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SoftSlam - A Safe Door. A Quiet Door. A Solution for Slamming Doors

Anti-Slammer Blog


The Cost of a Slamming Door - Part 3, Locks and Knobs

16/2/2018

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The Preventable Cost of a Slamming Door – Part 3 – Locks and Knobs


Slamming doors cost more than we imagine. Slamming doors can do major damage to architraves, inset windows, pets, children, nerves, sleep, and door hardware.

We talk to many experts in the field of doors and door hardware; home builders, home owners, locksmiths, and joiners to name just a few. All have one thing in common when discussing a door – doors are dangerous and damaging. Dangerous when the doors slam. Damaging when the doors cause vibrations. Both actions prevented by the installation of SoftSlam.

This past week, we have concentrated on locksmiths. Locksmiths spend most of their time making a living on other people’s misfortune. Misfortune because their expensive lock set has failed. The number one security measure keeping the people they love safe from invasion.
This failure doesn’t only cause stress and hardship. Those locks cost a lot of money. On average, a good lockset will cost more than $200. For many, that also means a call to the locksmith to install them.

The vibrations caused by normal door operation shake things up enough to cause failure. Have you ever had a pin pop out of a hinge? Have you ever wondered how that could happen?

Protect your home and family with SoftSlam.
Get the peace of mind that you deserve.

Love your home, love your doors, love SoftSlam.
 Elizabeth

Slamming doors damage hands and hardware.
SoftSlam protects fingers and hardware from slamming doors.
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The Cost of a Slamming Door - Part 2 - Structures

15/2/2018

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The Cost of a Slamming Door – Part 2, Structures

Slamming doors cost more than we imagine. Slamming doors can do major damage to architraves, inset windows, pets, children, nerves, rest, and door hardware.

Last week, we met a new customer that heard about SoftSlam and the benefits of stopping a slamming door just a little too late.

He called us after his door slammed shut during the last major storm. The slamming door ripped the architrave right off the wall, in addition to scaring the entire family out of their seats.

Unfortunately, as simple as that damage sounds, it is anything but simple when you get finished adding up all the pieces. The wood was damaged, cracked and even broken around the nails. The nails held fast. Gluing was not an option. A new piece of timber was required to repair the damages. A contractor was selected to replace the architrave. He had a call out fee. He had to purchase the timber. He cut and installed the timber. Once it was installed. The entire door frame had to be painted because the aged paint was impossible to match. Visitors don’t notice but our customer can’t stop noticing that the one door doesn’t match the rest of the house. He’s now thinking about having to paint the whole house.

Why? Because the door slammed in the wind. With a SoftSlam installed, he would not have had a worry.

Peace of mind with
SoftSlam.


Love your house, love your doors, love
SoftSlam.

 
Elizabeth

Preven door slamming with SoftSlam
SoftSlam - door slam prevention hardware
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The Cost of a Slamming Door - Part 1, Tails

14/2/2018

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The Cost of a Slamming Door – Part 1, Tails

Slamming doors cost more than we imagine. Slamming doors can do major damage to architraves, inset windows, pets, children, nerves, rest, and door hardware.

Today, I’m talking about your pet being injured by a door.  We install many SoftSlams for concerned pet owners. The latest had a little dog. He’s seen dog face a dozen near misses in a week. One injury to the dog, from the door, would mean more than having an injury to the dog.

Stress is a killer. We hear that all the time. How much stress would you suffer if your dog was hit by a slamming door? What if the dog suffered severe bruising and found it hard to walk or breathe? What if its tail was cut or even amputated? What if it suffered a blow to the head that resulted in brain damage? What if it was killed? I know, it sounds like I am spinning it up but all of these are possibilities if the door slams hard enough. The risk is especially high if your pet is small.
After your initial stress response, you have your decision point. Are you taking him to the vet? How much will that cost you? Do you have pet insurance?

We went to interview a vet yesterday regarding the cost of door injuries to pet owners. We were told that we had to pay $50 for a 20 minute interview. So, it would cost us 2/3 the price of a SoftSlam just to find out if treating a hypothetical injury would cost more than the SoftSlam. I think it’s safe to say that insuring your pet’s health with SoftSlam is cheaper than nursing him through recovery from a door injury.

Food for thought – in 2001 my dear sweet Porkchop broke his leg. We don’t know how he did it. It was a compound fracture. It took six months, two surgeries, and $2500 to put Porkchop back together.

Love your pets. Love your SoftSlam,
Elizabeth

Pets appreciate SoftSlam protecting them from the dangers of a slamming door
Protect your pets from slamming doors with SoftSlam.
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February 10th, 2018

10/2/2018

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We are an adrenalin driven people. We love excitement and taking risks. On risk we don’t need to take is with the danger of a slamming door. SoftSlam can take the hurt out of the slam.

