June 2011

Which door closers - our doors are hardwood 45mm x 840mm x 1981mm, we are not sure if Geze TS1000 will be sufficient or if we will need Geze TS1500. Please could you advise?

The TS1000 door closers are perfectly adequate to cope with fire rated doors up to 900mm wide.  Geze TS1500's are able to cope with a wider range of door sizes, and are a little more attractive to look at.  The Eurospec F2003 is another suitable choice, as is the Briton 121.CE.

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I have a fire door between my utility and garage. (W27" X H78" X D44mm), it is currently fitted with an undamped chain closer, which frequently results in the door slamming shut with some force...

...I would like to remove the chain closer and replace it with an overhead closer with speed and latching control.  Can you recommend a suitable closer from the Geze range? At 27" wide, your door is on the narrow side, so we'd recommend a door closer which has some adjustability on the power, because you don't want it to be too stiff to push open.  The Geze TS1500 is a good door closer, power size 3 & 4 by template, and at the reasonable end of the price range.  The Geze TS2000 NV is power size 2-4 adjustable, which you will find more flexible, but it's more pricey.  Both of these closers have adjustable speed and latching action control.

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Do your pocket doors provide any sound insulation between the adjacent rooms (i.e. in the partition itself as well as where the 2 doors meet each other)?

There is no sound insulation material supplied with either pocket door systems we supply (the Hideaway and the iMpero deluxe), but it would be possible to add your own brush strip to the top and bottom of the doors, although this wouldn't look right on the leading edges.  The wall cavity is going to be fairly good at dampening sound, because the air gap between the stud work will reduce noise transference to some extent.  Other factors to consider are soft furnishings and floor surfaces which all contribute to noise dampening.

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Q: I have an Arrow door closer and it seems to have stopped working. i.e the door now slams shut. Could you call me to advise how to fix?

A: Once door closers have lost hydraulic pressure, they slam the door and unfortunately can't be fixed.  Best course of action is replace with a new door closer.

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Q: What does "back check" mean on heavy duty door closers?

A: "Back Check" stops the door slamming open; two examples:- on an external door in a windy location back check prevents the wind from "picking up" and opening the door (which might damage the frame at the hinges); or when there is a wall at 90° from the door back check stops damage to the wall & door handles by  preventing slamming open.  It’s a standard feature on both the Geze TS4000 door closer and the Geze TS2000NVBC, it's an optional extra with the Geze TS2000 .

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What is meant by "bolt through" door handles?

Bolt through door handles are the best way to ensure the handles don't get pulled off in high use settings like schools & offices.  Usually only available on round roses, the bolts go straight through the door AND the lock case or the latch.  It's essential to check the locks and latches are suitable for bolt through fixings, you'll be able to see holes in the lock/latch case for the bolts to pass.  Door handles on backplates are not designed to bolt through.

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Q: Can I put panic hardware on an external gate?

A: Yes, you can.  You might consider going for the Exidor 296 push bar or an Exidor 297 push pad.  It may be necessary to shield the panic bar from the outside to ensure security (depending upon the design of the gate).  You may expect a slightly shortened life expectancy for the units due to weather action, but they are a relatively inexpensive purchase.  Be sure to check & maintain regularly.

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No Credit / Debit card charges

As this is a hot topic today, Doorstuff are pleased to reassure that we do not make any charge for using credit or debit cards (or any other payment method).

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HELP! My elderly mother is a prisoner of her door closer

My mother is 92 years old & living in sheltered accommodation.  They have fitted a door closer to her flat & she is now unable to get out or get back in alone.  I am urgently looking for a soft close device which she is able to open & close alone.  A: This is unfortunately a common problem when standard door closers are fitted to fire doors (to meet fire regulations) because they make the door too stiff for frail elderly people (young children in nursery schools face the same problem).  The recommendations of The Equalities Act (old DDA) with respect to opening forces on a door allow for quite a stiff door closer, because the Fire Regulation Legislation regarding closing forces has to take priority.  Standard door closers require much more force to open than they exert when closing, because their mechanism is inefficient.  A facilities manager would aim to fit one of the following two door closer types (in order of preference):- 1. Electromagnetic free swing door closers, wired into the fire alarm, these units only act as a door closer once the fire alarm is activated. Normal opening & closing of the door is totally unaffected by having one of these fitted. 2. Cam action guide rail door closer, using a more efficient mechanism design than standard hydraulic closers, the opening forces are reduced and get easier as the angle of opening increases.  The guide rail also helps with easing the opening forces.  Because the mechanism is smaller, the units are more discreet and usually come with an attractive cover as standard.