I first saw the Squeak No More system demonstrated on an episode of This Old House. At first, it struck me as a crazy idea. . . but after seeing it demonstrated it makes a lot of sense. Plus, as a father of a little baby, I have learned to hate the evil of a squeaky floor at an inopportune time. Picture stealth-daddy moving ninja-like past the crib until a squeak awakens the baby. Shrill screaming ensues. Squeak No More is designed to silence squeaky flooring under carpeting. The kit includes a little drill bit with threaded ends to find your floor joists. After locating the joists, you simply use a cordless drill to run the specialized screws through a tripod-like jig right into the floor. You then flip over the jig, and it snaps off the screws just below your carpet and the floor surface. Presto! Squeaky floors have now been silenced, much to the joy of ninja-daddies, mommies, and downstairs neighbors everywhere!
More details are available from the parent company O’Berry Enterprises.
McFeely’s carries the Squeak No More kit with 50 screws for about $30.

I like quiet. In fact, hearing doors and drawers slam shut is like sandpaper to my soul. Sadly, my wife loves slamming doors and cabinets. Not because she is mad, just because she doesn’t see much point in being gentle. We had dinner with some friends recently, and they actually paid people to come in and remodel their kitchen. Hiring people, can you believe it! Anyway, the kitchen looked great. One of the coolest features were these little shock absorbers that gently absorbed door trauma even if you flung them shut from a distance. Very cool! Made by a German company called Blum. Available fairly reasonably from CabinetParts.com

For months I have been plagued with how to keep our balcony door open. Up until recently I used a stylish rubber bungee cord. Actually, the cord is ugly and it’s a pain to attach each time someone goes in and out. I found a magnetic door catch that is really useful, just not in the way I hoped. It looked so streamline and clever I ordered it. As I installed it on the door, I kept ignoring my inner voice which kept saying “this magnet isn’t strong enough.” The installation was complete and the door appeared to be staying put despite mild wind gusts. Emboldened, I went into another room only to hear a tremendous bang and the twinkling sound of broken glass. Suffice it to say the magnet wasn’t strong enough for our occasional 15-20 knot wind gusts. I will be reviewing a window glazing tool soon which will be needed to help replace the two glass panels that broke. However, I do recommend this item for interior doors! The catch looks stylish, the magnet holds the door secure (minus wind gusts) and it is available in multiple finishes. It even has a spring built in to absorb a little shock. I also discovered the manufacturer makes a heavier duty version after the fact, but I think I’ll shy away from exterior magnet use and opt for a hook catch instead.
I bought the smaller catch you see on the left of the image from KwikLocks for a little over $10.
The catches are made by Deltana, although I don’t think they sell direct to the public.

As any of my close friends can attest, I am completely paranoid. Add to that paranoia the fact that someone stole two Sago Palms right off our front porch in the middle of the night a week ago. The result: I’m thinking a little more security oriented the last few days. Rather than installing a motion activated machine gun turret with Sago-Palm-theft-detection (too much liability), I’ve decided to improve security on an exterior door. I say “a” door, rather than “our” door just so any opportunistic Internet thieves don’t get any ideas. The door to our garage The door to our neighbor’s garage is sadly installed with its hinges on the exterior. If you are deviant or paranoid, then you know this is a bad idea from a security standpoint. All a thief has to do to get into our garage our neighbor’s garage, is remove the hinge pins and pivot the entire door out. After some online sleuthing, I found a low cost simple fix that does not invoice re-framing the door, or welding the hinge pins. The solution: two screw-like devices that replace two of the hinge mounting screws. You simply remove two screws at the top, and two at the bottom and then screw the replacement security screw into one of each of the two holes on the top and bottom hinges. When the door is closed, the extended screw forms a mini dead-bolt across the hinge side of the door frame. Even if the hinge pins are removed the extended “bolts” will keep the door secure and in place. I hope to have our garage secure soon. I hope to pass along this tip to our neighbor asap!
At just under $2 from KwikLocks.com, these are a true security bargain!

In an era of mass production, flimsy materials, and often dissapointing quality, Baldwin Brass is a breath of fresh air. When I was about 14, I remember going to a locksmith with my mom to pick out a lock for our front door. Baldwin had those cool displays with a functional door knob and lock on what amounted to a really small door (it sat on their order desk). I still remember the heavy, solid feel of the lock, and how it automatically unlocked when you turned the lever from the inside.

Not one to break with fanatical brand loyalty, I recently ordered numerous new Baldwin door levers and locks from a company called MK locks in Texas. They had great pricing, a simple but helpful web site and good service. Baldwin makes serious hardware if you’re determined to keep the boogeyman out of your abode in style.
Visit Baldwin for a full line-up of their brass work.
To order Schlage or Baldwin door hardware, drop by MK Locks.