FAQs

We were established in April 1940.

Lacquered Finishes

Many metals suffer from surface tarnishing if left exposed to the atmosphere.

Surfaces can be protected with the application of different protective finishes, such as paint, metal coating or lacquer.

We apply a clear lacquer to our products which forms a protective surface layer; but does not detract from the inherent beauty of the product.

The life of the lacquer can be affected by many environmental or atmospheric conditions, including sea air and industrial pollution.

Polished Brass, Satin Nickel, Antique Brass, Matt Bronze, Satin Brass and Satin Rose Gold are all lacquered finishes.

To help maintain the lacquered finish, we recommend the following: -

• Keep it clean by removing dust or liquids from the surface with a soft non-abrasive cloth.
• Do not use metal cleaners or aerosol sprays as these will damage the lacquer coating.
• Avoid impact with rings, keys and other metallic objects which may damage the lacquer.

With maintenance and by reducing the risk of scratching, the life of the lacquer can be prolonged.

M. Marcus started selling products under the brand name of Heritage Brass in the 1980’s so we are now also known as Heritage Brass.

All our Heritage Brass door furniture is created using hot forged brass which ensures the best manufacturing process for both strength and superior finish.

The springs used are crucial to prevent breakages so we source our door furniture springs from a long established Italian manufacturer. Our springs have been cycle tested to provide 100,000 lever operations, and for residential use we offer a 10 year warranty.

Our handles are not supplied with locks, latches or escutcheons. These items need to be purchased separately for the specific function required. Please see lock selector page for guidance.

The spindles we supply as standard with our door furniture will in most cases be suitable for common domestic door thicknesses in the range of 35 to 44mm without having to be cut down. However as door thicknesses may be greater we can supply to special order longer spindles for doors of 50mm and upwards.

On levers where both woodscrews and bolts are supplied, we would not recommend fixing with just the woodscrews as the handles will not be secured sufficiently on the door. Always use the bolt though fixings where supplied to securely clamp the handles to the door and only use the woodscrews as an additional means to limit any tendency of the inner roses to rotate once fitted.

If we were to spring both sides the knob would be very difficult to turn under the combined spring pressure of knob and latch. If we did not spring at all then there may not be sufficient strength in the latch spring alone to pull the knob rotation back again. We have found that springing one side only offers the best compromise for most installations.

We would recommend using a 3" tubular latch or longer; this allows for a sufficient distance away from the door frame to rotate the knob comfortably. If privacy is required then also fit in conjunction with a 3" bathroom bolt or longer to match the latch size along with a turn & emergency release to operate the bolt.

This will depend on whether replacing an existing lock or fitting a new one. The 2½" or 3" size refers to the depth of the lock measured from the front of the faceplate to the rear of the lock case. Measure your existing lock or latch to determine the correct size required. On a new fitting, when selecting either a 2½" or 3" lock consider how far the lever handles need to be fitted away from the door frame for comfortable operation of the levers.

We try to maintain a similar colour and hue to our antique finishes, however due to the nature of the finish there may be slight difference in tone. This is a characteristic of this finish, and so finish matches cannot be guaranteed.

The JP finish is a combination Gold Plate on Solid Brass and Satin Nickel on Solid Brass.

We produce a range of Zinc Alloy products which are sold as Sorrento and shown in a separate catalogue. We separate the catalogues to avoid confusion between Solid Brass (Heritage Brass) products and Zinc Alloy products (Sorrento).

We only sell via established distributors but we intend to deliver door hardware to our distributors within 1-2 days and electrical accessories in 6 days. If we are out of stock we would normally expect to be back in stock within 4 weeks.

We recommend that in order to maintain the smooth operation of your cylinder lock you lubricate from time to time using the following product (Iseo cylinders only): InterflonFinlube TF. There is no specific timed requirement for lubricating cylinders as atmospheric differences can vary from site to site. However, we recommend this particular lubricant be used should you feel that the cylinder operation is becoming less smooth.