We specifically put a doggie door in when we built this house. It is in the bathroom and we are able to keep the dogs isolated in there or free to go in the yard. That was two generations of dog ago, and even back then they were perfectly capable of pressing down on the lever handles to open unlocked doors. After a mouse infestation that gained access via the gap between the rock and the wall inside the doggie door tunnel, the metal inside panel was put in place and has not moved in years.
The dogs adapt. All of our doors except the front door have lever handles and they are quick to learn how to open them. In fact unless the door has a lock on it that is locked they seem to think they they are welcome to open any door. The back door to the patio especially. This summer I must have closed that door 500 times. Haas, currently the only dog tall enough to get to the handle is quick to open it and run after squirrels, lizards or any deer within sight. I can always tell when it’s open because our 72º house quickly feels like a convection oven with the door open. This has been going on for way too long and I really should fix the doggie door. But Yvonne is concerned that anything could use it. So I was looking into the doors that have an id tag for the dog and only allow the tag to open the door. For a door large enough for Haas, the price tag is currently $700 and the door looks like a piece of junk. So I have been looking for alternatives.
I think I just thought of one today, there is a door closer on the door at the bottom of the stairs in the cabana. It was required back when the building was being used as a commercial kitchen. But it sold its last pizza almost 15 years ago. I disconnected the arm on the closer since we had the door propped open. Now it may serve a new life as the auto door closer for the back door that leads to the patio at the house. This might keep Haas from getting in quite as much trouble for leaving it open ever 10 minutes. It might also save me a little money considering it has been over 100º for over 30 days this year already. Time to go take it down.
It left 4 3/8″ holes in the top of the door, but a little spackle will fill them and camouflage their existence.
Now I need to figure out what to do to it to change it from a closer for a left hand door to a right hand door. If I remember correctly, I need to flip the body over, remove the bolt cover and attach the arm the bolt and put the cover on the other bolt. Oh, Search Engine? Today it is Duck Duck Go.
After a few searches I managed to find the instructions for my specific closer online. It turns out there are usually three different adjustments you can make to a closer:
- Backcheck – which stops the door from opening too wide
- Sweep which controls the close speed down to 15º open
- Latching Speed – which controls the speed from 15º to 0º
My closer only has two valves to adjust, The Backcheck is a constant and can only be adjusted by how far from the hinge the closer is installed. For this one at 7″ from the hinge the door will only open 90º which is what I want since there is a window located around 120º from the door. So that makes it pretty easy figure out everything else. I have the closer set up as a parallel arm from the push side. I mount it as low as possible because the arm up top needs space but the trim around the glass on the door is in the way of the bolt cover on the bottom. Luckily it fits without too much hassle. I prep-drill the holes and install the screws with the drill driver and it is up in 5 minutes.
I open the door and it damn near slams in my face. Hmm, better go find some hex keys to adjust this bad boy. Kitchen Junk/tool drawer to the rescue. In the container of extra flat pack parts and tools there is a collection of hex keys and I find the right size without much issue. I screw in both valves in all the way, open the door and it stays there. Perfect, now to adjust it to the right speed, a couple of twists and it moves but doesn’t threaten to act as a guillotine. It stops at the 15º mark and a couple more twists on the latch valve and it closes solidly without slamming or bouncing. Why did I not do this at the beginning of summer.
Haas is looking at the door with suspicion and has not attempted to open it from either side, but I’m sure the first sign of a deer or a delivery he will lose his mind and open it with vigor whilst barking madly at the alleged intruder.
