Pemko automatic door bottom -- bad design?

The Short Version: Have a look at the attached photo and tell me, what is wrong with this picture?? ***** The Longer Version: I built a "Superdoor" for my studio room - a solid wood door, with a layer of lead, and an MDF layer over that. In addition to the recessed weatherstripping-type seals that came with the door frame, I am adding a second layer of Pemko seals, surface mounted, that seal against the MDF layer of the door. The Pemko parts I'm using are: 322 adjustable jamb weatherstripping for the sides and top, and 4301 automatic door bottom (ADB). The sides and top are in place, and I'm trying to get the ADB installed. I bought the ADB a couple years back, but haven't installed it until now (long story). But, important to this issue, this is the "old style" Pemko 4301, with the plastic end caps. They redesigned the 4301 last year, and the new version has metal end caps. You can see the problem I'm having in the photo attached. When you close the door, the bar inside pushes sideways against that end cap - and because it's plastic and only attached by one screw at the top, the bottom of it is bending out. And this extra width prevents the door from closing! One suggested solution was to take another 1/8" or so off that end of the ADB. However, I see that as accommodating a poor design. In their installation instructions, Pemko says to cut the ADB only an 1/8" smaller than the jamb width - as each of the 2 plastic end caps is 1/16" thick. If it actually needed extra room to allow for a bendy plastic end cap, they should have said so! But that aside, say I do cut another 1/8" to make room. Now, over time, that plastic cap gets flexed more and more (the aluminum bar inside pushes against it every time the door is closed, remember). One day it could start banging against the door jam, or, more likely (given that this is a 300 pound door, usually closed with significant force) get sheared off when closing the door. I know I'm going on about this one little part, but I haven't gotten either Pemko or the building supply place I bought it from to allow me to exchange this crappy old design for the redesigned model with the metal end caps. Am I crazy for wanting this part to actually work as advertised? Thanks, Leigh

Here's a link to Pemko's "Redesign Announcement" from July of 2011, wherein they detail the changes they've made to the 4301 automatic door bottom. Replacing the plastic end caps with metal ones is the primary change they list. Sadly, since they also changed the height of the casing, the new metal caps can't just be slapped onto an old casing, a fact which they explicitly note: http://www.pemko.com/assets/literature/ ... 7%2011.pdf

"usually closed with significant force)" You require a door closer to reduce this potential to cut things like little fingers :) "One suggested solution was to take another 1/8" or so off that end of the ADB. However, I see that as accommodating a poor design." Well the design accounts for specific dimensions and there is the chance that you may be inside or outside of the dimensions just a tad. If it looks like to you that reducing the width of the offending piece will actually make the seal work then reduce it, this is not uncommon to modify a material in the field based on the perfect environment of the drawing room. But, if in your opinion, this is a manufacturing fault then you should take it to Pemko.

xSpace wrote:

"usually closed with significant force)" You require a door closer to reduce this potential to cut things like little fingers :)

You are absolutely right. It's one of the things I've been negligent about, and I should remedy that asap. Do you have a brand recommendation for door closers?

xSpace wrote:

"One suggested solution was to take another 1/8" or so off that end of the ADB. However, I see that as accommodating a poor design." Well the design accounts for specific dimensions and there is the chance that you may be inside or outside of the dimensions just a tad. If it looks like to you that reducing the width of the offending piece will actually make the seal work then reduce it, this is not uncommon to modify a material in the field based on the perfect environment of the drawing room. But, if in your opinion, this is a manufacturing fault then you should take it to Pemko.

The ADB's casing had been cut down in the field, according to Pemko's instructions: cut it to 1/8" less than width of the jamb. Each plastic end cap is about a 1/16" thick, so when the two end caps are affixed to the casing, it makes it exactly the width of the jamb. Therefore, there is no allowance for these caps to bend out at all, and add any more width. So that's why I'm calling it a design fault. Of course, Pemko doesn't see it that way. Their reply so far has been that they "haven't had any other reports of this issue". Hmm, I guess they figure I'm crazy for following their directions. Leigh