Are you sometimes annoyed and even startled when doors keep closing on their own? Many questions could be crossing your mind, such as to prevent this from happening? We researched to find the best solutions to this problem. Let's find out the answer below.
Doors tend to close independently for many reasons, like strong winds. Here are several solutions to keep your doors from doing that:
- Tighten the door hinges.
- Bend the door hinge pin.
- Buy a wedge door stopper.
- Get a pneumatic door closer.
- Put felt pads.
- Use a hook door stopper.
- Place a small shim under the hinge.
- Try door chocks
Please keep reading for additional detailed information regarding doors closing on their own. We've included all necessary data, such as the reasons and solutions. So, let's start with:
Why Are My Doors Closing By Themselves?
Doors usually shut close by themselves when the door and frame are not aligned. The door should be level with the frame when it is closed. It will help to prevent the door from slamming shut. The other reason doors close by themselves is a loose hinge or handle that needs to be tightened.
5 Reasons Why A Door Keeps On Closing On Its Own?
There are various causes why doors keep slamming on their own. But, here are the five most common reasons that can happen at any time.
Strong Wind
A strong wind can quickly shut doors, mainly when a storm brews. And if there's an unexpected strong air current, the door will likely shut, even if you try closing it gently.
Air Pressure Change
An open window can move the air from a low pressure outside into a high pressure inside. The shift in pressure and the ensuing air pressure are sufficient to cause a door to close.
Door And Frame Are Misaligned
A door usually closes by itself when the door and frame are not aligned. The door should be in line with the frame when it's closed. It will stop the door from banging shut.
Hinges Don't Line Up
Often, if the door isn't flawlessly upright, it could close on its own. Poorly fitted door hinges can cause a disproportion in the door, which enables the weight of it to shut itself.
House Is Settling
When there's an issue in the foundation or framing of the house, it can result from doors closing by themselves. House settling is one of the most common reasons for doors slamming shut. It can be caused by an earthquake, aftershock, or old age.
Solutions And Answers In Keeping A Door From Closing On Its Own
We've compiled several solutions and answers to help you with your door problems.
Tighten The Door Hinges
One way to prevent your doors from slamming shut is by tightening the door hinges. Just remove the hinges and tighten the screws. To quickly remove and replace the hinges, use a lubricant. And if there are damaged or missing screws, replace them with new ones.
Bend The Door Hinge Pin
Here are the steps in bending the door hinge pin.
Remove the Old Hinge Pin
Use a screwdriver and place the tip on the bottom of the hinge pin. Tap as hard as needed to free and remove the pin. You can also use vice grips to remove the hinge pin.
Put A Slight Bend In The Old Hinge Pin
Put a C-clamp around the pin to hold it in place. Pound the middle of the pin softly with a hammer. Repeat striking until you create a slight bend in the hinge pin. It should be tiny enough that it's scarcely visible.
Replace The Hinge Pin
The bent can make it difficult to put the hinge pin back. So, applying a lubricant is recommended to slide it smoothly. Put the hinge pin in the socket and place it at a certain angle.
Continue Repeating The Procedure
Keep on repeating the above step until the door stops from closing on its own. The strategy is to make more resistance in the hinges.
What Can You Place To Keep The Door From Slamming?
Besides fixing the door hinges and pin, you can also place door stoppers on your door. There are various types of door stoppers that are very useful.
Buy A Good Ol' Wedge Door Stopper
Door stoppers are designed to keep doors open and to keep them from closing as well. Just put a wedge doorstop under the door to prevent it from closing on its own. The disadvantage of using a wedge doorstop is that it's inconvenient when you want to close the door. It could also be a trip hazard because it sticks out from under the door.
Click here to see this Wundermax wedge door stopper on Amazon.
Get A Pneumatic Door Closer
A pneumatic door closer is a soft-close device that can be placed on your door. It will prevent the door from being forcibly closed at a fast speed.
The pneumatic door stopper is fastened to the door frame and edge of the door. It slows down the door closing process.
Pneumatic door closers are usually used in commercial locations. It's pretty rare to find them in residential areas.
Click here to see this Wright Product pneumatic door closer on Amazon.
Put Felt Pads
An affordable way to keep a door from closing is by putting several felt pads along the edge of the door frame. Self-adhesive felt pads make it easier to attach to the door frame. Just keep it in mind not to stop the door from closing entirely.
Felt pads are most effective on doors like uPVC doors. These stoppers are less effective on heavy or solid doors due to their weight and strength. Weather Stripping is a perfect substitute for felt pads and can be attached to a door frame.
Click here to see these X-protector Premium Felt Pads on Amazon.
Use A Hook Door Stopper
Hook door stoppers are perfect for doors that need to stay open for long periods. These types of door stoppers are like magnetic door stops. They both protect walls from damage caused by swinging doors and also keep the door open as needed.
Place A Small Shim Under The Hinge
Placing a cardboard, wood, or plastic shim under the hinge is one of the simplest things to prevent slamming doors. It works perfectly with pocket and double doors because they're more prone to slamming shut. Put an additional shim on the other side of the hinge if you have a massive door that's likely to hit walls with the bottom edge.
Click here to see these Wobble Wedges Flexible Plastic Shims on Amazon.
Try Door Chocks
The door chocks are designed for firefighters but can be used by everyone. These stoppers are perfect on all door hinges and can easily fit your pocket because it's foldable.
One fun fact is door chocks are an ideal choice for kids' rooms. These stoppers are available in a variety of fun colors.
Click here to see this Wedge-It Lime Green door chocks on Amazon.
What Are The Other Door Problems And Solutions?
We've gathered other issues that doors have. We also provided simple solutions to help you if you encounter one of them.
Drafty Door
Drafty doors are unbearable and can immensely affect your energy bills. You'll use your heating and cooling system more frequently to help balance the temperature.
In fixing a drafty door, you must know how the drafts enter. This problem occurs due to issues like shabby weatherstripping.
You can change or add new weatherstripping to stop air from coming in or out. The other one is to change the whole door.
Sticky Door
Sticky doors are usually caused by having a dirty hinge or a foundation issue. You can try this simple solution.
- Clean the hinges.
- Find out where the door is sticking.
- Analyze the door jamb and check if you should add an extra space to avoid sticking.
- Screw a long screw through the latch and into the door's frame.
- Sans down the sticking parts on your door.
Warped Door
Warped doors are caused by being exposed to a lot of humidity or if they don't fit well into the doorstop.
Put some wet towels or blankets and place them on the warped area. Re-wet the towels daily and add additional weight to the door until the warp is gone.
Keeping Your Doors Closed Naturally
Doors closing by themselves are natural occurrences caused by several things, as you now know. What may seem complicated to fix is easy peasy to do.
You have also gained vital information and answers to this common problem. And the best thing is that you'll know what to do with this problem.
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