means tilt and turn.
A short gearbox with a simple catch is a casement.
Opening the window and watching what moves settles it in seconds.
Are window handles handed?
Many patterns are, and cockspur handles particularly so.
Ordering the wrong hand gives a handle pointing the wrong way.
It will not engage the wedge or keep at all.
Some patterns are reversible or universal.
Handing is determined by viewing from a stated side, and the convention varies.
Checking the manufacturer's definition rather than assuming avoids a return.
Should windows have locking handles?
Frequently an insurance condition on ground-floor and accessible windows.
They deter opening from outside through a broken pane.
They are equally an escape problem.
A key-locked window is not a viable escape route if nobody can find the key.
Keeping the key nearby but not in the lock is the usual compromise.
Where a window is a designated escape route, the local requirement outranks the insurance preference.
What are restrictors for?
Limiting how far a window opens, usually for child safety.
They are a separate device from the handle.
Requirements commonly apply where a window is above ground level.
Some restrictors release for cleaning or escape.
Whether a releasable type is acceptable depends on the jurisdiction.
Rules on opening limits, escape and window height differ between markets and are worth checking locally.
Which of these are handed?
Cockspur emphatically; casement frequently; the others less often.
A cockspur arm curves one way and cannot be reversed.
Many casement patterns are made left or right.
Espagnolette and tilt-and-turn handles are more often universal.
Conventions for stating handing differ between manufacturers.
Checking their definition rather than assuming yours avoids a return.
What finishes are available and does it matter?
A wide range, and it matters most for corrosion rather than appearance.
Coastal and marine environments attack many finishes quickly.
Salt spray testing figures are published for exterior hardware.
Internal handles have an easier life.
Matching the finish across a building is usually a design requirement.
Availability of the same finish years later is worth considering on a large project.