Last updated: March 1, 2022 at 11:55 am
Do you get annoyed when your door suddenly shuts? Do you face this issue often in your home? You need to stop the door from slamming. Not only does it cause unnecessary noise in your home, but it can also lower the life of the door.
The best ways to stop a door slamming include replacing the hinges, installing an overhead door closer and buying a door slam stopper. We’ll run through these (and more) to prevent a door slamming and why it might be causing issues in the first place.
We also have a guide on door soundproofing if you’d like to take it a step further.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Two Main Reasons the Door Is Slamming
The best way to find the solution to any problem is to determine the source of the issue. As we are discussing the door slamming, the most common reason is your family members using extra force to shut the door.
Of course, you need to communicate this problem to your family and explain that they need to be a little careful with the door. However, you can still face a problem if the door slams shut even without applying excessive force. This means you may have one of the following issues.
1. Airflow
Airflow in your space can be a reason for this problem. This is because if you have a window in your room or somewhere else in the house, it creates air pressure. You may know that air travels from high pressure to lower pressure. In that case, it will move from your home to outside.
This results in strong air movements causing slamming of the door. Not to mention, if there is a strong wind in your location, then the slamming can become worse. To prevent this from happening, you can close the windows to stop the air from coming into your house or use one of the solutions below.
Related: Squeaky Door Handle: 9 Ways to Fix the Squeak
2. Out of Shape
It is another reason why usually your door gets closed suddenly without someone banging it or air current. Generally, it occurs because of irregular installation. A door that doesn’t have a proper vertical structure can be the reason.
Besides, a door can be more difficult to handle if it has a solid core and heavyweight. Because of higher weight and improper shape, it will start to swing and bang every time it gets closed. If you have these issues, you need to mend the doors (or replace them) and install them again.
9 Best Ways to Stop a Door Slamming
There are different ways you can stop the door from slamming, whether it’s because of airflow, shape or family members. These are all DIY methods that can help… we have mentioned some of the solutions you can use.
1. Use Anti Slam Door Hinges
As the name suggests, these door hinges prevent any door from being slammed. They work by slowing down the door closing, therefore reducing the amount of noise it can make.
These are usually a little more expensive than normal hinges, so it might be best checking if normal hinges do the job. They work very similar to an overhead door closer, which we’ve explained below in point #2.
2. Install an Overhead Door Closer
An overhead door closer is one of the common things that people use to prevent the sudden closing of the door. Look for the steel or aluminium-based door closer, as they’ll last longer than their plastic alternatives.
Not to mention, there is (usually) a setting to adjust the pressure and speed of the closer. The hinge pressure setting in an overhead door closer will prevent the door from slamming in case of strong winds.
- Adjustable Spring Hydraulic Door Closure
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3. Use Felt Pads
Felt pads can help you to stop the door from shutting harshly. You can use small self-adhesive pads, which you may use to prevent the furniture from scratching the floor.
Start by placing the felt pads on the bottom and top, on the edge of the wall or door frame. Also, stick the felts pads on the bottom and top of the strike plate. These pads should have enough cushion and softness to stop the door from slamming by slowing down the closing process.
4. Install a Door Sweep
People call it both door sweep or door filters. The term door sweep refers to the filtering strips that people place at the bottom of the door to prevent cold air from entering the room. They are also great for soundproofing doors as well. A door sweep will reduce airflow in your home if installed on all doors, which should minimise the door slamming shut due to the wind.
Moreover, these filters are easy to install. You only need to follow the instructions, which will guide you through setting the sweep on the bottom of the door. They are also really easy to remove, so whenever you want to replace or move the door sweep, it’s easily done.
5. Use a Door Slam Stopper
A door slam stopper looks like a letter C made from foam, and they usually come in multi-packs. This means it’s easy to use them on multiple doors throughout your home if needed. You can pick up a pack of 4 for around £5 online, making this an inexpensive option.
You can slide them over the end of your door or your door frame, and although you will still be able to close the door, slamming it is an impossibility. An added benefit of this product is that its intended use is to stop toddlers from jamming their fingers in the door. This means if the wind catches it and causes the door to slam, there is far less risk they’ll hurt themselves.
- Child Safety Door Pinch Guards are made from soft EVA foam, prevents...
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6. Start Using a Door Wedge
Door wedges used to be far more common than they are today. They are triangular-shaped and normally made of plastic. To use them, you simply place the flat surface on the floor and slide the thinnest part under the bottom of the door.
Push the wedge in gently and firmly until it can move any further. At this point, it will lock the door in place. It can’t move forward to slam as the large part of the wedge prevents it from moving.
A door wedge is a great option if you specifically want to door to remain open rather than just preventing it from slamming. For example, it may be a very hot day, and you want to create airflow between open windows in different rooms to help cool down your home.
7. Use a Door Silencer
A door silencer is another cheap and effective way to prevent your doors from slamming. You may have seen them in schools, hospitals, or other public places without realising what they are.
Door silencers are made of heavy-duty rubber and are made of two pieces. The first piece is a cone shape, and it’s attached to a flat, circular base.
To install it, you need to drill a quarter of an inch hole into your door frame. You should slide the cone-shaped part into this hole, where it will hold the silencer securely in place. This will leave the circular part of the silencer sitting out from the frame. When the door hits it, it will absorb most of the energy and avoid the slamming sound.
8. Attach Wall Mounted Door Stops
- Package contents 2 set of wall mounted door stoppers
- The wall mounted door stop is made from stainless steel, wall mounted,...
Last update on 2023-11-21 at 16:07 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
A wall-mounted doorstop won’t stop the door from slamming closed, but it will stop it banging into the wall if the wind catches it or you or a family member push it too hard. There is a range of doorstops available, all of which can be easily screwed into the wall behind your door.
Some have a spring design, and the spring absorbs the energy from the door. Others are solid metal with a rubber tip. If you want to prevent any movement at all, rather than just slamming, a third option is a hook-based door stop. You attach the hook to the wall in the traditional door stop position and attach an eye to the bottom of the door. Then, any time you want the door to stay still, you attach the hook to the door, and it will be unable to move.
9. Replace the Door Hinges
Improperly installed door hinges can make your door imbalanced, causing it to slam on its own. You can tight up the hinge screws, but you need to replace them if they’re worn.
In this case, remove and replace hinges one at a time. Start by replacing the first one and unscrew it from the doorframe and door. Next, check the alignment with the help of level and adjust hinges to make it completely vertical. Do the same thing with the other two hinges.
Bottom Line
Door slamming is not pleasant at all, whether you and your family have a habit of doing it or if it happens for another reason. Whichever it is, you need to stop it from happening both to maintain peace in your home and to extend your doors’ longevity.
If you have decided to do something about it, you can use any of the solutions mentioned above. However, before you start, make sure you locate the reason for the slamming. How effective each solution will be depend on the reason it’s happening in the first place.