With ACC covering most of our costs of injuries, we rely on our doctors to put us back together when we are done base jumping, sky diving, hang gliding, or whatever other crazy thing that enters out head.

With most activities, we don’t begin until we are fit and ready. When it comes to injuries with doors, there is no way to get ready and there usually isn’t any underlying thrill to drive us to the risk.

The truth is, it’s not very often that she will be right after a serious injury. Surgeons can put you back together but the repair is never as good as the original. And in spite of ACC, the cost of the repairs can often cost more than the prevention. Hindsight it 20/20, as they say.

A SoftSlam costs $75 + GST (GST inclusive for a limited, introductory period).
My GP visit cost $45 after ACC.
My X-rays were $40 after ACC.

We are not done yet. I have ultra sound and PT still left to go but we have already exceeded the cost of the SoftSlam. That doesn’t even begin to cover the cost of my pain, my time off work, my traveling to the doctors.

She’ll be right in the end. Probably never as good as the start.

Buy a SoftSlam and avoid the embarrassing emergency so you can save your medical excitement for that huge risky but adrenaline happy super sport.

Go out with a bang, not a slam!
Elizabeth

SoftSlam to stop this dangerous door slamming
Nick installing a SoftSlam in a small, hollow core door that slammed within seconds of being opened, every time.
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Slamming Doors Use Scissor Action to Cause Door Injuries

9/2/2018

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SoftSlam to stop doors slammingSoftSlam installed in a solid core door to stop door slamming

Dangerous Doors – Scissor Action Can Destroy Hands

All this talk about door injuries and doors slamming, even with the known forces of the door being up to 40 tonnes of pressure, doesn’t answer the question of how those injuries occur. We know that SoftSlam can mitigate these damages.
It’s graphically, tragically simple. Your door is the biggest pair of scissors in your house.

While the latch side of the door picks up speed and crashes against the door frame with an alarming sound, the hinge side of your door is building up pinch and crush forces that can severe a finger, tail, or small leg bone.

The latch side speed can cause injury. A blow to the body if the body is standing in the door. Such an injury can lead to concussions, bruising, or a just a knock.

The hinge side of your door has created a vice with a narrow entry. Unlike the latch side, the unaware by-stander may not sense the movement in the door if their back is to the door. There is very little movement. If the body part in the door is small enough, the door could very well crush enough to go ahead and latch with the part still inserted.

Aluminium frame doors are even more dangerous. They are lighter weight so they don’t have as much crushing force. What they do have are two slim edges that come together to make a weather seal around your door. They seem dull and blunt to the untrained eye but when you add the force of the wind you end up with those giant scissors I told you about.

SoftSlam can’t stop the door from acting like scissors but it will stop the forces that can severe bone and give the victim time to remove their digit from the danger zone. SoftSlam action starts before any crushing force is exerted onto fingers in the hinge side.

Saving your day,
Elizabeth


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Windy Weather Causes Door Slamming - Tame Your Doors

8/2/2018

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Autumn is blowing in early this year. With it, comes the cool nights, shorter days and windy weather. The windy weather brings on the frequent, uncontrolled, dangerous slamming doors. Those doors damage structure, break windows near the door, injure children and even kill pets.

If you are like me, closing the doors is not an option. We don't have air conditioning. The windows aren't situated well enough to get a breeze and even if they were, it wouldn't stop the hallway door from slamming. We had one those heavy, dead weight door stops, until I stubbed my toe on it in the middle of the night. Broke the little guy. Couldn't walk for a week.

Just yesterday I slipped in the house with my dear poodle Riven following close on my heels. I saw the door move just as I passed through. I quickly looked to Riven to see if he needed my help. Riven twisted his body to avoid being hit well aware that his life could be lost if the door hit him hard.

At the last minute, the SoftSlam stopped the door as it was force by the howling wind. Riven hasn't even a single hair out of place. We both emitted a sigh of relief. Thanks to that SoftSlam, there was no injury.

You can tame your wild doors and protect your home and family from the ravages of uncontrolled slams.

Blowing in the wind,

Elizabeth
SoftSlam - Stop doors slamming
SoftSlam stops doors slamming
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Child Safe Doors

7/2/2018

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Doors slam and bang in the wind from the day they are installed in the house. No builder is unaware of the problem of slamming doors. What they don't know but highly suspect, is the rate of injury to children caused by those slamming doors. 1% of New Zealand is currently on the books at ACC for injuries caused by doors. If that trend remains true, you have 10% of the population over ten years. Or 100% of the population over 100 years. Statistically, if you consider that no one would be gullible enough to be injured twice, that means that every one of us will, at some time be injured by a door so badly that we will require medical treatment.

