After a couple years of use, even the best screen door closers will become worn out. Screen doors are fantastic for keeping things like bugs and outside air from entering the home, but they’re only effective when they stay closed. Unfortunately, that can be pretty difficult to do if there’s plenty of foot traffic going in and out throughout the day. Screen door closers can make things much easier by shutting those doors automatically and minimizing the time they spend open. They also reduce the harsh impacts of doors closing against the door frame.
Choosing a screen door closer begins with understanding what your needs are. So, always ensure you’re shopping for a door closer that's both the correct size and the correct grade. Aesthetic features like designs and finishes also play a part.
Screen Door Closer Buying Guide
When choosing a screen door closer to suit your needs, you’ll want to consider three things in particular — sizing, aesthetics, and grading.
Correct Sizing - Screen door closers come in all sorts of sizes. Top-notch screen door closers are capable of moving the weight of your door and shutting it completely. A door closer that’s too small can’t produce enough force to close the screen door entirely. On the other hand, one that’s too large is also unnecessary. Find one that matches your door weight.
Matching Design And Finish - Screen door closers come in a wide variety of designs and finishes. You wouldn’t want them to stand out like a sore thumb, so choose the ones that match or complement the door’s designs. Wether you want one for residential doors, commercial doors, exterior or internal doors, aesthetics are always important.
Select The Right Grade - How many times a day does your screen door get opened and closed? In areas with heavy foot traffic, that number will be much higher than usual. You’ll want a heavy-duty door closer in those cases. However, a standard duty door closer would be much more suitable in a traditional setting.
If you plan on giving your home a completely new makeover and change out your screen door and inside doors, read our guide on how to replace a door without changing the frame. You might need to add nails if you're replacing an entire door, so don't forget to have a handy nail gun with you just incase.
Before you go looking for one to buy, you need to know the two types of screen door closers.
Pneumatic Door Closer
A pneumatic door closer, is often the most popular choice for screen doors. Pneumatic door closers use the air to open and close the doors. When you open the door, it uses the air and compresses it in the cylinder object. When you close the door then it just simply releases the air. You're able to adjust the closing at which the door closes to your preferred setting.
Spring Loaded Door Closer
A spring loaded door closer essentially contains a spring within a cylinder that will help it close at an adjustable rate. Spring loaded door closers also allow you to keep the door open up until a 90 degree angle. They can be used for just about any door in your house.
With that in mind, here are the top 7 screen door closers that will make an excellent replacement for your old one.
Top 7 Screen Door Closers
1. Wright Products V920WH
The Wright Products V920WH pneumatic closer is a perfect option for wood doors or metal doors since it works great for light doors but also built for heavy duty. It measures 12-(1/2) inches long with a diameter of 1-(1/4) inches.
You can completely open it 90 degrees and with it's customizable closing speed, you can have it close at the rate you want. You can use it in pairs if you want to add it to your storm doors but it can also be used standalone for light to medium doors.
It's very simple to install, just loosen the screws from your previous closer and add this with the pins that come in the box. Then test it out and if you want it to close faster just loosen up the screw at the end. The Wright Products V920WH acts as a great screen door closer and storm door closer.
2. Prime-Line KC50HD
The Prime Line KC50HD is an easy installation option that even the most beginner DIY'er can do on their own. Since it's surface mounted, you can install it behind the door frame. It has easily adjustable closing speed and mounting it is easy since it fits great on door jams and will work in tight spots if you need it to.
It's designed for lightweight doors and works whether their left or right handed. It also functions as a hydraulic door closer which can be added to storm doors. It's superior than others as its rust and weather resistant and is also suitable for outdoor use. The only downside to it is that it does not have the holding the door opening feature.
3. Wright Products V1020BL Standard Duty
The Standard Duty Pneumatic Closer by Wright Products is a straightforward standard-duty pneumatic door closer. It comes factory-lubricated right out the box, so you don’t have to worry about it during setup. There’s no fuss about this screen door closer, and installation is as simple as screwing it in place. It can also be used as a storm door closer.
There is plenty to love about this door closer like customizable features. For instance, one of the top reasons for buying it is that you can adjust the closing speed to suit your preferences. It also comes with two hold-end plugs, allowing you to adjust the latching power for the summer or winter.
There is one downside here, however. If you live in an area with high humidity, you might experience rusting on the steel parts after a while. Of course, that’s easy enough to prevent with some anti-rust spray or fix with the purchase of some aluminum aftermarket products.
4. Safety Spring Door Closer (KC10HD) by Prime-Line
Unlike the previous model, the diecast KC10HD by Prime-Line uses a spring to close the door automatically, rather than using pneumatics. The word safety in the product name comes from how the spring is hidden away from plain sight behind the plastic cover. That, in effect, makes the entire product very discreet as the moving parts are hidden away.
We like that it’s straightforward to install. The safety spring door closer is ambidextrous in the sense that you can use it on both left-handed and right-handed doors. Best of all, the plastic covering keeps all moving parts hidden, which not only makes it safer but also helps the door closer blend in with the rest of the door.
In some rare cases, the springs might sound a little creaky. That’s a small matter, as you can fix it with a bit of added grease.
5. Door Closer with Touch-Button Hold Open Feature by Greenstar
This Greenstar screen door closer uses a patented pneumatic system to hold doors open and close them. It’s a standard-duty door closer which does well on medium and lightweight doors with little foot traffic, such as those around the home. It's built for heavy duty, so it can be used with large doors.
What we like about this automatic door closer is that with just the push of a button, you can have this product hold the door for you whenever you need to. Better yet, the feature is designed to be hands-free. So if your hands are occupied carrying groceries or anything else, you can gently tap the button with your foot to hold it open.
That comes in incredibly handy when you want to go in and out of a door without having to open and close it repeatedly.
There’s no doubt that this is one of the top screen door closers out there. Still, some people might prefer one made from sturdier materials like aluminum or stainless steel, with less reliance on plastic parts. Of course, this might be a matter of personal preference.
6. Touch 'n Hold Door Closer by National Hardware
National Hardware joins the list with their Touch ‘n Hold door closer. Like the previous product, this door closer comes with a one-touch button to hold the door open and has adjustable closing speed. One benefit of its design is that the button is ergonomically designed.
One thing to appreciate about it is the LifeSpan Limited Lifetime Warranty provided by the company. Customers want a screen door closer they can install and forget about. Lifetime warranties like that give the customers peace of mind. The door closer is also permanently lubricated and has a durable powder finish coating on the outside to always keep it nice and smooth.
As fanatic as the screen door closer is, the ergonomically designed button could use some improvements. It does take a bit of getting used to press the button and make sure the door closer holds the door open, and it's not as simple as some users might expect.
7. Safety Spring Door Closer (KC17HD) by Prime-Line
The second Prime-Line door closer on the list. It comes with a brown painted finish that undoubtedly looks good on wooden doors. Much like the other choice, this one is designed for interior doors that weigh less than 150 pounds and uses a spring to close the door instead of a pneumatic mechanism.
The door closer is designed with safety in mind. For starters, the spring mechanism is hidden behind the plastic cover — which prevents anything from getting jammed in the springs. Second, the door closer is also ½ hour fire rated. That’s fantastic because it means it’ll keep the door in place for at least half an hour in the event of a fire. This helps prevent a huge fire hazard.
This is an excellent choice for homeowners — it does well on regular household doors, especially with its safety design and fire rating. However, it would be better if it could work with heavier doors. Some homeowners would probably want to pair this door closer with fire-rated doors. Unfortunately, those kinds of doors are much heavier than regular ones. Be sure to check that the door’s weight is well within the limit.
