How to identify an aluminium window handle?
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1. First distinction: door or window handle?
First of all, you need to know whether the handle equips an aluminum door or window. Both families have neither the same mechanism, nor the same ratings, nor the same fixation.
- Aluminium door handle: stand on plate or rosette, drawbar, or button. It often commands a lock; measurements of the square, the centre and the head are noted.
- Aluminium window handle: more compact, it operates a window-specific closing mechanism. The family has the most variants.
The case of the window door
The window holder is the equivalent of a window, but it goes down to the floor to allow people to pass (access to terrace, balcony, garden). It uses the same hardware family as windows, same cremones, same handles, but in often reinforced formats, adapted to a larger and heavier vantail.
Figure 1 — Identification tree: from the large family (door/window and window holder) to the precise reference.
2. The main types of aluminium window handles
Once it has been established that it is a window (or a window holder), there are several categories of handles. Each corresponds to a different opening mode and mechanism. Here are the main ones, with examples of references available on DirectAlu.com.
2.1. The fixed draw handle
It is the simplest: a bar or a fixed socket, without a mechanism. Shooting to open. To identify and replace it, lift the measurements between the fixing screws and the handle length.
ALMA 7060 fin draw handle
Example on DirectAlu.com:
ALMA 7060-250 Aileron draw handle for aluminium and glass door (H 250 mm, 200 mm interax) - Ref. 70602500XX
2.2. The 7 mm square mechanism sliding window handle
On a sliding window or bay, the handle takes the form of a recessed basin or a 7 mm squared handle. It does not rotate like a cremone: it controls the locking of the sliding valve. Measure the bowl (length, width, depth) or square of the mechanism.
SILENE Sliding Bay Handle (The DS Cruise)
Example on DirectAlu.com: SILENE sliding bay handle – White RAL 9010, reversible – The DS Cruise
Ref. DS8298-036 · 25,04 € tax excl.
POM cup handle
Example on DirectAlu.com: Manual POM open handle (slide shrimp)
Ref. POM-01-BL
2.3 The 7 square handle (shell)
Many handles are articulated around a square stem, whose carpentry reference dimension is the 7 mm square (there are also 8 mm). This crutch drives the mechanism through this square. Before ordering, check the size of the square.
Reversible ALMA 2080 shell
Example on DirectAlu.com: 8 mm 2080 square aluminium door handle, reversible – ALMA
Ref. 2080
2.4. Cremona (locking mechanism handle)
Cremona is the most common handle on windows to open. Solid of a plate, it activates rods that deploy the locking points on the edge of the wing. This is the most technical category, since it is divided into two essential subfamilies (see section 3).
Find all Cremones: category Cremone handle on DirectAlu.com
How to replace an alu window cremon step by step
3. Cremone: opening to French or oscillo-battant (OB)?
This is THE distinction that should not be missed when replacing a cremon. It reads directly to the number of positions of the handle.
Figure 2 — Cremone à la française (2 positions) vs. oscillo-battant (3 positions).
- - Cremone for opening to the French: the handle has only 2 positions — low (closed) and horizontal (open). The window opens big, like a door.
- - Oscillation-beating cremon (OB): the handle has 3 positions — low (closed), horizontal (open), and a position upwards that turns the opening into a bellow (aeration). It is this third position, upwards, that signs an OB cremon.
The infallible landmark
Press the handle on the window: if it rises above the horizontal to interlock the top of the vantail, it is an oscillating cremon. Only two positions: it is a French cremone. An OB cremon and a French cremon are not interchangeable.
4. Other types of handles (view)
There are other families of more specific window handles that we will detail in a next article. Here is an overview of your room:
- - Handle for lifting-sliding: on large heavy lifting vants, the handle turns around to lift and then slide the opening.
- - English window handle: projection opening opening outwards, often associated with a compass.
- - Handle / control for jealousy (cover): lateral mechanism orientating glass or aluminum blades.
These families will be the subject of a dedicated guide. Meanwhile, find all the handles in the Category DirectAlu.com handles.
5. Ratings to be raised before ordering
Whatever the category, a few measurements at the backstage secure the order:
6. Sorting aid: DirectAlu IA Recognition
Our IA recognition tool, allows you to photograph the handle to pre-orient your search to the right family. It is a useful accelerator, but it does not replace the measurement: the control must always be validated by the measurements recorded (square, square, number of positions) and by the product data sheet.
Try: Scan my play on DirectAlu.com.
In summary
Identifying an aluminium window handle is going down a simple tree: door, window or window holder? Then, for a window: fixed draw, sliding (7 mm square), 7 in crutch, or cremon? And for a cremone: opening to the French (2 positions) or oscillo-battant (3 positions) ? Once the class has been established and the ratings have been established, the only thing left to do is to order the right piece. On DirectAlu.com, you find the original hardware unit, with listed technical data sheets and fast delivery throughout Europe.
Order my aluminium window handle on DirectAlu
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I know my cremone is French or oscillo-beating?
Count the positions of the handle. Two positions (bottom and horizontal): opening to French. Three positions, with a top position that opens the top of the vantail: oscillo-beater (OB).
- Is a window handle suitable for a window holder?
The window holder uses the same hardware family as the window, but often in reinforced format for a larger and heavier vantail. Always check the odds and load before ordering.
- What's a 7 square handle?
It is a handle that drives its mechanism via a 7 mm square rod, the most common dimension in carpentry. The 8 mm square is also present: always check this rating before ordering.
- How do I identify a handle on an old unmarked range?
Follow the identification tree (door/window, type of opening), raise the square, center and number of positions, and then compare to DirectAlu.com rated cards. Scan IA can pre-orient research.
Also read: Top 10 most frequent troubleshoots in aluminium carpentry. A next article will detail the rising-sliding, English-like handles and jealousy.