Statistically, that means that every one of us will, at some time, be injured by a door so badly, that we will require medical treatment.

Yes, I said that twice. It needs to sink in. What are the chances that you will be injured by a door? 100%.

I was injured by a door. I am a current ACC statistic. No, it did not slam on me but opened so hard that it pulled the ligaments in my shoulder. The same door knocked a small woman down and broke her elbow. What does this have to do with kids and SoftSlam you ask?

First, the door closer on the door was adjusted too tight for safety. In the US, where a company would be sued for the two injuries that we sustained, there are laws regulating how much force can be necessary for opening a door. Doors set so tight that they do injury to grown people have crushed small children. Why would someone set their door closer so tight? Convenience. The slamming of the door causes vibrations. Those vibrations cause door closers to lose their adjustment. Once that happens, the maintenance manager is back on the job and having to adjust again. If I adjust it tighter, it'll last longer.  People have thoughts like this all the time. It's perfectly normal for someone being paid to do a job to want that job to be easier, not so repetitive, or to have it go away all together. Unfortunately, in this case, such thoughts create unnecessary risk.

Builders, lock smiths, home providers, real estate agents know that their doors slam. Home owners, children and pets find out that their doors are dangerous. SoftSlam can protect you, your children, your pets, and your home from slamming doors. Now that we know, it's time to start doing something about it.

Taming the enemy,

Elizabeth





SoftSlam for safe doors
SoftSlam - stop door slamming
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Soft Slam USA

6/2/2018

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Slamming doors affect every region of the world. Not one country that I know of is free of the damages caused by slamming doors. Because of that, we have made significant efforts to cover the globe with our SoftSlam product offering. SoftSlam USA opened its doors this week. Visit their website.

In New Zealand, 1% of us are currently undergoing medical treatment for an injury caused by doors. As shocking as these statistics are, the US statistics are just as bad. See our US statistics blog.

Dangerous doors should not be ignored anywhere in the world. Children are our future and their future is in our hands. We can all protect the hands of the ones we love by stopping those slamming doors now, before the accidents happen. Our goal at Slammer, is to make sure that every child has all of their fingers when they leave school. Can this be one of your goals too?

SoftSlam stops door slamming
SoftSlam installed in heavy door to stop door slamming
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The Pet Safe Door

5/2/2018

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So, the kids are grown, the grandkids only come about a few times a year. You no longer have to worry about those doors removing a digit. Everyone is older, learned, wise to the world. But you have your new fur baby. He's young. He's bright. He's perfect. He's still at risk.

Doors present as much of a hazard to pets as they do to babies. Unlike children, pets may not learn to avoid doors. If your fur baby is like mine (shown), he can't live without you. You slip through the door and he follows. He doesn't take into account that the door may slam closed, all he wants is to be with you.
Picture
Picture
Doors are responsible for injuries so horrific that dogs and cats lose legs and tails. In our line of work, we hear about door injuries on a daily basis. The most tragic story was a child's kitten that was killed by a door slamming on it. Another was permanently disfigured from a door.

SoftSlam can mitigate or even prevent these injuries by reducing the forces of the door. For a small cost and a short installation time, your pets can be protected from the incredible force of a slamming door.

Contact us today for more information.
Loving the companionship of my fur babies. Wishing all the best for yours.

Elizabeth
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Moving from Ordinary Doors to Extraordinary Doors

4/2/2018

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When was the common door invented? I've travelled the world over and no matter what era a castle, fortress, or cathedral was built in, it had a door. All those doors were pretty much the same.

Some were big, some were small. All were hinged on one side and latched on the other. Some were wood. Some were metal. All opened to let in friends and closed to block out enemies. Not much has been done to make doors stand out in the last 3000 years. And because of that, the one fault that most doors have, has been ignored.

Doors are potentially dangerous. More people are injured by doors than any other single item in the home. More noise is created by the door than any other single item in the home bar that drum set you bought your kid for Christmas last year. Why do we accept that as normal?

The ordinary door can now be made extraordinary. The video right shows a door fitted with SoftSlam slowing itself in a slam situation preventing injuries and noise. In addition, the vibrations resulting in a slam can do damage to your home and even break glass in the doors.

You deserve the best. You deserve extraordinary doors. Door that protect you without harming you. Doors that keep out the noise of the street without becoming the source of the noise. Doors that close your house to the elements without damaging your house more than the elements.

Forget ordinary. It's time for extraordinary.

From my personal sanctuary to yours,

Elizabeth


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    Elizabeth James:
    A professional engineer by trade enjoys writing, creating, and farming.

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