Charlie S. wrote:
This is my problem. We have a door that goes from the house into a
cold,
non-heated breezeway. We have to open and shut the door whenever we go
to
the cellar to do the laundary. Unfortunately, the door does not stay
shut
as the gap between the door and sides are a bit too wide. I would
imagine
the door is not alligned right either.
Either install a door closing mechanism, so that the door will close
by itself or maybe add a magnet to the frame and a piece of iron to
the door so that it's kept closed.
Closing mechanism. as like those found on a swinging screen door ? Or,
are you referring to something else?
Would they sell this magnet/metal piece at Home Depot?
[...]
generally about 1/8-1/4 inch I presume. And, they always come undone.
If I
had any woodworking ability I would work on setting the hinges right,
but to
be honest I wouldn't have a clue on how to do that.
Without you telling what kind of hinges the door has it's imposible to
help you there...
The door has two hinges with layers of paint caked over them. There is a
large pin with a ball shaped top holding the door in place. The door
swings inward toward the kitchen. One flat part of the hinge lies flat
against the frame. While the other part is on the side of the door. The
the pin and casing is on the kitchen side. Removing the screws may prove
to be a chore. But, the pin seems freely movable. As though someone had
moved it recently.
--
Dr. Juergen Hannappel http://lisa2.physik.uni-bonn.de/~hannappe
Phone: +49 228 73 2447 FAX ... 7869
Physikalisches Institut der Uni Bonn Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
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Forget the hinges, that has nothing to do with holding the door closed. I
don't really understand. Doesn't the door have a knob and a latch? If it
has a latch,do you mean the door frame is so far away from the door edge
that the latch won't catch. If it has no latch just install one. All
kinds including regular door ones (difficult if you don't know anything
about wood working or the kinds that go on gates (simple). If you don't
want a latch, then why don't you just install a spring from the frame to
opening side of door, just like old fashioned screen doors? A screen door
spring would take about 5 minutes to install.
I should have mentioned it earlier. The door does have a knob and latch (I
presume by latch you mean the thing that goes in and out when you turn the
door knob.) It's a very old door the door knob doesn't work. It rotates,
but doesn't turn the 'latch'. I think I could install a latch. I've
installed locks in doors. This couldn't be any more difficult. Although,
don't be surprised if I am back here trying to find out how take the old
knob off:-)
The spring idea seems rather simple. And, that would do the trick too.
To be honest all the ideas suggested are very good. I am going to copy and
post them to a Word document and make my decision. The good news is I am
confident all of these ideas will work. I thank all of you for your help.
No more towels in the door. What a relief!!!
Installing new door knob mechanism may be a good place to start. It would
cut down on the drafts too. I am a bit worried that this being an old door,
it might look funny with a new door handle. It's an old door with a large
square window on top with three panel-like 7" x 22" cut outs beneath. It's
not the most attractive door, but it fits with the decor of the house.
Just went into the kitchen to look at the door again. It looks better than
I thought. It just needs a little paint and for me to remove and replace
some of the old tattered insulation strips I put up in the past. Looking at
some of the detailing around these insets I realize it would cost big bucks
to have one of these doors custom made.
These house doors are keeping me busy. Last week I spent a half hour
adjusting the bolt receptor so it would align perfectly with the lock bolt.
I also have an old wooden door that coming off it's hinges. The hinge
attaches to the frame and side of the door. The door swings inward. The pin
mechanism is also inside. It has a large pin with a roundish ball at the
top and bottom of it. The screws are coming out of the where the hinge
meets the frame. Especially at the top and bottom of the hinges. We have to
lift the door to open and close/lock it. It rest on carpet so it takes some
effort. This is another thing we've lived with for years. What should I
do? Just install longer screws? Or, should I prep the frame somehow so
that it will hold the screws more securely?