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

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

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?

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.

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.

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