Jib Door Hinge problem

[chadders9]

I want to check I'm not being unreasonable. We are in the process of having a kitchen fitted - a very long drawn out process but that's another matter. The kitchen designer designed a jib door to a hidden pantry. Which sounded great. The idea is that it looks like an ordinary cupboard door but when you open it you enter in to a pantry/utility room. Because o the location and the design the door has to open inwards. Note that this is entirely different to every cupboard door including the built in fridge next to it which all pull outwards as you would expect. When the jib door was installed I immediately noticed there would be an issue where by the door would incorrectly be pulled outwards by anyone unknowing. I mean that's the whole idea that it looks like a kitchen cupboard. I informed the kitchen company that i was worried once the handle was on and it was in use the first time someone unsuspecting came along they would attempt to open it outwards and the hinges would snap. The hinges are CEAM hidden hinges (see picture). They are about 14mm wide and placed into an 18mm door. low and behold the first day the handle was put on the door and the door was left closed my 7yo son unwittingly pulled it the wrong way and the hinges snapped out of the door. The kitchen designer is trying to suggest this is my fault. I had highlighted to him this was likely to happen prior to it actually he happening and all he said was that the door isn't designed to be pulled outwards so we shouldn't do that. Am I right to suggest this is poor design and he should replace the broken door and come up with some solution to stop it happening going forth?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Seems like a crappy design destined to fail, why did you allow it to continue beyond when you realised for yourself? Likewise why didn't the fitter raise it as an issue? I would have thought it wouldn't be beyond a good kitchen fitter to fit some kind of concealed stop to prevent it from being pulled outwards, probably need to go right at the bottom of the door as otherwise the swing of the door would prevent it from being opened.

 

[chadders9]

We had spent ages waiting for a handle to be put on so we couldn't actually close it for a while during which time I had raised the problem but been met repeatedly with comments like - "we've done it loads before and never had a problem". Then shortly after the handle was fitted my wife decided to leave it closed for the first time and then the next morning our son came down and the accident happened. The kitchen designer is the worst supplier/tradesperson etc I have ever had to deal with. So this whole saga has already been going on for months now. He has since and only because it broke come up with a solution of using a magnetic catch but is refusing to give me a new door without me paying for it. I'm trying to work out how to progress this now with trading standards etc but I wanted some reassurance that this is quite clearly an obvious design failure. thanks for confirming that to me.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Well it's only a design flaw without a suitable stop, though not really sure how that can be implemented neatly. Where will a magnetic catch go and how does that prevent it happening again? Incidentally why doesn't the door handle match the others?

 

[chadders9]

indeed - I am sceptical about the magnetic catch being sufficient. He's suggested one of these with the magnet in the top of the door and the catch in the soffit. The handles are a whole other story - It took months for them to arrive because he'd clearly forgotten to order them. so the put some temporary handles on. However when they came to replace the handles there was one short for the jib door. I have that handle now but since the door is out of action I haven't bothered replacing it yet. I'm so frustrated by the whole experience. I cannot fathom how he can say he's done this many times before and never had a problem.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Oh so only relying on a weak magnet? That's got fail written all over it. A small angle placed at the very bottom of the door and a matching plate fixed to the back of the door could work (I think). You might see the outer angle but it could be coloured to match the door or black. I daresay someone else will be along with a bright idea.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

So this is a view from behind, an angle fixed to the side, then a strip of metal fixed to the back of the door through a spacer, if it's spaced far enough back you would never see it under the door unless you bend down to look.

 

[foxhole]

Simple cord / lightweight chain to top rear of door would prevent it being pulled forward .?

 

[chirpychippy]

This might be a stupid idea, can't the leaves of the hinges be turned so the door only opens out? Then you can stop the door opening in.