You have just purchased a new stainless steel refrigerator. It looks great nestled between classy cherry cabinets and the door to your roof deck with the city view. It looks perfect now, but it will only take one overzealous or over-intoxicated house guest to swing the door too wide and dent the façade of your new purchase. It is for situations like these that the door stop was invented. Read below for the different kinds of door stops available and how to install them:
- Hinge Pin. The hinge pin door stop is the best choice for a new and/or lightweight door. The stop requires that you take off the door. Close the door and use a screwdriver to release the screws from the top hinge holding the door to the door frame. Make sure you have a tight grip (or better yet have someone help you) as you unscrew. Keep the weight of the door off the bottom hinge. Slip the door stop over the top hinge with the padded bumpers sideways (so that the pads are hitting the door when it opens). Rescrew the door to the door frame. For slightly heavier doors, you'll want to install a hinge stop on the bottom hinge as well.
- Baseboard Stop. This stop is good for heavier doors. First, figure out "the sweep" of the door. Pinpoint the location on the baseboard where it makes contact with the door roughly 1 ½ inches in from the edge and the bottom of the door-this is where you will install your stop. This will prevent the door stop from punching a hole in a hollow door. Drill a 1/8 inch hole into the baseboard. Screw in the doorstop.
- Floor Mount. This is the ideal stop for a large or heavy door. It is also great for older doors that are painted (and thus not easily removed from the hinges for a hinge stop). These stops look like little pods with one flat and padded side or they will look like little hooks with a rubber tip. They screw directly into the floor where the door will hit whatever it is (the wall, the refrigerator, your antique dresser) you don't want bumped. Mark the spot where the door will come in contact with the stop. Have the contact point be approximately 2 inches from the edge of the door. Drill in the stop as directed with the rubber tip facing the door.
- Wall Mount. These stops are ideal for people who have hard flooring that does not allow for a floor mount stop. The wall mount looks very similar to the baseboard door stop and is also installed almost identically. Locate the spot where the door will come in contact with the wall. Place the wall stop 3-4 inches up from the floor and roughly 1 inch from the latch side of the door. Drill a hole in the wall and screw the stop in.
- Kickdown Door Stop. The kickdown stop is used for a door that does not always need to be stopped. It is for a door that you want to be able to be propped open sometimes-for entertaining, perhaps, and closed at other times-for privacy. The stop is screwed into the back of the door approximately 1-1 1/2 inches from the edge and bottom of the door. The padded tip of the stop faces straight up when it is not in stopping formation, and can be kicked down to prop the door open. When you install the stop, make sure that when it is in the propped position, the rubber tip hits the floor and can secure a stopped position. Heavier doors might require placing the stop close to the bottom of the door.
Hopefully one of the above will help you to find and install the right door stop. It is a good idea to match the color or material of the door stop to the rest of your décor. For instance, if you have stainless appliances in the kitchen, a stainless floor mount might be the way to go. If you have all brass door knobs, think about installing a brass kick-down hinge. Good luck!
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