We put this grey rubber strip that you put on both doors and it closed the gap. We got it at home depot by the weather stripping. I'll post pics tomorrow.

Sherry we have identical doors. Engineering flaw on HF part. Small gap at top and 1/4 " at the bottom. LOL Maybe when we get lock ideas it will help. I hate to think of all that heat leaving the gh esp in this zone. Hurts the pocketbook. Ouch! Although my renter (chippie) can get out of the gh now. He is living under my potting bench. He is actually quite cute and is getting used to me. It is like having a new pet to take care of. Barb

The door didn'y fit eather on HF I had. I used a screen door hook and that pulled the door against the weather stripping.

John

>My current solution is a clamp. Actually it works great, it compresses the gasket we installed so we have a complete seal from top to bottom now.

mudhouse our solution is down&dirtier yet--a simple Paper clamp! Two thoughts:

1. Our gasketing resulted in a mess when we had an ice storm. Maybe the doors would have frozen together anyway, but the foam material I'd used sorta grabbed the water and the doors were frozen shut. Only a problem cuz we needed to get in their to re-light the gas heater!!! :(

2. For a lock, how about just drilling holes thru the flange and hooking a padlock thru them.

Yeah Barb, no way am I going to live with that big a gap between the doors! In addition to the heat loss, I don't like the idea of a strong wind being able to possibly push the doors apart in a storm.

Laserfan, I remember your adventures with the doors freezing shut, but I didn't think about the role the gasket played. I will keep that in mind.

If I can get brave enough about drilling the holes in the right place to install a screen door hook (like John) so the tension is just right, I could couple that with two drilled holes for a padlock, as you said.

Gardenerwantabe, I just went outside in the dark and felt both of the outer edges of my doors, where the black rubber gasket is. You are RIGHT. Adding the two pieces of white 1/4" gasket where the doors meet did close that center gap, but now I have a good 1/4" gap between the black rubber door gasket and the door frame, on both sides. Uh oh.

But, before I applied my white door gasket pieces, the doors did not meet in the center... even when they were pulled tight so the black rubber gasket did touch the door frame on both sides. So, tomorrow I will unscrew my white door gasket from one door, as you said. Hopefully the remaining gasket on the other door will still fill that darned central gap between the doors.

Then, if necessary, I'll take off the doors (one or both) and apply gasket or weatherstripping to the frame, as needed, so the black rubber gasket will come in contact with something when the doors are closed.

Thank you for pointing this out, I did totally miss it.

I would LOVE to see a photo of your latch, when you have time. I cannot figure out how to make a latch that is adjustable, which would be great, so I can pull the doors tightly together with the right amount of pressure to compress my remaining door gasket in the center.

Here is a photo of a latch I bought. It does have a place for a padlock, but after I took it out of the package (of course) I realized that it would not apply any pressure to pull the two doors together. (You can see what I mean if you click on it.) Back to the drawing board.

{{gwi:307696}}

I really appreciate your help.
Sheri

how about a stainless spring with a hook and eye of some sort.less technical would be a bungy cord.

I have the same problem with mine but i have a gap on the edges without weatherstrip installed in the middle. I can get one side to seal but the other will have a gap. my doors just dont fit anyway you try.

Sheri
I only put weather stripping on one side of the frame.
If you put weatherstripping on both sides that will spread the doors apart too much.
I put weatherstripping on one door at the middle pull that door over until it seals in the back now install a piece on the back side of the other door frame so when that door is pulled tight against the other one it is sealed at the back.
This will result in the doors being 1/4" off center when closed but it is not noticeable.
You could use a piece on both side behind the door but then you would need a lot to fill the gap in the center.

This is hard to explain. If you are not following me let me know and I Will try to explain it again.
Their are several ways to latch the door but the way I did mine is adjustable it is strong looks much better than clamps or springs and it remains on the door while open so you don't need to look for your latch when you need it.
I bought mine at a surplus store for 50 cents.
I had to modify it some but it was easy.

SHERI Can I show my wife your last post ???
she thinks I'm never right..
Here is the modified tool box latch you can see that the piece that hooks on the door is on a bolt just screw it in or out to set the right tension on the door.
The hook will fit in the grove on the door.
Take a look at your door and you will see what I'm talking about.. Had 80 mph wind but it did not open the door.

