We are about to install a custom made solid fir door (40 by 81 inches) on our new house. The door builder spec’d a Baldwin tubular handset. We’ve since had advice from a hardware dealer that for a door of that size we should consider a mortise unit because a tubular unit would soon break down. Of course mortise handsets are at least twice as costly. We don’t want to over-engineer things, but do want to do it right. I’d appreciate any advice or insight offered. Thanks.
Bob
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Locksets were all fully mortised at one point in time. A combination of reducing manufacturing costs, minimizing installation costs and simplifying the installation process ( you would be surprised the number of folks who can't chop a mortise) led to the surface mount/tubular hardware. There are different grades of door sets - stick with Baldwin and you should be fine. However from a purely aesthetic point, a full mortise lock/entrance set looks much better than a bunch of brass hanging on the surface of a door.
It's true that you might need to replace a modern tubular in twenty or thirty years but I work on hundred year old homes with original mortise type that occasionaly need parts. I wouldn't necessarily bet on a modern mortise type lasting as long, depending on the brand, Baldwin and Emtex are good tubes.
Since the mortise type removes more wood from the door stile, it weakens it modestly more than the tube but that shouldn't be a strong deciding factor.
In the end, you've got a salesman doing his job to sell you the higher priced unit or the one he honestly believes you wil be more happy with, and you've got a craftsman who has speced the best in modern hardware. Your choice should be based on your personal preference.
Don't spend more on the mortise set and expect the craftsman to install it as cheaply as the other and be sure he knows what you want before he has the holes bored.