Bedroom Door Won’t Stay Open – What To Do

Now and then, you may want to leave your bedroom door ajar for increased air circulation or light. However, what to do when you find your door won't stay open? We researched some helpful solutions for troublesome bedroom doors that would rather stay closed shut. Learn why a bedroom door might be unable to stay open and solutions other than a wedge under the door.

If a door does not stay open, there may be an issue with the alignment of the hinges, or the casing might be going into the frame of the wall. After a careful inspection of your door, try the following solutions:

  • Remove one of the pins in the hinge, bend it, and return it to its original place.
  • Remove any hinges that are out of alignment and move them farther in or outward.
  • Close any nearby windows that are allowing a strong gust inside, keeping your door shut.
  • Add a latch or magnetic element to the door to hold it open.
  • Place a wedge underneath the door.

No matter why your bedroom door refuses to stay open as desired, usually, it can be quickly resolved. Keep reading to find out more information.

An open door to a bedroom, Bedroom Door Won't Stay Open - What To Do

Fixing A Door That Won't Stay Open

It's understandable why a door might not stay open, especially if you live in an old home. If a door is not correctly aligned, the hinges are off, the door jamb is uneven, or something is not plumb, staying open can be a problem.

When a door continues to be difficult to keep open, try closing your door and give it a good look over to discover the culprit.

If you spy a gap at the top part of the door on the same side as the handle, the hinge at the top is most likely hanging out too far, causing the door to close. You may not have to resort to removing and reinstalling the door. We have some suggestions to help correct a problematic door.

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Spacious and bright bedroom interior with beige decorations

Adjust A Hinge Pin

Sometimes you need a little elbow grease to fix a door that has trouble staying open. Take a hammer and nail to remove a pin from the door hinge.

Using the hammer, hit the pin while it is on a hard surface until slightly bent. Replace the bowed pin into the hinge and see if this helps improve tension. If the door is still being difficult, bend another hinge pin, and increase the amount of bend in the pins before placing them back into the hinges.

If you notice the pins are difficult to remove, consider adding a bit of lubricant to help them along. If necessary, try removing screws to loosen the hinge from the jamb so you can better access the pins.

Keep in mind that the door frame and door may no longer be plumb over time, leading to an unbalanced door that is liable not to stay open. Sometimes you may also need to jam something in with the bent pins, like a toothpick or zip tie, for increased tension.

Realign The Hinges

Provided that the walls and door jamb are plumb, sometimes the hinges are out of sorts and need readjustment. If hinges lack a shim or need to be moved outward, that can fix a door that won't stay open.

Loosen a hinge that is too forward enough so you can slip a thin piece of cardboard underneath. Tighten the screws, so the hinge has a better fit. If the hinges are too far inward, have a friend lift the door while you tighten the screws. 

In some instances, you will have no choice but to reinstall the hinges. They also may need to be reshaped if they are bent and sticking out too far. Remove the hinge and close it, observing for any gaps. Fold the leaves of the hinge in the opposite direction and step on it. Close the hinge and reinstall it once you eradicate any gaps. 

Don't be afraid to ask a friend for help with adjusting the door and hinges as needed. Check your door and hinges for any warped areas, stripped screws that need replacing, or areas that need tightening. Make sure everything is level and take your time.

Windy Conditions

It is essential to get fresh air inside your house and promote good air circulation. However, if you are experiencing the Bernoulli effect, you may be experiencing doors slamming shut and challenging to open. When the weather is windy, or air from the outside creates a vacuum indoors, you may want to shut windows. Otherwise, it won't be easy keeping a door open and preventing it from closing shut.

Add Something To The Door

If you need a quick fix until you find the time to reinstall your doors or realign hinges, try adding a helpful tool to keep a door open. You can install a latch to the inside of your door, so the latch can hook onto a nearby wall when it is open. Another solution is to install a magnetic doorstop. Use the power of magnetism, with one piece on your door connecting to another magnetic point, holding it open so it will not close.

Check out this door latch on Amazon.

Check out this magnetic door stop on Amazon.

Use A Wedge

Think smart and slide a wedge under the bottom of your open door so it will not slam close. Of course, this option requires keeping a wedge or two around in case one gets lost. And, it can be challenging removing a wedge to close a door if the fit is too good. However, wedges made from wood or rubber are excellent at keeping a door open when needed.

Check out this rubber doorstop on Amazon.

How Can I Make My Door Close Tighter?

Reduce drafts and ensure a tighter fitting door when closed with a simple, cost-effective method. First, make sure that your door is level, and the hinges are tight and in alignment. Next, consider adding some weatherstripping around the door jamb and a door sweep at the bottom of the door.

After adding weatherstripping that is an appropriate thickness and length for the door and jamb, the door shouldn't let too much outside air in. Occasionally check your doors for loose parts or areas that need readjustment, so they open and close properly without gaps.

Sometimes, a door doesn't close tightly because the hinges lack a shim and have a loose fit. You can fix this problem by making a shim out of a cardboard strip 1/16 of an inch behind the hinge. Usually, this is an issue when the doors are hung in their frames at the factory and not readjusted on installment. If the door frame is warped and impacting how the door closes or opens, it will need to be replaced.

Why Does My Bedroom Door Open On Its Own?

Opened wooden door with blurred bedroom

There's nothing eerier than witnessing a bedroom door acting as a "ghost door" and opening on its own. Thankfully, supernatural activity is usually not the culprit.

Door jambs that are not plumb often cause doors to open without assistance. It is rare, but sometimes a door jamb may have been installed on a wall that is not plumb. What usually fixes this phenomenon is to bend one or more of the hinge pins.

Pull out a hinge pin, use a hammer to bend it a bit, and return it to its former position. If this doesn't solve the problem, bend both hinge pins or increase the bowing of the pins.

In Closing

We hope you have learned a few ways to figure out why a bedroom door refuses to stay open and how to solve this problem. Usually, the hinges are out of sorts, or a door may not be hung, so it is level. Check on your door and door jamb for loose parts that need tightening up. Feel free to use a wedge or magnetic door stop to keep a bedroom door open. Usually, fixing the hinge pins, realigning the hinges, or adjusting a door will help a door stay open when desired. And sometimes, the simplest solution is to shut any windows or remove unnecessary weight from the door.

Before you go, don't skip out on reading the following helpful articles:

Can Bedroom Doors Open Out? [Here’s why yours shouldn’t]

Should You Close Bedroom Doors At Night? [And Should You Lock Them?]

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