Here is a link that might be useful: Photos of Latch

About the latch:
busy1, you and I are on the same wavelength, I have also looked at springs. I thought about bungy cords too, but could only find the long ones, I thought short would be better...still kicking that around too. I thought my doors fit well until Gardenerwantabe's post prompted me to go out there and check the sides! Ack!

Gardenerwantabe, I see how your latch works, and I think I see how you modified it. The adjustable bolt part is great. I have not seen that type of latch anywhere, even to ask my husband to tweak. (I showed him the photos but I notice he is not leaping into action yet.) I'm going to keep looking for something that seems right, and I'll think about what you did there. This thread is helping me consider a lot of ideas.

About the weatherstripping:
I do understand exactly what you're saying in your first paragraph about where to apply the weatherstripping, and how it affects the gap in various places. I will go fiddle with that today. Thanks again for your observations.

Here's a secret. In reality we wives know you guys are often right, but the sad truth is we need to pretend you're never right, since most of you good men have the attitude that you're always right. Reeling you in a bit is just our way of taking good care of you. Grin. ;-)

Off to fiddle with doors. I will post back what I figure out!
Sheri

SHERI You could check some place like a tractor supply maybe they would have a latch like that.
They are on those large tool boxes like you see in pickup trucks.
Any cam over latch would work if it did not have a hook on the end just heat it and bend it.
This type of latch allows you to lock the GH.
GOOD LUCK

Thanks Gardenerwantabe, I will check for that type of latch.

The leaks are fixed. ItÂs a balancing act. As you said, Gwantabe, too much weatherstripping to close the center door gap will increase the gaps between the black rubber gasket and frame on the outside edges of the doors.

After installing and uninstalling weatherstripping on both doors to try different things, what worked best for me is:
¼" white rubber door gasket on ONE door, attached with small screws, as shown here:
{{gwi:307697}}

And, ¼" thick closed cell stick-on weatherstripping on the aluminum frame, behind the black rubber gasket, on both outer door edges. (The closed cell weatherstripping supposedly wonÂt absorb rainwater like the open cell foam stuff. But in an ice storm, all bets are off.) On my doors, I found I had to do this on both sides to totally close the air gaps behind the black rubber gaskets.

I didnÂt have to remove the doors to apply this. I was able to pull the black rubber gasket back with one hand, and stick the weatherstripping to the frame behind it with the other hand. As you can see, I went right over the panel clips.
{{gwi:307698}}

For niggly fine tuning, I added a very small 1/8" thick closed cell foam weather stripping to the center gap on the other door, shown here. This closed down the last hairline air gap I had when the doors were clamped shut, but it didnÂt mess up my good seals on the black gaskets on the outer door edges.
{{gwi:307700}}

When the doors are clamped shut, I can wiggle the center door frame, and nothing moves. No play whatsoever, no more air leaks.

When the doors are unclamped, I still have a bigger gap at the bottom than I do at the top (like you, Barb.) I guess the overhead door frame sags just enough to make this happen? But if I place my clamp below center on the door frames, I get a good seal from top to bottom.
{{gwi:307702}}

My question about a lockable latch still isnÂt solved, but for now the clamp works since itÂs simple and strong. Now that my two center door frame flanges are closer together, it would be even easier to just drill two holes through the door flanges and insert a padlock, as Laserfan suggested, if I can't figure out a lockable latch.

This thread has been worth it to me anyway, just to discover and fix the darned gap problem! Thanks!
Sheri

Locking my gh would be like locking a convertible, seem to me. I could be into it in one knife swipe so it will keep the honest people honest

I agree...if anyone wants to get in, a screwdriver would do it. The best hope for the sight of a lock would be to deter kids from mischief, or to convince a lazy thief to choose another target with an open door.

I agree...if anyone wants to get in, a screwdriver would do it. The best hope for the sight of a lock would be to deter kids from mischief, or to convince a lazy thief to choose another target with an open door
BINGO

The lock is also a good idea to keep the 20 somthing year old kids who are still living at home out of it and their ideas of growing their own... ummm I will just leave it at that.

Here's a pic of my gasket. But you are right Rosepedal. There is still a gap at the bottom.

{{gwi:156429}}
{{gwi:307712}}

Pelicanhead, that gasket looks nice. Is it the type that adheres with self-adhesive? I might keep it in mind for the future, if I can find it at my HD. Thanks for posting your photos.

