What are the other companies Hiding from You?

It's hard to believe, but if you ordered an out-swing "hidden" bookcase door from another company, there's a good chance it would look like the one pictured to the left. This has been a common issue since hidden bookcase doors first hit the market years ago. Contrary to popular belief, installing a small piece of trim to block light from shining through can actually cause the door to pinch and prevent it from opening more than about 1/2". This problem has been a major focus for us for years, and despite our efforts, we couldn't find a solution—until we developed our patent-pending TopSeal device. This innovation finally resolved this persistent issue.

More information below

The "Not So" hidden door...

So, you bought your door from another company only to install it and find a glaring gap at the top letting light shine through defeating its very own purpose? This is typically known in the industry as "Swing Gaps." All doors need a space to operate properly, which is problematic if your door is supposed to be hidden. Contrary to public belief, the swing gap cannot be concealed with a piece of trim because the trim stops the door from opening properly.

Pay close attention, some companies advertise their doors with the light off in the room behind the door to make it less obvious while others even edit them out of their images. Another dirty little trick other companies may do when displaying their out swinging doors is to conveniently leave the door open as a way to make the gap less obvious. Not with Hide-A-Way Doors; with a name that emphasizes "Hide", we felt compelled to innovate.

Enter our unique patent pending design, "The Top Seal." While it may appear as just a minor component of a hidden door, it represents a major milestone in hidden door technology. Outswing bookcase doors have always presented challenges due to the necessary space between the bookcase top and the case trim bottom that cannot be solved by attaching trim on the front. But with Hide-A-Way Door's pioneering spring loaded "Top Seal" design, this issue is a thing of the past.

Customer feedback

Tonya G. from Main writes: My husband and I bought a door from [company name removed] last year, and we wish we had known about your company then. We thought that buying a hidden door from a specialized company would mean it wouldn't be obvious that it was a door. However, whenever someone is in our "hidden room" with the light on, it's glaringly obvious what it is. We called them to ask if something was missing from the door, like trim or something, and they were very rude, saying there was nothing they could do about it. (Tonya and her husband purchased a door from us a week later and replaced the other "not-so-hidden" door with a Hide-A-Way Door using the TopSeal).

TopSeal- Hide-A-Way Doors

Our patent pending design

Hide-A-Way Doors - Top Seal

how most companies advertise their hidden doors

How others hide this from their customers

This is the exact same photo of the door to the left (above on mobil phones) with the exception that is was taken in the open position. If you look at some of the hidden door companies online pay attention to their outswing doors, they typically show you photos of their out-swing door in the open position to hide the light coming through from the back side of the door. Some went as far as to edit that annoying space out by way of computer editing. Others boast "Small swing gaps." Thanks to our Top Seal Design, we dont have any space.

example of a hidden door with a gap

Actual look without Top Seal

Visible light coming through the front of a bookcase door, not very hidden. Even the smallest of gaps at the top won't stop light from coming through. Installing a piece of trim across the top creates a pinching problem that won't allow you to open your door!

no gaps on our hidden doors

With the The Top Seal installed

Hide-A-Way Door's patent pending design is spring mounted and can be installed on any hidden bookcase door! The Top Seal is designed to adjust to your door's opening and closing so it won't snag on the door. The Top Seal completely removes any space that would let light passthrough.

the top seal from Hide-A-Way Doors

How do I get the Top Seal for My Door?

Every new purchase of an out-swing bookcase door from Hide-A-Way Doors already has the Top Seal installed. Your door will arrive with the Top Seal adjusted all the way in to prevent from shipping damages. After your bookcase door is installed and properly adjusted, open your door about 45* exposing the adjustment bolt closest to the bookcase's hinge side. Using a 5/32" Allen wrench, turn the bolt out in such a way where the top seal lowers about 1/2 the distance to touching the top face frame of the bookcase. Do the same for the remaining bolts until the top seal is about half the distance to the top of the bookcase all the way across the top of the door. Go back to the first bolt and lower the top seal until the seal rests lightly on top of the bookcase's face frame. Repeat for the remaining adjustment bolts making sure the bolt doesn't come directly into contact with the top of the bookcase.

Question: How do I order the Top Seal for a competitor’s door or an older Hide-A-Way Door?

Answer: Simply follow this link, answer a few questions and we will send you out the Top Seal to retrofit on your door.

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