Building Code Bans Door Knobs

The new building code in Vancouver has banned the traditional doorknob in favor of the easier-to-use lever handle.

The change has crept up on us silently and without fanfare. Look at any new condo building. Any new office door. Any door to a public washroom that doesn’t have pneumatic hinges and a push-pad. There they are, these silver, black or brass-coloured levers that can spring a door open with even a forearm when hands are filled.

And, as doorknobs go, so too will go those other ubiquitous knobs, the ones that turn on and off water faucets. For they too are being legislatively upgraded to levers more conducive to the arthritic, gnarled or weakened hands we earn with age.

The article offers a nice, concise history of the doorknob and explains the importance of small changes like this that increase accessibility.