If you ever have had kids around on a cold day while the heating was up in the living and with each door passage a gush of cold air came curling around your feet, "CLOSE THAT DOOR" might sound familiar. Rather than hollering every two minutes, or installing a stong-spring door closer that ruins your door eventually, I decided to have a dictator rule the kids. The nifty device is placed in the moving part of the door and via a little chain pulls the door shut, gently but unmistakenly.

Rather than having a tour de force to open the door with ordinary , a soft push will do, so even the smallest of children can still open the door, their fingers will be safe, but the door will definitely shut the moment you let go. Also trays with food and drinks are easily carried past this barrier, while cold doesn't stand a chance. At least, not when your house is properly 'sealed' from drafts.

Installing a dictator is easy; you drill a hole in the door, slide the tube in, fasten the screws. On the other side, drill a small hole to mount the chain holder, hook the chain in and you are set.

The dictator installed. The hinge (above) shows marks of previous, more forceful door closers, which have damaged the door.