Sometimes we want to let the fresh air enter our home without fully opening the door for privacy purposes. But what if your door opens all the way? We've gathered the information you need to prevent your door from widely opening, so you don't have to!
Disclosure: We may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
To prevent your door from fully opening, here are the things that you can do:
- Use a decorative door stopper.
- Use a rubber or magnetic stopper.
- Use a door closer with a hold-open feature.
We will get into further details on how you can prevent your door from fully opening, so stick until the end to learn more.
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Ways To Stop The Door From Fully Opening
Letting the air circulate in the house by opening the door is a good way to promote proper airflow, but you don't have to let the door open to do so. Here are some ways that you can use to stop the door from opening widely.
Use a Decorative Door Stopper
Did you know that you can turn items at home into decorative door stoppers? You've read it right! You can reuse some of your old stuff that can make a good door stopper. Here are some ideas that you can try!
A Heavy Jar or Vase
A jar or a vase that's heavy enough can make a great door stopper. Not only that it will keep the door from opening too wide, but it will also create an aesthetic look. Just find a glass or a vase in your home that seems heavy enough and place it behind the door. Just be careful when it's too windy, though, to avoid smashing the vase in the doorway.
A Brick Covered With Cloth
Since bricks are heavy enough to stop a door from opening, you can grab yourself a piece of brick and a cloth with nice prints on it. You can sew the cloth and fit the brick inside, making a cute door stopper. You could add some ribbons to make it appear like a gift box!
Concrete Door Stopper
If you have leftover concrete, you can mix it with water to make a concrete door stopper. Just form a nice cylinder shape and let it dry. You can also drill a hole at the top to insert a piece of jute. You can wrap it with rope or even paint it to add a creative touch!
Click here to see this concrete door stopper on Amazon.
Wood Door Stopper
This door stopper will not cause you that much. You just need a piece of wood that's about 4x4 inches in size. Cut the wood at a 15 degrees angle to form the door stopper, but be careful not to cut your finger during the process! You can sand it and add some colors or decorative accents afterward.
Use a Rubber or Magnetic Door Stopper
If you don't feel creative and don't have the time to make your DIY decorative door stoppers, then nothing to worry about because there are plenty of door stoppers on the market.
Two of the frequently used door stoppers are rubber and magnetic types. These are two types of door stoppers that have two important pieces of hardware; the first piece is drilled into the adjacent wall while the other one goes at the inside bottom part of your door.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to install a rubber or magnetic door stopper.
1. Prepare Tools
In this project, you will need three important things; a rubber or magnetic door stopper, a drill, and a screwdriver. Make sure you have all of these before beginning the installation.
2. Choose Door Stopper Location
Since the magnetic door stopper has a piece of hardware that needs to be mounted on the wall, you have to know exactly where you will put it. You can push the door against the wall to see where you can mount the door stopper.
For the rubber door stopper, the process is the same, although the rubber stopper just needs to be attached to the wall. There is no piece that needs to be mounted on the door.
Choose the part of the wall that isn't too close to the outer edge of your door. Remember that your goal is to keep the door from opening inward, so putting it near the outer edge of the door, or the side of the door that's not attached to the wall, will prevent the door stopper from serving its purpose.
3. