Need magnet closers for internal French doors- where/how?

[miljee]

10 year old estate house, 6 panel moulded doors throughout: We have a double door dividing our 2 living rooms, like French windows (but with no glass!). You close them using an ordinary latch bolt into a strike plate/push down handle arrangement and a top mounted slider bolt up into the doorframe.

I am thinking of replacing the door furniture with some magnets. Currently, the children tend to burst through the doors - as we never use the top bolt!- via pulling both doors open til they part company, the latch bolt pulling out of the strike plate under a degree of force which isn't satisfactory.

I am thinking of disabling the door assembly so the latch bolt itself is removed and both door stay 'closed' via small plate magnets mounted at the top of the frame, strong enough to hold 2 (lightish weight) doors closed but only requiring a 10 year old's strength to open them.

What would you recommend? Though I am not really Mrs Handy. I could place a couple of plate magnets and recess either or both as necessary (which would probably need to happen so as not to have the doors standing 'proud').

 

[foxhole]

Whats wrong with using the doors correctly [should bolt top and bottom] and turn the handle rather than accommodating ill behaviour?

 

[miljee]

Because they are opened and closed perhaps 15 times an hour at peak and a 7 year old cannot be expected to be able to reach let alone operate sticky bolts.

The doors get closed in this weather to keep the heat in the living room.

Now, any ideas?

 

[StephenW]

You could fit door closers and then do away with the bolts and latches or magnets but you would need to wedge the doors open at other times, or you could remove the jamb and replace the hinges with swing-both-ways, saloon door-type ones.

 

[foxhole]

Because they are opened and closed perhaps 15 times an hour at peak and a 7 year old cannot be expected to be able to reach let alone operate sticky bolts.

The doors get closed in this weather to keep the heat in the living room.

Now, any ideas?

The bolts should be left locked on one door so only the door handle needs to turn.?Or are you children extra wide.

 

[kevchenko]

CONCEALED DOOR CLOSER IS YOUR BEST BET! A FEW QUID AND EASY TO FIT.