Q: Can you replace the brush?
A: Indeed you can, the part number is P516041GR and can be reviewed here:
Click Here
Is there a follow up question that we can perhaps attempt to answer? We take pride in our technical expertise, as we know it separates us from our competition, so don't hesitate to ask.
Please reply to this email or contact our sales department here:
Click Here
if we can assist you by answering further questions or with entering this order and please let us know if there is anything else we can help with.
Q: Rich, One of your associates on the phone said I should reach out to you directly for some advice. I'm in the process of converting a bifold pine wood door into a semi-interior set of french doors. I'm calling them semi-interior because they seperate a drafty sleeping porch from the rest of the house. The porch is original to the house which is 100 years old and I'm working to make sure these doors maintain that feel. So far, I've hung the doors and added some vintage handles, but now I need to weatherstrip because we want the doors to seal off the draft from the old sleeping porch and the main part of the house. After that I'll stain and put a finish on them and call it done. The middle rails of the doors come together very close when closing them on the porch side. I've been thinking a brush might be best for where they meet. Here are some pictures:
View Image
View Image
View Image
View Image
View Image
View Image
View Image
View Image
any advice is greatly appreciated! Many thanks, Art
A: I see your work and appreciate to time you have spent on the project and can see you want it completed properly. I grew up in a home that was 60 years old and that was in the 1970's, so I know about the challenges with really old homes. This is an easy project to complete.
Very simply I suggest you use the Dorbin 97AS Black Pile Adjustable Double Door Equipment 80" Length
as seen here:
Click Here
for the stiles and top rail and then I would use the Reese 370A 24" Automatic Door Bottom with Sponge Neoprene insert - Mill Finish Aluminum - Recess Mount as seen here:
Click Here
In short, you mortise all parts to each side, it will not only be concealed but you can tailor the projection of these items to suit your conditions, meaning where your gaps are not precisely constant, you can tailor this pile weatherstripping to suit the door, frame, header and sill conditions. This will be the best gasketed doorway in the home. What follow up questions may I attempt to answer?
Q: Can you recommend a router bit to buy for the mortising?
A: The Amana 45428 9/16” diameter x 1-1/4" cutting length x 2-7/8” overall length x 1/2” shank 2 - Flute Carbide Router Bit
as seen here:
Download File
and can be purchased here:
Click Here
woul dbe the perfect bit for this project.
Q: Fantastic - thank you! I was thinking about doing spring bronze for the top and sides (that's how it's done on the matching door upstairs). Does that make sense and do you sell spring bronze? But, if I'm mortising the meeting rails and the bottom of the door - won't they be in conflict? If so, I assume I'd prioritize the bottom because that's the larger gap. Do you recommend a way to close the bottom gap? My friend loaned me his router so once I understand this part of the project I'll purchase the materials, get this done, and make my wife a warmer and happier person. Many thanks!
A: Sure thing - spring bronze weatherstripping is available in different widths and the different roll lengths - we have a link as seen here:
Click Here
that will show you what does roll lengths and widths are and be sure to scroll down to the bottom half of the page to find the 17 foot length kits which would be appropriate for doors up to three foot wide and 7 foot tall and then you'll simply select the width of the gasketing that best meets your requirements and I can tell you that the inch and a quarter is likely the most common and because it's the most common I've placed a link to that here:
Click Here
This material will include nails for installation along with a lock strip.
Q: I've gotten the doors ready for weatherizing after all the other prep work. As you can see in the photos I've attached here:
View Image
View Image
that they are stained and have hardware now.
Could I use the following: For the Astragal and bottom rails Dorbin 97AS Black Pile Adjustable Double Door Equipment 80" Length as seen here:
View Image
and then
Spring Bronze for the side rails?
For the top rails also use the Dorbin 97AS (as above) to close the gap on the lefth and top side, photo above?
The problem is that there's a gap. I know you recommended the Reese 370A Automatic Door Bottom with Sponge Neoprene insert but I'm worried that since these are french doors the spring trigger will push the doors open. If there's no issue with the Resse pushing the door open, what router bit would you recommend? Thank You, Art
A: Using the
Dorbin 97AS Gray Pile Adjustable Double Door Equipment 80" Length
for your meeting style and bottom rails certainly appears to be acceptable though you would require a gap not greater than 1/2”.
However using them at the bottom rail I think over the long-term may not be the best idea because it will leave a wear pattern on the floor as that pile is making constant contact with the wood floor and will likely create a matte finish over the 90°, or greater, opening and closing arc of the door. This is the reason that I suggested the automatic door bottoms* because that insert and seal will only make contact with the floor when the door is closed so I was assuming that you would have ball or roller latches installed to keep the doors in the closed position. You are correct in your supposition that the spring bias automatic door bottom would force the door to creep open.
Using it at your top rail though would not work because your gap clearly exceeds this dimension. You might consider adding an eighth of an inch shim and then surface mounting the 97AS do depending on your elevation perspective that may prove unsightly. You might also consider adding an extension to the existing stop that would allow you to bring that margin down to 1/8” - I see that it is not symmetrical from left to right however this can be accomplished with carpentry techniques.
Using Spring Bronze as seen here:
Click Here
for the hinge jambs would certainly prove a better solution than having nothing there I might be tempted to not use a gasket that is specifically known for exterior applications and is so expensive meaning I might use a self-adhesive products such as the
Pemko P240 17ft Roll Closed Cell Soft PVC Foam Tape
as seen here:
Click Here
or any of its variants as seen here:
Click Here
Though I might be inclined to use both of these solutions.
*If you plan on using the automatic door bottom I will detail and include in the order the proper 2 flute carbide router bit necessary to machine the bottom of the wood doors.