Hello Blog Audience,
Greetings from Carlsbad Safety Products! To all of our customers: We greatly value your business and we thank you for believing in our mission of protecting little fingers. We appreciate your support!
Today I want to talk about door sizes and the right approach for selecting shield sizes to match those door sizes.
Shield Width
What is the best shield width for a particular door?
First, let’s look at one common, wrong approach. Many of our competitors purport to offer a “one-size-fits-all” finger guard. The reality is generally that one size fits none. The reason: (1) A really wide shield might accommodate a commercial-sized, 180-degree door, but that shield size will look very sloppy on a standard residential 90-degree door; and (2) A really narrow shield might accommodate a standard residential 90-degree door, but it will totally fail (and eventually fall to the ground) if placed on a commercial-sized, 180-degree door. In either case, a bad fit means a bad result and an unhappy customer.
The Pinch-Not approach is a better approach. We offer finger door guards in various widths, and we provide a simple guide for making the right choice. That sizing guide is available on our website at the "Sizing Guide" tab.
So, how do you use this Sizing Guide? It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!
- Determine the door thickness.
- Determine the amount of door swing. Four combinations of door thickness and door swing are possible.
- Find the quadrant that corresponds to the door type, and it will tell you the optimal size of door safety shield for your door.
It’s as simple as that!
Shield Height
What is the best shield height for a particular door?
The best shield height has little to do with the door height (typically 80 inches for a residential door). Rather, the issue is the height (and reach) of the child we are trying to protect. An average 8-year-old boy is about 50 inches tall. Accordingly, I would not recommend a shield height that is less than 50 inches, assuming that 8-year-old boys are on the loose.
Many competitors offer shields that are only 40 inches in height. That is OK for toddlers, but probably inadequate for the rambunctious 5-year-old. And, if you are concerned about aesthetics, the 40-inch shield looks pretty bad on a full-sized door. Of course, that is just one reporter’s opinion!
Pinch-Not Shields are 68 inches tall, and they look great on any door – especially if the correct width is selected (see above). While I am undoubtedly biased, I do believe that the Pinch-Not shield affords great protection and great aesthetics – all at a very affordable price.
Thank you for reading this blog. And, please know that we truly are committed to our mission, and we salute you for doing your part to protect little fingers!
Cordially,
Guy McRoskey
Vice President
Carlsbad Safety Products