Most Commonly Asked Questions

What type of doors can your hardware be installed on?

Our front door hardware can be installed on wood, uPVC and composite doors. Please see on Installation Page for further details

Can you do custom work?

Sorry - we are not able to offer custom pieces.

Where are you based and do you have a shop?

We are based in South East London and we are a e-commerce business so do not have a physical shop.

Where do you ship to?

Almost everywhere! We ship worldwide. Please see our Delivery Details for more information

What if I change my mind or it doesn't fit?

No problem. We have a 90 days return policy as we know that renovations and house moves can take longer than expected! We do put all size and space required details on each listing so have a good look or download a template from our Installation Page before purchasing to avoid disappointment.

If you need to return an item, get in touch with us at contact@heraray.com and we will arrange. See our Refund Policy for more details.

Installation FAQs

What types of door can your hardware be installed on?

Our front door hardware can be installed on wood, uPVC and composite doors.

We do however, advise you look at our Installation Page to check the installation details on the pieces you are interested in.

How do I know if it will fit?

In our shop, each items page has dimensions and space requirements details listed. You can also download a template on our Installation Page to check against your door.

How do your pieces attach and what equipment do I need?

It depends on the piece!

If you go to our Installation Guide you can see full installation details for each type of hardware. We do send all fixings required and include a template and instructions for easy installation.

How do they look from the inside of the door?

Our bolt through door knockers and door pull are secured on the inside of your door with a small, supplied, decorative bolt cap in a matching finish.

Our 'screw on' door knockers do not show anything on the inside of the door.

Our letter box obviously requires a hole! It is a old fashioned letterbox and there is a rectangular hole and 2 decorative bolt caps that will be visible on the inside of the door which require an internal letter tidy to cover.

Are fixings included?

Yes - all fixings to attach your item are included along with instructions and a template for easy installation.

What surfaces do your House Numbers go on?

Our Apex house numbers can be installed on walls or on your door (although we do offer smaller screw on Apex door numbers too).

If you want to install the house numbers on your door, drop us a note at purchasing and we will include additional door fixing.

You can see instructions on how to install Apex House numbers on the House Number Installation page.

How is the letterbox installed?

Our letterbox is an old fashioned style - sometimes called a letter plate.

Unfortunately there is no such thing as a standard sized letterbox so its important to check the size which can be found on the listing. You can also where you can also download a template on the Letterbox Installation page which has instructions and more details.

Letterboxes install the same way on wood, uPVC and composite doors. It does require a letter tidy on the inside of your door to cover the installation hole and bolts.

If you are buying a new door, we advise you discuss the letterbox with your door company/installer to check there are no restrictions.

Product FAQs

What are your door knockers made of?

All our hardware is all cast from solid recycled brass and we offer 5 finishes.

Often, products claiming to be Brass are actually a thin plating of Brass on steel or cheap metals which rusts from the inside out - ugh!

Even our nickel and black pieces are solid brass first. We then either electroplate them in nickel or powder coat in black. This ensures that they are super durable and won't corrode or rust.

What finishes do you offer?

We offer 5 beautiful finishes

Satin Brass - Raw, unlacquered brass which a satiny smooth finish.

Polished Brass - The same brass but buffed to a super shiny finish.

Satin Nickel - Solid brass electroplated with satin Nickel.

Polished Nickel - Solid brass electroplated in Nickel and buffed to a high shine.

Black - Solid brass powder coated in a satin black finish.

See our Finishes page for more details and aftercare instructions.

Will brass rust or corrode?

No - that is why its such a fantastic material for door hardware. Not only is it beautiful but brass is non corrosive, extremely durable and is able to withstand exposure to weather. Well cared for brass has the potential to last many hundreds of years.

Does brass change colour over time?

Yes - as we only sell unlacquered brass (more details below!), the surface of the brass will age and patina over time and exposure to air, pollution and salt. This is not corrosion though! Brass doesn't corrode and the patina only changes the surface on the metal.

Personally, we love an authentic aged brass patina and it requires very little upkeep which is a bonus! However, if you prefer a cleaner look, you will need to clean regularly with brass cleaner and a soft cloth.

The reason that we don't lacquer our pieces is that the thin varnish type coating stops you being able to maintain your item yourself. It also breaks down and flake offs leaving a patchy surface which is half aged and half coated - not pretty!

How are they made?

We use a mix of techniques depending on the piece. The majority of items are sand cast or lost wax cast. Both are ancient casting techniques that require a large amount of skill and experience. Every piece is hand made and made finished.

What finish do you recommend if by the sea?

Firstly, we would always recommend a solid brass piece as inferior metals or plated cheap metals will corrode and rust much faster by the sea due to the salt.

Secondly is to ensure your piece is unlacquered. Lacquer will break down very quickly by the sea and go patchy (all our items are unlacquered). It also means you can clean and maintain your hardware yourself.

We would suggest satin brass by the sea as it will age and patina over time and look authentic and awesome. Although if preferred, it can be regularly cleaned to keep its fresh look.

Have a look at our Finishes page for more details on how to care for your hardware.

How do I care for my hardware?

It differs depending on the finish you have and if you love letting your brass age and patina or prefer a cleaner, fresher look.

You can see more details on our Finishes Page on how to care for the finish you have.

Payment, Delivery & Return FAQs

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept payment made by Paypal, Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and Visa Debit as well as Klarna.

Do you ship internationally?

We ship almost everywhere! We ship to the UK and Ireland, USA, Canada, the EU and Australia. Plus more!

EU: Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden

INTL: USA, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and United Arab Emirates.

For more details, please see our delivery page.

How much is postage?

UK - FREE Delivery on orders over £99 (The Channel Islands & Isle of Man excluded)

Standard delivery via Royal Mail Tracked 48 - £3

EU - Free delivery on orders over 180 euros, for orders under this a postage of 13 euros applies.

USA and Rest of the World - Free Delivery on orders over $265, for orders under this a postage of $20 applies

PLEASE NOTE: Please note that we cannot be held responsible for delays caused by customs clearance and local duty/ VAT charges are the responsibility of the customer.

For more details, see our delivery page

How long will it take me to get my item?

We have the majority of the range in stock. However, there may be a slightly longer delivery time on certain pieces or on certain finishes.

Please see the Dispatch Times tab on each listing for delivery time for your piece and finish.

Can I return my items if they don't suit?

Yes, of course! We want you to have the perfect items for your home and we also know that renovations and house moves can take longer than expected. Due to this we offer full refunds for up to 90 days. Please see our refund policy for more details.

Sustainability & Ethical FAQs

Are your products sustainable?

We're happy to say that all our products are made from recycled brass. They are made by hand, in small batches using ancient casting techniques. Brass is infinitely recyclable meaning that our items would also be able to be recycled. A circular product.

Most importantly, by creating timeless designs that are made to last a lifetime, we are embracing the idea that you are buying once by buying really really well!

For more information please see our Eco Pledge page.

Where are your items made?

We work with a small number of trusted foundries and have built up great relationships with these incredible craftspeople over the years. Two of these foundries are in the UK and one is in Moradabad in India. We also work with a UK based powder coaters and nickel platers.

Is your packaging recyclyable?

Our packaging is 100% full recyclable or biodegradable (with the exception of the clear customs document envelopes on international orders - we're working on an alternative). Our packing peanuts that we use to protect our pieces in transit are made from biodegradable soy and we use shredded paper and honeycomb paper as alternatives to plastic bubble wrap. We use paper fixings bags and Kraft paper tape as an alternative to plastic.

For more information please see our Eco Pledge page.