What I Actually Reorder from Richelieu: A Working Checklist for Office Facility Hardware

I handle facility purchasing for a 70-person company. My annual spend across vendors runs around $40,000, and roughly a quarter of that is hardware — hinges, hooks, bolts, tools, the stuff that keeps doors swinging and cabinets closed. I've been doing this since 2021, when I took over from someone who left zero notes and a filing cabinet full of handwritten invoices.

Here's the thing about facility hardware: you never think about it until something breaks. And when something breaks, you need it fixed before the next client walks through the lobby. This checklist is what I keep coming back to — five categories I reorder from Richelieu (and one oddball problem that somehow landed on my desk).

It's probably most useful for office admins, facility coordinators, or anyone who's suddenly responsible for "that stuff over there" that nobody else wants to deal with.

1. Richelieu Full Mortise Adjustable Spring Hinge — The Door That Closes Itself

If you've ever had a restroom door that won't stay shut, or a hallway door that bangs open every time someone walks through, you need a spring hinge. Richelieu's full mortise adjustable spring hinge is what I keep on hand.

Quick clarification: "full mortise" means the hinge sits inside a cutout in both the door and the frame (i.e., you don't see the mechanism). It's the cleanest look for office interiors. The "adjustable" part matters more than you'd think — it means you can dial the spring tension up or down. Heavy door swinging too fast? Tighten it. Small-framed employee struggling to push it open? Loosen it. That adjustability alone has saved me probably three maintenance calls.

What I check before ordering:

• Door weight and thickness. A standard 1-3/4" interior door needs a different size than a solid-core 2" door. I learned this the hard way when I ordered a 4" × 4" hinge for a door that needed 4.5" × 4.5" (ugh, that return shipping).
• Handing. Left-hand vs. right-hand swing. Get this wrong and the hinge won't work. Your maintenance person or the door's existing hinge will tell you which one you need.
• Finish. Satin chrome or brushed nickel cover 90% of office interiors. But if you're matching existing hardware, check the old hinge before you order.

One more thing: these aren't just for restroom doors. We used them on a conference room door that kept getting left open during calls. The spring hinge closes it automatically, which means fewer awkward moments on Zoom.

2. Richelieu Hooks — The Thing You Never Have Enough Of

I don't know where coat hooks go. They just... disappear. Every office move, every new hire, every seasonal shift, I'm ordering more hooks.

Richelieu hooks are my default because the selection is broad enough that I can usually match whatever's already on the wall. They've got single hooks, double prong hooks, utility hooks, decorative ones, and pretty much every finish you'd need — chrome, satin nickel, matte black, brass. For facilities work, that variety matters because you're rarely starting from scratch. You're usually patching, matching, or adding one more.

My standard order: a mix of satin nickel double hooks (for coat closets and cubicle walls) and matte black utility hooks (for storage rooms and utility closets). I keep about 15-20 on the shelf at any given time. Sounds excessive. It's not.

Real talk: employees notice hooks. They don't notice hinges. But if there's nowhere to hang a jacket, you'll hear about it within a week.

3. Tools Socket Set — Not for You, for Everyone Else

I didn't buy a socket set for myself. I bought it because I got tired of people wandering into the break room looking for a 10mm socket to adjust their standing desk.

Here's what happens in every office: someone buys a sit-stand desk. It wobbles. They need to tighten a bolt. They ask around. Nobody has tools. They come to me. I say "try the maintenance closet" and then realize the maintenance closet has one Phillips screwdriver and a roll of duct tape.

So I keep a decent tools socket set — 3/8" drive, 40-50 pieces, metric and SAE — in the facility cabinet. It's not the fanciest one out there, but it's complete enough to handle desk assembly, monitor arm installation, furniture repair, and the occasional "hey, can you tighten this" request.

When I compared buying a cheap $30 set vs. a mid-range $70 set side by side, the difference wasn't the price. It was the case (cheap ones break), the ratchet mechanism (cheap ones slip), and the completeness of socket sizes. One missed size — like a 5.5mm or 16mm — means the set is useless for half the jobs you need it for. I finally understood why the maintenance guy kept saying "just buy the one with all the pieces."

4. Shear Bolts — One and Done

Shear bolts are security bolts that snap off at the head when you tighten them. Once installed, they can't be removed with a regular tool (meaning you'd have to drill them out or use an extractor). That makes them ideal for securing things you don't want tampered with — utility boxes, electrical panels, IT server racks, outdoor equipment.

I keep a small stock of stainless steel shear bolts for our IT closet and the exterior utility cage. They're not something you use every day, but when you need them, you need them now. Ordering a pack of 10 usually costs less than $20. The peace of mind that your server cabinet won't walk away? Worth a lot more.

A word of caution: measure twice, install once. Because once the head shears off, your only option is destructive removal. I've heard stories of facilities teams installing them backwards — head against the frame instead of against the door — and having to cut the whole thing out. Don't be that team.

5. The Panasonic Microwave Door Lock Nobody Warned You About

Okay, this one's not hardware procurement. But I promise it lands on your desk eventually if you're in facility admin.

At some point, the office microwave — usually a Panasonic — will get its control panel locked. Sometimes it's a child lock feature that someone accidentally enabled. Sometimes it's a demo mode. Sometimes it's just... ghosts.

Here's how to turn off the door lock on a Panasonic microwave in most models:

1. Press and hold "Stop/Reset" for about 3 seconds. On many Panasonic models, this toggles the child lock on and off. You'll usually hear a beep confirming the change.
2. If that doesn't work, try holding "Start" and "Stop/Reset" simultaneously. Some models use this combination instead.
3. Check the display. If you see "Child" or a lock icon disappear, you're in. If not, unplug the microwave, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. That resets most control panel states.

I can only speak to the models we've had in our break room — a few different Panasonic inverter models over the years. If yours is a different brand or a commercial unit, the steps might be different. Your best bet is to find the model number (usually on the back or on the door frame) and look it up on Panasonic's support site.

Why is this in a hardware checklist? Because the last time it happened, I spent 20 minutes googling while seven people waited to heat up their lunch. Now I just know.

Common Mistakes I've Made (So You Don't Have To)

• Buying hinges by price alone. The cheap ones fail faster, especially on high-traffic doors. I had to reorder a batch within six months because the springs lost tension. Buy the right spec, not the lowest number.
• Under-ordering hooks. Seriously, order more than you think you need. You'll use them. If you don't, they sit in a bin and wait. That's fine.
• Skipping the socket set "because maintenance has one." Maintenance might. But do you want to track them down every time someone's desk wobbles? I didn't think so.
• Installing shear bolts without a backup plan. They're permanent. Make sure you're putting them in the right place. And for the love of everything, buy a few extra in case you strip one.

One more note — this approach worked for us because we're a mid-size office with steady, predictable needs. If you're a startup in a co-working space, you probably need less inventory. If you're managing multiple buildings, you need a lot more. I can only speak to my situation, but the categories don't change much.

A Final Thought on Small Orders

When I started in purchasing, I felt awkward placing a $60 order for three hinges and a pack of hooks. Like I was wasting the vendor's time. But the suppliers who treated those small orders with the same attention as our larger purchases? Those are the ones I still call first.

If you're running a small operation and you find a supplier who doesn't make you feel like a nuisance for ordering three hinges — hold onto them. That's worth more than a discount code.

And if Richelieu's reading this: your catalog saved me more times than I can count. The spring hinges alone have probably prevented four door-related emergencies this year.