Flush bolts are used most often on French doors, especially doors that lead to a kitchen, office, or living room. When you have a set of double doors inside of your house, it's pretty common for one of the doors to remain inactive while the other door opens and closes against it, meeting in the middle of the doorway. Flush bolts keep the inactive door closed; some are installed at the top of the door, but others are installed at the bottom.

They are recessed into the door edge and slide upward or downward into the jamb either manually or automatically. They are available with square and rounded corners in various sizes and finishes to match the door hardware you already have or are planning to buy. Before you order a bolt, you'll want to check your existing door and see what size and shape holes it has so that you can make sure that you order the correct product. If your door isn't already prepped for a flush bolt, and if you don't feel comfortable trying to drill the holes yourself, you can use a surface bolt, which mounts to the surface of the door, instead.

Our flush bolts come from Emtek, Baldwin, Deltana, and Sure-Loc. Emtek offers square and round bolts that measure four, six, or twelve inches. Baldwin makes one flush bolt that works on both metal and wood doors and another purely for residential use. You get the most options with Deltana, which provides bolts anywhere from four to twenty-four inches long, though the bolt from Sure-Loc has some of our best reviews. If you're not sure which product would be the best fit for you, give our experts a call, and we'll be happy to walk you through your options.

With a background in construction and decades of experience under our belts, we're confident in our ability to provide you with the best door hardware on the market, and our customer service team is standing by to answer any questions or concerns that you may have. We look forward to hearing from you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do you use a flush bolt?

A: Generally, a flush bolt is used to hold a door closed, most often seen in the cases of french doors leading into an office. The specific mechanics of how to use a flush bolt depend on the kind of bolt you have. You can find either manual flush bolts or automatic flush bolts: manual flush bolts require someone to project and retract the bolt with their hands, kind of like hitting a switch, while automatic flush bolts are projected and retracted by a trigger from the active door.

Q: How does a manual flush bolt work?

A: A manual flush bolt requires a person to project and retract the bolt manually. The flush bolt is recessed into the top edge of the inactive door; when it is projected, it will extend into the strike in order to keep the door closed. When it is retracted, the door can be opened and closed freely. To project or retract a manual flush bolt, all you have to do is flip a small lever accordingly.

Q: How do you install a door flush bolt?

A: First, you should check to see if your door is (or can be) prepped for a flush bolt. Are there holes in the top or bottom edges of the door frame? If you don't see any, you can prep the door yourself with a router and a drill, but it can be a little tricky and tedious to do so, so feel free to give our door experts a call for advice before you try to do it all yourself. Once you're confident that your door is ready, make sure that you order the correct size and shape for your flush bolt. They can come either rounded or squared, and the shape of the hole in your door will determine which shape you need. In order to install a flush bolt with the most accuracy, check the bolt's installation instructions and follow them carefully. Again, if you need help, don't hesitate to reach out.