Hardware
Sometimes
referred to as
Builders Hardware, these are the fittings applied to architectural elements that
provide for their function or attachment. Openings
such as windows and doors are frequently the sites of greatest concentration of
hardware. The materials used for
their creation are usually durable alloys such as brass, bronze or steel and
their rendering ranges from the utilitarian hinge to
the fanciful escutcheon plate .
Much of the hardware produced prior to World War 2 can be rebuilt and
returned to service in the original context.
The architects and hardware consultants involved in a building project, new or old, coordinate components to reflect
security needs, building codes, aesthetics and type of use. Changing one par
t
of the assembly without considering the rest can compromise function or
overstress another part. The rather unassuming hinge shown can say quite a bit
to the experienced listener, replacement with an ill-considered substitute will
certainly damage its surroundings.
We
are fortunate to maintain excellent sources for the documentation of original
hardware and its function. This is
the information we use to implement repair, search for original replacements or
specify appropriate substitutes. Our
accumulated field experience also allows us to identify damage that may have
been caused by poorly executed renovation or unfortunate original design.
To view hardware which has undergone restoration follow this link.
