To celebrate the UEFA EURO 2024 tournament, we’ve teamed up with some of our top suppliers, including Reisser, Timco, Ultragrime, Soudal & Prodec, to run a Wembley-sized prize draw promotion, offering our customers and fans a chance to win a bundle of supplies worth over £1,000! 

Buy any 1 of our 4 promotional products during the promotional period and you’ll get automatic entry into our prize draw.  Get another entry for every order containing a promotional product placed during the promotional period! 

For entry into the prize draw without purchasing a promotional product, please email win@ironmongerydirect.co.uk during the promotional period with your full name & company name. 

Soudal GRIPALL Grab Adhesive - Solvent Based - 290ml - Beige 

UltraGrime Pro XXL+ Power Scrub Cloth Wipes - Pack of 80 

Reisser Multi Tool Blade Set - 4 Pieces 

TIMCO Assorted Solo Chippy Pozi Countersunk Wood Screws - Mixed Tray - Yellow Zinc - Pack of 1200 

The prize draw promotion runs from 1st June 2024 to 14th July 2024 inclusive.   

The bundle, which has an RRP of over £1,000, contains over 90 products from suppliers including Reisser, Timco, Ultragrime, Soudal, Prodec, Zipbolt, Fischer and OX Tools.  It includes: 

T&Cs apply: No purchase necessary.  Any order which contains at least 1 of the 4 promotional products during the promotional period will count as a single automatic entry into the prize draw.  For general T&Cs, visit Terms & Conditions | IronmongeryDirect 

Celebrate the EUROS with us from 1st June to 14th July 2024, with a prize draw and everyday products at no way prices! 

WIN a bundle of supplies worth over £1,000!

The door handle can be one of the most unassuming parts of an installation, but it plays an integral role in both style and function. If your handle doesn’t meet a desired aesthetic or can’t be fixed, it might be time to change it; that’s where our how-to guide comes in.

We’ll take you through the process of changing and replacing a door handle, including the tools you need to get the job done efficiently. If you’re on the lookout for a new handle as part of the job, our extensive collection has numerous options to choose from based on your requirements.

There are many kinds of door handle out there, so finding the right one for the job comes down to two elements: the style and the function.

Think about which handle would be suitable in your property:

Door handle or door knob – a handle can be easier for many people to open, in particular those with disabilities or children. Door knobs are more versatile when it comes to aesthetics, and they can be rotated in either direction

Style of the property – the look of your home or workplace can affect which kind of door handle you need. If the property is older or has a vintage aesthetic, a door knob might be more suitable

The design – if you opt for a door handle, you’ll then need to choose between one with a backplate or on rose. Handles with backplates have a traditional look that suits rustic properties, whilst handles on rose are more minimal in design. However, this does mean that handles on rose often don’t come with space for a lock or escutcheon

The finish – the type of property you have will also factor into the handle’s finish. Period homes can often suit brass finishes, whereas modern properties are ideal for chrome or nickel handles

To change a door handle, you’ll need the following:

To start, you’ll need to measure the backset; do this by starting from the centre of the spindle hole to the door’s outer edge.

The backset measurement will differ between door handles and door knobs:

With the measurements jotted down, it’s time to remove the old door handles. Prop open the door so it doesn’t close while you’re working, and locate the screws on the cover plate. Use your screwdriver to release them; the handle should then be loose enough to remove.

3 - Remove the plate, latch and strike plate

Now that the handles have been taken off, you’ll also need to remove the plate and latch.

Starting with the plate, take your screwdriver and insert it into the small slot along the plate’s side; twist until the plate comes off. Next, undo the screws beneath where the plate was, releasing the latch. You should now be able to remove the latch by sliding it out from its holding.

Finally, unscrew the strike plate along the doorjamb.

Before installing your new door handles, you need to fit the latch. Insert it into the edge of the door until the plate sits firmly in place. Connect the plate with screws, using your drill to keep everything secure.

Take the door knob or handle you want to fit and line it up with the spindle. Next, orientate the latch mechanism with the holes along the edge of the door, ensuring that the spindle can pass through to the other side.

You can now attach your new handles. Connect them to the spindle on either side of the door and line them up with the screw holes. Before attaching them, however, pull the handle levers down gently to test they are working correctly.

If all is well, secure the handles into the screw holes.

There you have it: your new door handles are secure and ready to be used. Changing handles is one of many jobs you can undertake when maintaining a door; if you’re also wondering how to look after the hinges, our guide will take you through the essential information.

Learn how to change a door handle with our handy step-by-step guide. From the parts you need to the replacement process, our experts have you covered.

Used to store everything from books and trinkets to professional tools, shelving systems are a must in most commercial and residential buildings. Once you’ve selected the right shelf boards for the job, how do you choose from the various types of shelving brackets available? 

Safety, functionality, and design are key considerations, with safety of course being the first priority. Take advice from the experts at IronmongeryDirect in this handy guide, where we define a wide variety of shelf bracket types, and discuss factors like size and load, too.

If you’re searching for the ideal shelf bracket for your project, our collection features various types from leading brands such as Altro and Olde Forge.

Bracket design might be important for your project because you’re working with limited space, the shelves need to match a particular aesthetic, or the bracket will have extra functions, for example, if they’ll also be used to hang flower baskets.

