Door Bells
People often pay a great deal of attention to their doors – getting beautiful old-style carved wood doors, door knockers (just like the olden days), and glass or porcelain detailed door knobs. However, they just as frequently forget to include the door bell in their upgrades!
You have to think about both the form and the functionality of the door bell – of course, an authentic older sound would be much more ideal than ‘La Cucaracha’, in a monophonic tone! Consider also the design, and how this works with other elements of your home. Integrating the materials that inner and outer furnishings are made of can create a subtle but striking effect for your old home.
The door bell is not such a simple project as it looks for the first sight. The history of door bells is rich and fabulous - the first ones were a simple ring which you pulled to shake a bell to ring it. The first electric door bell was invented by Joseph Henry in 1831. Since then many various kinds and types of the door bell were developed.
There are two main types of the door bells:
- door bell press buttons,
- door bell pulls.
The essential difference is in the way you ring the bell. The door bell press buttons may have a simple ‘PRESS’ lettering – or perhaps nothing, leaving people to figure this complex task out for themselves . The door bell pulls are fitted with a short handle to pull in order to make the bell ring. A bell pull is simply a knob, with plate, arranged to pull out lengthwise against the resistance of a spring, its motion being transmitted through wires to a bell.
In our portfolio you will find many period style door bells beginning with Victorian brass or nickel plated bell pushes with ceramic press buttons for example and the Edwardian brass pulls for electric bells.
How to clean your door bell:
If your door bell is made of a solid brass, you will have to clean it every month or so. The best way to clean brass is to wipe it with a soft cloth. To keep the bell clean you will also need a special brass polish which can be purchased on our website. You might want to consider placing it so it is out of the sun, and out the elements as much as possible, to keep it a little more original.
