Is there nickel in front door handles?
According to Allergy UK ‘Items in transient contact with the skin such as kitchen utensils, (and) door handles…are much less likely to cause reactions (for customers with a nickel allergy), as are items made from stainless steel.”
However, when our Norwich door customer raised a concern regarding a family member’s allergy when replacing his front door, we contacted our suppliers for advice. We always aim to address any queries and look for door and window solutions.
What quickly became apparent was a lack of information in answer to the question:
Do door handles contain nickel?
Iron Mongery Direct was helpful in our quest for answers. It was difficult to offer 100% guarantees of a nickel-free metal door handle. Nickel is one of the main ingredients in stainless steel, and many chrome handles are nickel-plated first to help adhere to the chrome.
Solid brass door handles with an uncoated finish could be an option; however, manufacturers often advise that cross-contamination is unavoidable as brass door handles are often finished on the same production line as nickel-finished door hardware products.
The British Society for Cutaneous Allergy advises using “accessories made of plastic, or metal covered with plastic” for nickel allergy sufferers. Ultimately, our customer selected a powder-coated black door handle to contrast with their composite anthracite grey front door.
During our research we also discovered that many schools and public buildings use nylon-coated door handles internally; potentially a nickel-free and hardwearing interior door handle choice if you suffer from a nickel allergy.
Some quirky alternatives were suggested for handles inside your home if you have a nickel allergy, for example, on kitchen cabinets or internal doors made from rope or leather.
We are always keen to help with any bespoke window or door requirements you may have, as it means we learn something new every day. Contact Lucy through the website.
Helpful links
https://www.allergyuk.org/resources/nickel-allergy/
https://cutaneousallergy.org/pils/nickel/