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Baldwin, Emtek, and similar sets finished as a pair
High-end residential hardware is installed as a pair: the Baldwin mortise or the Emtek lever, the entry set, and the strike, with finishes protected. The mortise is aligned. The hand is matched. The door stop is set so the lever does not hit it. Mixed metals by accident, a crooked mortise, missing finish oil where the maker requires it, and a stop set too far away are the defects that make an expensive set look crooked.
This is the visit when the hardware is decorative and the door is worth protecting. A builder-pack lock from a warehouse club is the ordinary deadbolt service. Have the finish codes from both pieces if they were bought at different times.
Mortise alignment, mixed metals, and a stop that is too far away
Alignment, hand, finish care, and the stop are included. Refinishing a damaged door is not. The mortise drilling guide is the layout. Finish-care instructions from the maker are followed rather than a household polish. We do not mix a brass rose with a black lever unless the order says that is the design.
Custom homes in Maryland and Virginia often have a mortise pocket that is close but not square. Forcing the case cocks the lever. Older DC doors may need the pocket cleaned out before a new Baldwin case will sit flush. The stop is moved so the lever rests correctly. That is part of the install, not a punch list.
Frequent questions
How do you keep two finishes from being mixed by accident?
Both codes are read off the boxes before anything is unwrapped on the door. If they disagree and you did not ask for contrast, we stop and show you. Installed hardware is a poor time to discover the mismatch.
What does a crooked mortise do to the lever?
The lever sits off horizontal and the latch drags. The case comes back out and the pocket is squared. Shimming the rose to hide it leaves the drag.
Why does the door stop matter to a lever?
A stop that is too far lets the closer or the wind throw the lever into the wall. A stop that is too close keeps the latch from fully entering. It is set with the hardware, not left wherever the old bumper was.
Do you oil the finish?
Only if that maker says to, and only with what they name. Random polish is how a living finish blotches. The care note goes with the keys.