FAQ

At Open The Door Products, we've done our best to create a Web site that anticipates and satisfies our customers' needs. With that goal in mind, we've compiled a list of frequently asked questions. If you do not find an answer to your question here, contact us at 315-429-9155 or openthedoor@verizon.net

Where can we buy the products?

See Products and Links or contact us..

What wood species are available?

Inventoried wood species are maple, cherry, walnut and red oak. See Products section.  Other species available by special order.

Why do you use wooden mounting bases?

Die cast metal and plastic mounting bases are available on the market, however they are too low profile to work properly on inset cabinetry… the corresponding door magnet is too close to the edge of the door. Another reason is that they do not provide the adjustability that is needed with most cabinetry. A third reason is that a mounting base that matches the cabinet interior will visually blend in and be less noticeable. These units are designed first for good function and then to blend in with the cabinet interior.

What makes these closers so quiet?

We use 2 precisely tuned magnets to draw the door closed in combination with a shock absorber to keep the door from slamming or bouncing open. Additionally, we do not allow the magnets to make contact by separating them with a soft pyramid shaped quiet bumper.

What type of magnets are used?

The magnets are made to our specific “tuned” size, strength and grade. They are permanent magnets tested to lose only about 5% of their strength in 10 years.

How can your magnets be strong enough to pull in warped doors and still be easy to open?

Most magnets are rated by their holding force. To create ease of opening, we do not allow the 2 magnets to make contact. This also makes them very quiet but creates the need for fine tuning the strength and grade of the magnets.

Can the wood mounting bases be finished to match cabinet interiors?

Yes, you can paint over the existing natural finish (after removing the shock) or order unfinished units in maple, cherry, walnut or red oak. Other wood species are available by special order with longer lead times and a minimum order.

Do mounting bases have to be disassembled to finish?

Only the shock must be removed because application of finish will most likely inhibit its function. It is important that you do not apply an excessive amount of finish to the inside of the bore for the shock because it may cause the block to split when reinserting the shock. You can paint or varnish over the magnet without affecting its function.

What keeps the magnets in the mounting base and the cabinet door?

The magnet in the mounting base comes to you pre installed. We use polyurethane glue which expands as it cures to a permanent waterproof bond. However, this type of adhesive dries very slowly and thus is not acceptable for shop or site installation of the door magnets. The corresponding door magnet fits tightly into a properly drilled hole, however we know that wood will dry out and this magnet could come loose. To prevent this possibility, we use a crazy glue gel that we provide for you in a very handy “accutool” dispenser. See the products section for a photo. A screw mount door magnet is also available. See the product section for a photo.

What type of shock absorber do you use and why?

We use an Italian made shock by Salice because they are available in different strengths and the one that we use works best at dampening the drawing force of the magnets and preventing bounce if the door is slammed. Other shocks on the market are self adjusting, which does not work as well for our particular purpose.

How difficult are your catches to install?

There is very little difference from installing a standard magnet with a metal plate. There are two screws in the mounting base and one hole to drill in the cabinet door for the magnet to be glued in. The final step is application of the soft pyramid bumper which is self adhesive. We recommend a placement jig, C-clamp for mounting the blocks and router with a jig for drilling door magnet holes for high production consistency and efficiency. See the tools section.

What happens if my cabinet floor is not flush with the inside edge of my face frame?

There will be no problem if the floor is very nearly flush  (i.e. within 1/32” to 1/4”)with the inside of the face frame.  The problem that can occur is the magnet in the door will become very close to the edge of the door.  This may crate the need to shim the mounting base or request a higher mounting base made for your situation.

What height blocks are kept in stock for quick delivery?

The soft close mounting block standard height is 3/4”.  These are available in all of our normal species.  We now stock some species in 7/8” high blocks.  These are used when cabinets are manufactured with floors held down from the edge of the face frame so the hole for the door magnet is not too close to the edge of the door.  See the products page to see these blocks.

Can we get custom sized mounting blocks?

Yes, in situations such as floors that are not flush with the top edge of the face frame you may need a higher block. These can be produced but with longer lead times and minimum order quantities.

What color door shocks are available?

Honey colored shocks are standard.  White shocks are available if requested only when ordering unfinished maple blocks.  The white shocks are ideal for cabinets where you are painting the blocks to match light colored painted interiors.

How long does it take for delivery?

We maintain a considerable inventory of all items shown in the “Products” section. Thus, we will normally ship via UPS within one week of your order. Large or custom order may take four to five weeks to produce, so we recommend that you order units when your project is sold rather than wait until the day that you need them. We are increasing our inventory as demand increases, but a surge in demand could cause a delay, so please help us to serve you better by planning ahead.