Here are some of the most common bracket designs you’ll come across, alongside specialist parts with more unique use cases.

 Likely the image that comes to mind when you think of a shelf bracket, though lots of different styles can sit within this umbrella term. They’re often made of metal and consist of one or more pieces of hardware, bent or fused to create a 90° angle.

Designed to create the illusion that shelves are floating independently, these brackets are generally concealed within the body of the shelf to allow for load bearing with a clean finish. Our installation guide can help you fit them if you need a helping hand.

Like floating shelf brackets, undermount hardware makes it appear as though a shelf is staying up of its own accord. Wide and slim bracket panels run along the underside, from the back of the shelf, where it is attached to the wall towards the front.

Also called angle shelf brackets, corner brackets do what it says on the tin; they allow you to affix a shelf to the corner of a wall. You’ll see a lot of floating corner hardware (again, where the bracket is hidden from view); some with a small lip running along the underside of the shelf, and some with a large, triangular undermount.

Featuring hinges, these brackets can be folded flat when not in use; just what’s needed in environments where saving space is key. Think attics, workshops and garages.

A catch-all label for shelf brackets that are made to get the job done, but also to match a certain décor. Usually a feature of residential properties, there are a few popular styles that crop up regularly.

Even if you aren’t aware of their roots in Victorian ironmongery and architecture, curly and scroll shelf brackets will likely give you a sense of nostalgia anyway. During Victoria’s reign and beyond, ornate designs like these would have been seen throughout streets, railways stations and adorning buildings across the country.

Perhaps the most self-explanatory item on our list, pipe shelf brackets look like vintage piping and are at home among industrial-esque and reclaimed décor. These can lend extra personality to shelves made from raw or untreated materials.

They sometimes come in a set of two with a bar joining them, for extra railing storage.

Scaffold-board shelf brackets might be L-shaped, with the wall-affixed length extending vertically above or below the shelf, or they can also be undermount. The key feature of this style is the lip that curves around the front of the shelf, from the underside.

Brackets like these are traditionally used in construction settings, but also in interior design, thanks to their rustic and industrial appearance.

Whether they’re chosen for function or flair, brackets with a centre stay (the bar connecting one side of the L-shape to the other end) can draw more attention than basic designs. That’s why they’re in our ‘decorative’ section.

Sometimes a centre stay will be identical to the other two sides of the bracket, for a neat, triangular aesthetic, while others will be curved inwards or outwards, or left open to hang baskets on.

Consisting of uprights and specially designed brackets that slot into them, slotted hardware comes in single-slot and twin-slot varieties. They tend to be very strong, and they’re handy when what you need to store changes regularly, as you can adjust the space available between shelves.

An important factor to consider when installing shelving is making sure you have the correct size bracket, and this size is dependent on the other elements of your shelving system. 

Even though choosing the correct size of shelf bracket is extremely important, choosing a bracket with the correct load-bearing capabilities that you need it for goes hand in hand with this.

Shelf brackets will be manufactured from certain materials and have specific design features that will give you an idea of what kind of load-bearing capacity is has.

When you need lots of functional, heavy-duty shelving and the turnaround time is tight, racking can be a great solution. Ideal for storage in commercial environments like warehouses, or for home organisation in garages or sheds.

Now that you have the exact type of shelf bracket you need, it’s time to install it. A key component in many installation jobs is the wall plug, and if you’re looking for a bit of guidance on how to use them, the experts at IronmongeryDirect can help with our step-by-step guide.

Get advice from the experts on the different types of shelf brackets, as we discuss common designs, sizes and load considerations.

On the 25th May 2024, we hosted the UK’s first ever inter-trade football tournament to raise money for Mind the mental health charity. 

The event aimed to increase awareness of the benefits of exercise on your mental health, with ‘movement’ being the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week. 

The event took place at Stamford Bridge stadium, home of Premier League giants Chelsea, with teams representing each of the most common trades: 

After winning their respective groups, the Electricians and Other Trades competed in a thrilling final, which finished 1-1, before the Other Trades won 7-6 on penalties. 

Bobby Funnell, playing for the Electricians received the Golden Boot award for being the top goalscorer overall, having scored five, and was presented with a golden work boot. 

It was a fitting end to a fantastic day, with almost 50 tradespeople taking part. You can see a full event gallery of photos here. Scroll down to see a collection of images capturing the essence of our Match for the Mind event. From engaging activities to joyful interactions, these photos showcase some of the best moments of the day.

Most importantly, we raised over £4,000 for Mind, helping to support their vital services. 

Also in attendance were champion football freestylers Andrew Henderson, Scott Penders and Jay Rosa, as well as Stuart Short from Basildon Mind. 

The event was organised as part of our annual campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues within the UK trade industry.  

Our Mental Health in the Trades report revealed that more than four in five tradespeople experience some form of mental health problem, such as stress or anxiety, due to work.

Joiners and Carpenters 2 – 0 Roofers and Scaffolders 

Other Trades 4 – 0 Roofers and Scaffolders 

Other Trades 3 – 0 Joiners and Carpenters 

Match for the Mind raises over £4,000 for mental health charities

31st May 2024

WIN a bundle of supplies worth over £1,000!

Celebrate the EUROS with us from 1st June to 14th July 2024, with a prize draw and everyday products at no way prices!

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