Why Are Doorknobs So High In Australia And England!

People traveling in Australia and England may have this common question regarding doorknobs. Exactly why all the handles are so high, compared to other countries. And after digging for why are doorknobs so high in Australia and England, I have the answers for you!

Doorknobs are high in Australia and England to ensure the safety of the house, stop kids or pets from exiting, add door visuals, match with the height of folks, and reduce jam issues. These are all different reasons applicable for different needs.

In this guide, I’ll explain this a bit more and add information about how high should the doorknobs be.

5 Reasons Why Are Doorknobs So High In Australia!

There are some reasons for using doorknobs at high heights in the Australian region. Under this segment, I’ll share the details:

1. Protection Purpose

The first and main reason for doorknobs being so high is the protection. To explain it in a detailed manner, you might need to check the history of WWI and WW2.

During the period of 1914 – 1939, Australian citizens feared the Japanese who were great in military activities. Due to the safety of common folks, Australians planned to make doors and place the doorknobs at a higher spot.

As the incidents were clear about the invasion, the Department of Home Defense purposes the strategy of making doorknobs too high so that the Japanese won’t able to reach the spot.

And guess what? This simple tactic worked as most Japanese soldiers couldn’t get inside the Australian homes.

2. Prevent Kids Or Pets From Go Out

In the Australian region, folks who own kids or pets usually need to make the perfect environment so that they can’t go outside no matter what.

Parents usually add the doorknobs in the bedroom or front doors at a higher height so that kids or pets don’t come out of the boundary.

3. Layout Of Door Panels Or Rails

Due to the drastic change in door design, folks tend to match the door knobs according to the lines of the front and bottom panels.

Since the above portion (rails or panels) tends to be smaller than the bottom portion, people use the door knobs aligned to the middle trim area. 

Otherwise, the structural strength of the mechanical hardware would be improper, and the design will look weirder. And so, folks insert the doorknobs in a higher spot.

4. Tall Height

The average number of males is around 5.10 feet (1.778 meters) while the females tend to be 5.6 feet (1.697 meters). 

To give comfort in opening or closing the door, most Australians place the doorknobs in a higher position.

However, this might not be the root reason for this action. But, some folks who are above the average height around 6 – 7 feet will probably add the door knobs at a higher place.

5. Keeping The Doorknobs Jam-free

A lot of people insert knobs at a higher place in almost all doors in Australia to prevent them from jamming or rusting issues. 

It’s because raindrops, snow, sun rays, and so on can harm the knob’s inner mechanism and cause issues like jam.

For Your Information: According to IBC 2009 (1008.1.9.2 Hardware height) rule, they suggest adding the knobs, pulls, latches, locks, and other hardware in 34″ (864 mm) – 48″ (1,219 mm) above the finished door.

Here’s Why Are Doorknobs So High In England!

In the England region, folks tend to add doorknobs at a high altitude for a few reasons that are detected by experts. These includes:

1. Safety

People place the doorknobs so high to ensure security against theft activity. Adding them at an upward position will help the deadbolt to get in chin or waist level which causes low chances of a “kick-in” case.

For your information, the deadbolt and doorknob at a lower position in a front door are easier to break in.

2. Door Panel Design

The reason doorknobs in England place above most is due to the door panel design. You see, the door that contains 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 panels needs a balanced height to add the spot of the door knob.

That’s why you’ll find the position of the knob’s height mostly above when the number of the door panel seems odd.

3. No Struggle Of Dirt

As the front door of England stays in the outdoor area dealing with sun rays, rain, and sometimes dust, the higher placement of the doorknobs can change the situation.

In most cases, this little change can solve the issue of jammed or gummed that occur due to the dirt. This is also another reason people add door knobs at a higher height.

How High Should A Door Knob Be In Australia And England?

According to the Building code of Australia and England, a door of any size should place the doorknob at around 900mm – 1,100mm (35.43″ – 43.31″).

Be sure to measure the height of the door knob in a door from the floor to get an accurate measurement. A helpful trick is to place the door knob in a spot where your waist is to ensure the comfort of usage.

Ending Note

And those were quite a few of the reasons for doorknobs being so high in Australia and England! Hope this piece of information feeds your curious mind well.

I’ll catch you with a new fun topic in the next guide!