How do I keep light from coming underneath my bedroom door and the Roomba from shutting it?

August 18, 2010 11:06 AM

I have two problems with the bedroom door in my apartment. First, light gets through the 0.5-inch gap underneath it and wakes me up. Second, my Roomba bounces against it, causing the door to bounce against its spring doorstop and close, trapping the Roomba inside.

Right now I use a rolled up towel to solve both problems. It covers the space from light at night, and I hang it over the door to keep the Roomba from shutting it. I don't like this because I think it looks a little tacky having a towel on the floor or hanging from the door all the time. It is also one more thing for me to remember to do before going to bed or letting the Roomba do its thing. Is there a better solution to these problems?

posted by grouse to home & garden (12 answers total)

Don't know how these will deal with the gap, but they would stop light, keep the door from moving, and not have to be picked up. As seen on tv, probably ...
posted by carter at 11:12 AM on August 18, 2010

Use a Virtual Wall for your Roomba to say away from it?
posted by olinerd at 11:12 AM on August 18, 2010

A door sweep might solve both problems. It's a metal strip you attach to the bottom with a rubber gasket below. It definitely solves the gap issue, and it might add enough resistance via friction to the door movement to stop the Roomba.
posted by smackfu at 11:13 AM on August 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

What about a draft guard like this: http://www.amazon.com/Twin-Draft-Guard-Protector-Brown/dp/B001QK2M5O

Does the same work as the towel but it stays on even while you're moving the door, and it might stick up enough to bump the Roomba before it hits the door properly.
posted by mskyle at 11:18 AM on August 18, 2010

I 2nd Carter's suggestion. I used those things on a door in my drafty apartment and they're awesome. Another option would be to install a piece of weather stripping or rubber along the bottom of the door. It would block out the light and should (if long enough) provide enough resistance to keep your Roomba from accidentally closing the door.
posted by victoriab at 11:18 AM on August 18, 2010

Or...what smackfu said
posted by victoriab at 11:19 AM on August 18, 2010

You could remove the spring door stop, or use a wedge-type door stop to keep the door open. Here's a fun one.

If you don't like the looks of a door sweep or draft guard, you could take the door off it's hinges, and attach a thin strip of wood along the bottom. If it's thin enough, you won't see it unless you're at floor level, but it should be enough to block the light.

You could also put in a door sill, but I don't know if your Roomba would make it over that.
posted by hydrophonic at 11:29 AM on August 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

A sweep would be my light-blocking solution, and you could replace your door stop with one of these: hinge-mounted door stop.
posted by that's candlepin at 11:55 AM on August 18, 2010

Big Box home improvement stores sell sticky foam insulation tape that can be judiciously stuck underneath large gaps in doors. I used this recently for blocking out drafts and creepies getting in from under an interior garage door.

I'm having trouble visualizing the second issue. Perhaps tightening adjustments to the door hinges would keep a Roomba-sized object from having enough force to move the door.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:53 PM on August 18, 2010

Be careful as the foam tape is fairly sticky. If you try using too much and the door won't close, you'll be spending a few minutes taking it off in small, torn pieces. If you explore this option, be sure to match the gap underneath the door with the tape thickness (there are several thicknesses).
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:56 PM on August 18, 2010

One option is to slighly bend one ore more hinge pins for the door. All you need is a hammer and some concrete, like a sidewalk or driveway. This won't solve the light under the door problem but might give enough resistance to keep the Roomba from closing the door.
posted by 6550 at 1:32 PM on August 18, 2010

I got a draft guard, and it appears to works great for both purposes. Thanks for all the suggestion.

If this didn't work, I would have considered getting this magnetic doorstop.
posted by grouse at 5:22 PM on October 9, 2010