I have to admit, it all started for me back in the early days watching the crime fighting duo portrayed by Adam West (Batman) and Burt Ward (Robin). The secrecy of their true identities, the gadgetry, the Bing! Bang! Boom! and Bazonk! of their wild braws captured my undivided adolescent attention. Arguably, one of the coolest things about the show, for me at least, was the Batcave; no superhero had a better headquarters than Batman did in my opinion.
Growing up the youngest of three children, it felt to me like all the cool tricks to getting out of stuff I was supposed to be doing had already been played out by my older brother and sister. The closet or under the bed were never good hiding places, your chances of getting caught were always high in those spots. The garage was no exception either, that is where my parents kept the push mower we used to cut the lawn with, which was usually the reason I was trying hiding in the first place. I remember on one occasion my poor mother was franticly searching for me after I made the poor decision to hide from her behind the living room couch making us extremely late for my dentist appointment that day. Well, she eventually found me and let's just say it was not a good day for me, "If only I were Batman." Now that I am in my fifties, I no longer have any reason to hide from things I should be doing around my house, I've passed that torch to my kids and the first place I look is behind the couch! However, I couldn't argue with the idea of a secret and quiet spot of my very own to decompress from the daily stresses of being an adult.
Over the past six years of building hidden doors, one of the most comical things to hear are people's ideas of what they would hide from if they had a hidden door. One of the most common answers has been "I'd hide from my husband/ wife."
Hide-A-Way Doors was created out of a customer's desire to keep a gun room hidden in plain sight that was previously disguised by a full-length college football team's blanket. With specific instructions from my client when he tasked me with the design and build, the most important of which was, "I do not want any signs that this is a door, I've seen other hidden doors online and they all have spaces at the top or the bottom." He went on to say, "I want you to design a hidden bookcase door that doesn't have those gaps."
The Alpha Door was specifically designed for concealment and security. The unique feature of an Alpha Door creates the illusion that the unit is nothing more than built in bookcase.
After the first build and install, my customer called me up a few days later to tell me he had a poker game at his house with all of his old buddies, the poker table located in its usual spot in front of the entrance to his gun room. While giggling he said to me, "about halfway through the night my buddy Dan paused and said just out of the blue, hey _ _ _ _ where are you keeping all your guns these days???" My client thinking they would never ask, giddy like a schoolgirl he pushed the button on his remote releasing the electromagnetic lock then pushed open his door to reveal the room hiding behind his Alpha Door. Floored! That is the word he described all of their reactions. As it turns out Dan has been there several times prior and had seen what my client had behind the curtain more than once but had assumed he moved its contents to install his beautiful new bookcase.
Unique to Hide-A-Way Doors, the Alpha Door Bookcase and Alpha Mirror Door do not require special framing or drywall. This is a huge burden lifted off of our customer's shoulders saving time and money. Simply remove your old boring door, casing and jambs then slide your new Alpha Door in its place. True the Alpha Door up as if it were a conventional door and you are good to go!
The board across the bottom is there so you can attach your baseboard to it and paint it the same color as the wall.
The Pros - The Cons
The pros of owning an Alpha Door:
A true concealment door, no visible seams or gaps
Built in factory, shipped to your location and with as little as two people to install. The less people that know you have a hidden room, the better
Unique design makes the unit appear to be a built in bookcase and not a door
Made from real wood unlike other companies that build bookcase doors from MDF a. real wood means stronger, longer lasting b. MDF or medium density fiberboard is made with poisonous formaldehyde c. some companies use MDF to maximize their profitability d. screws and nails pull right out of MDF but not Real Wood e. MDF doesn't look natural up close
Totally customizable
Several standard designs to choose from a. Single b. Double c. Pool Room / Rec Door
Can add locking systems a. Key FOB remote opener b. Programmable Key Pad opener c. Programmable Biometric Thumbprint opener
The cons:
You don't own one yet
To be a true concealment door there is a permanent 6-1/2" step over
Not to be installed as a main entrance to a room
Only open in (for now)
Your poker buddies will be too jealous of you
Examples of Alpha Doors
So, you love the idea but do not have anything to hide? No problem, we make doors for all types of uses.
Single & Double Standard Bookcase Doors
Pool Room Door
Single & Double Bedroom Dresser (organizer) Doors
Spice Rack Door
Shoe Rack Door
Laundry Room Door
Single & Double Wine Bottle Door
Bi-Fold Bookcase Door
Bookcase Door that looks like barn doors (see Country Door)
Double Sided Bookcase Door (one side bookcase - backside gun case)
Attic Doors (for smaller spaces)
We also build custom units
So, whether or if you need a Place to Hide or not, we can build you a door just for you!
HIDE-A-WAY DOORS, LLC
325 S. SUGAR HOLLOW RD
MORRISTOWN, TN 37813