Stand on the outside
The hand of a commercial door is always read from the outside, the keyed or secure side. Face the door from outside: the side the hinges are on is the hand, and whether the door swings away from you or toward you decides whether it is reverse.
LH, LHR, RH and RHR
What is LHR?
LHR means left hand reverse: standing on the outside of the door, which is the keyed or secure side, the hinges are on your left and the door swings toward you.
RHR, right hand reverse, is the mirror image, with the hinges on your right. Most exterior doors and almost every door with an exit device are LHR or RHR, because egress doors swing out. Read the same LHR door from the inside and the hinges are on your right with the door swinging away from you, which looks like a right hand door. That is why the hand is always read from the outside.
When you order a handed part, give the hand as read from the outside, or send a photo from each side of the door and we will read it.
Handing is not always reversible in the field
Many levers and closers are field reversible and some parts are non-handed entirely. Others are made for one hand and cannot be swapped after delivery: even in the Sargent 8200 mortise line, where most functions reverse in the field, a few are handed at the factory (Sargent 7800 and 8200 catalog).
We confirm handing with you in writing before we order a handed item. An item ordered to your written confirmation is a correctly supplied item, so the standard terms on the returns page apply.
Which of our listed parts are handed?
Two of the parts below need the door hand on the order: the lever trim for the Accentra 2100 and the mortise Trilogy locks. The others are non-handed.
| Part | Handing |
|---|---|
| Accentra 2100 rim exit device | The device is non-handed, but its lever escutcheon trim is ordered by door hand, RHR or LHR |
| Alarm Lock Trilogy DL2700 keypad lock | Cylindrical models are non-handed. The mortise DL2700CR and DL2700DB are left or right hand, and field reversible |
| BEST 9K cylindrical lever lock | No hand in the order code. The latch goes in with its bevel toward the strike |
| Norton 8501 door closer | Non-handed. The arm is set to a left or right hand door at installation |
| HES 1006, 1500, 1600 and 9600 electric strikes | Non-handed, as HES lists them |
From each maker’s catalog and instructions, listed on the part’s own page.