An Age-Old Design That Still Works
- There are a number of popular products for securing doors, windows, shutters, gates, and cabinets including surface bolts, Dutch door bolts, slide bolts, flush surface bolts, shutter bolts, mortise door bolts, gate bolts, and Cremone bolts.
- Surface bolts (slide bolts) are an old design that is still effective and popular.
- Cremone bolts are a special type of bolt often used on French doors.
Defining Surface Bolts and Cremone Bolts
Surface bolts are decorative and versatile slide locks used to secure doors and cabinets. As the name implies, the bolt mechanism is mounted on the surface and does not go into the mortise of a door.
re doors and cabinets. As the name implies, the bolt mechanism is mounted on the surface and does not go into the mortise of a door.A Cremone bolt is a special type of surface bolt. Often used on double door sets and French doors, cremone bolts allow the user to activate two separate locks at the top and bottom of doors with one handle.
Some buyers use a set on one door of a pair and a slide bolt lock on the other, while others prefer to install cremone hardware on both doors.
Van Dykes Restorers offers a great selection of surface and cremone bolts in a variety of sizes and finishes for any 
home project and available in both Solid Brass or Iron.
home project and available in both Solid Brass or Iron.Iron bolts have a rustic, primitive, look and finished in Oil Blackened, Oil Rubbed Bronze and Rust.
Here is a description and special care instructions for each of these rustic finishes:
Rust: Raw iron that has been oxidized. This finish will continue to rust over time and will rub off. This finish can be preserved by sealing with furniture wax or a clear coat sealant.
Black Powder Coat: A baked-on finish that is virtually maintenance free. This finish is shinier than Oil Blackened and is permanent.
Oil Blackened: Raw iron coated with oil. The oil will wear and expose the iron beneath which will rust. Left as is, this finish will erode, or rub off. This can be prevented by sealing with furniture wax or a clear coat sealant.
Three New Surface Bolts
Van Dyke’s Restorers recently added three new stylish, decorative surface bolts :
- Victorian style (232769)
- Fan design (232770)
- Beaded design (232771)
They are available in 8-inch and 12-inch lengths and in Polished Brass, Antique Brass, and Oil Rubbed Bronze finishes.
They also include three choices of striker plates.
Van Dyke’s Solid Brass surface bolts are available in Polished Brass, Antique Brass, Satin Nickel, and Oil Rubbed Bronze.