Been so long since I bought my weatherstripping that I'm not sure where I got it but I think it was Lowe's.
Mine is 1/2" thick with adhesive on one side.
It was installed in Jan. 06 and still holding good.

Nice handles. Bet you been told that before LOL Actually I do like them. Where did you buy your stuff at? I still havent fixed the doors waiting for sherry to figure out for me. hehe

I didn't have ya'lls problem with my doors getting sealed tight. With a little fenagling they aligned up nice and even.

{{gwi:307713}}

I used the 3/16th by 3/8th inch weather striping on both doors. One strip to the ouside and on the other door to the inside. The doors didn't become spaced any wider apart then what the screw heads would have already caused.

{{gwi:307714}}
{{gwi:307715}}

Rosepedal, If you mean my pic, Those are the clips that hold in the panels. I saw that picture and I was thinking "Where did those handles come from"? Then I realized it was the clips.
I get all my stuff from HD. We have one a block from our house.
The gasket is a rubber tube thing and it's self stick. My husband is a perfectionist and he put them on. I would have had them all crooked.

Wow pelicanhead I didn't even think of putting clips on the doors.....now I am going to have to stick some insulation behind the panals too.. Man its a never ending thing with these things!

LOL I am blind as a bat..... It made me think about putting handles on the doors. Jba3fan your lucky with your doors fitting. Good idea about insulation too..... Sherry where are you when I need you........ How do I do it....

jba3fan, I'm really jealous your doors lined up so perfectly parallel. We finagled ours around for HOURS and decided there was no way to get rid of that &*(*%@! gap at the bottom! Wonder what I did (or did not do) in the assembly to cause that gap. Next time I will hire you to do the door frame.

I ALSO missed putting the panel clips on the doors for a while. One day I was looking at the last page in the manual for something else, and I thought, "hey, what are all those little X's on the doors for??" Scrambled out there and popped them in! You're right, there's always something.

Rosepedal, I'd do what the others did and use self-stick weatherstripping on your doors, instead of the door gasket you need to attach with screws like in my photos above. We were concerned the self-adhesive stuff would not stick well for a long time, but now I think it's a better way to go. Looks better too. Just be sure to check your outer door edges as well, where the black rubber gasket meets the door frame, to see if you also need weatherstripping there like I did. No point in fixing the one center gap if it only opens up two gaps on the sides, LOL. I am happy with mine now, it's all snug.

BTW if you are waiting for me to figure out how to get rid of the gap at the bottom...my solution is buy a clamp! If you figure it out, let me know! Or, you, Pelicanhead, and I all need to go inspect jba3fan's greenhouse to find his secret... :-)
Sheri

I just recently put horizontal handles on the doors but it is raining here (YEAAA) so I might melt if i go outside to take a pic! :-) Will get a pic up later.

Rosepedal, regarding my original lock question...I'm going to keep thinking about that, but as of today no decision. I think drilling two holes in the door flanges and inserting a padlock is the simplest way to add a lock, but I want to be sure (it's hard to undrill holes.) Rest assured I'll post back to this thread down the road if DH and I come up with a lockable latch. :-)
Sheri

I think maybe my luck of the doors closing has been because of all the triping over the threshold to get it "Just Right"

My threshold has been tripped over, banged with ladders, and kicked so many times I doubt that's the secret, but just in case I'll go kick it a few more times. ;-)

Out of all the things that I had to modify the doors were about the only thing that lined up.

Mine has no gap top or bottom they fit good.

I couldn't figure out how to put weatherstripping aroung the door panels, since the panels are in tracks. If you figure it out let me know.

I don't have weatherstripping on the door panels but since aluminum is such a good conductor I covered my doors with the good bubble Insulation from Charlie's.

Their is not room on the inside door needs to open so I put it on the outside.

I live in Northern Indiana and it gets cold here so I have mine well insulated.

Here are my handles acquired from some previous project

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:307704}}

solar gh, Love the handles. Hmmmm, I'm going to Lowes this morning. I might have to look around.

Awesome handles. Sherry we can put a chain with a lock. Too easy to do. No holes to drill. Solar thank you for the idea......... Barb

Barb, I had the same thought! I like the simple style too...they fit right in. Thanks for the pictures, solar gh.
Sheri

Glad to help out my GH friends.

Ron