I just weatherstripped some wood storm doors for a client using RCT’s weatherstrippng router system. I’d never used this system before, but it’s very user-friendly for retrofits. I highly recommend it.
The weatherstripping adds a bit of resistance to closing and latching, of course, so we decided to upgrade both the latches and the closers. A Merit mortise lock (expensive, but good) solved one of those problems.
But the old Dexter Dialmatic closer that I used to use no longer exists. It used a torsion spring mounted to the jamb, with an air-resistance tube to adjust closing speed. Stanley and Wright Products both make similar closers, so I special-ordered the sleeker-looking Stanley CD1768.
The spring hub on the Stanley needs more room between the entry and storm doors than standard house wall thickness provides, so among other things, its hold-open feature doesn’t work. It’s also just plain too wimpy to completely close the door. And although it was clearly labeled and marketed as a screen and storm door closer, the instructions say it should ONLY (their caps) be used on entry doors, never on screen or storm doors. Thanks a lot, Stanley!
Now I’m taking heat from my customers because their doors don’t work. I’m considering ordering the Wright Products closer, which is pretty ugly, but might work better.
I should mention that because of the flex of the thin doors, I’ll need two closers per door, which rules out top-jamb-mount, articulated arm types. Any other closers I should try? Help!
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Greetings A,
This post, in response to your question, will bump the thread through the 'recent discussion' listing again which will increase it's viewing.
Perhaps it will catch someone's attention that can help you with advice.
Cheers
yer gonna have to type slow for me and maybe switch to a crayon.-buck '07
I never had a problem with character,
people've been telling me I was one ever since I was a kid.
I've seen people install 2 closers on storm doors - One up high and one down low.
The downside is that it puts a lot of force on the door hinge. Last weekend I helped a neighbor re-attach the brick mold on his front door, as the double closers had pushed it out 1/2" or so.
Thanks, BossHog,Yeah, two closers will definitely be necessary. It's already got two hardware-store variety closers on it now. I'm hoping someone out there knows of a good heavy-duty closer. I miss that old Dexter Dialmatic! AitchKay
Most of the new "high end" storm doors come with two of closers.And properly sized 2 would give less force on the connections than one big one..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
OK, Guys,
Let me reframe the question. As I said in my original post, I'm going to use two closers. That's not the issue.
Because of the weatherstripping, I need HEAVY-DUTY closers that are designed to mount top and bottom. What brands have you used? If you're old enough to remember the Dexter Dialmatic, that's the kind I'm talking about, with a torsion spring hub mounted to the jamb. I've installed dozens of these, starting back in the 70s.
But as I said, Dexter is history and that closer is no longer made. The Stanley doesn't work. The Wright is ugly, but I guess I'll give it a try. I'll post again if I do.
AitchKay
Commercial door hardware would use parallel arm closers. They are not as compact as the typical storm door version, but would certainly pull better and offer more opportunity for adjustment.
Manufacturers include Sargent, LCN and Dor-O-Matic. Try http://www.lcnclosers.com You might want to look there to find something applicable to storm doors. "Good design is good business"<!----><!----><!---->
<!----><!----><!---->Florence<!----><!----> Schust Knoll (1917-)<!----><!---->
I think I remember reading somewhere that Ryobi took over the Dexter line of closers. Norton and Dorma both used to make a number 1 size screen door closer.
Check out some contract hardware suppliers in your area and see if they have any old stock laying around gathering dust.
I'm thinking either the door is warped in the jamb, or the strike plate needs to be adjusted....Two standard closers should pull & latch a true door with a little "slop" in the strike, IMHO. I feel your pain for not being able to find a product that used to work for you...there's great new stuff out there, but the price seems to be that we've lost some quality products along the way...too expensive for the harry homeowner profit margin....
Nice to hear a user report on the RTC system.....router seems pricey to me, and it seems like you would need several different sizes of the silicone bulbs handy.
Hey, jrnbj,You got that right about the warp! One of the doors is 1/2" open at the bottom, but even with one closer only, mounted at the bottom, it closes tight at the top. As for that RCT system, yeah, it's great. I told the customers that all the off-the-shelf weatherstripping was junk (which they could see just by looking at their front door). I had gotten some RCT samples a few years ago, so I knew their silicone tubes were super thin-walled, super compressible, etc. I proposed that the customer pay for half the tool, about $150, and I'd cover the rest. Since they were spreading the cost over 4 doors, I was able to talk them into it, and now that it's done they have no regrets.The tool looks sort of like a angle-head finish nailer. A router motor sits where the piston head would be, and you rest the base, which looks like a nail magazine, in the corner of the jamb (where the Q-lon seal would be if it was a modern door). You depress a spring-loaded button which pushes a locating pin out of the base up by the router bit. This lets you center the bit right in the corner of the jamb angle. Let up on the button, and the bit plunges in to cut a 1/8" by 1/4" groove. Unlike factory weatherstrip grooves, this groove angles in at 45 degrees to both the stop and the jamb. Start in the middle, run it up to the top, and the bit angles right up into the corner. Flip the tool around, and finish the cut from the middle down to the threshold. Overlap the cuts as little as possible to avoid widening the cut. With that narrow base, it's hard not to wobble. You end up with a wavy groove, but don't worry. Once you roll the weatherstrip tube in, it rests against the jamb and stop and lies straight. The cross section of the tube looks like the symbol for male: a circle with a little arrow sticking out. You can snip off an inch of that arrow and slip the end of the tube into the next larger size tube, so uneven gaps are no problem. Way cool!The base of the tool is hollow, and has a 1" vacuum hose coming out of it that picks up most of the dust. 1/8" X 1/4" isn't that much dust, but use a vacuum anyway, or you'l spend a lot of time cleaning out the groove with the tip of a nail or something.They also make a slick automatic door bottom which drops down when the door is closed. You rout a slot in the bottom of the door, 5/8" X 1 1/8" I think it was. A button sticking out of the hinge edge against the jamb activates it. Great for this job, where they had added hardwood flooring as a remodel, and didn't have enough clearance for a doormat before. The sweeps are RCT's silicone. Everything else out there is vinyl junk, no comparison. For a screw-on, wood strip type sweep, kerf a 1/2" X 2". A little more hassle, but you get the silicone, so it's worth it.AitchKay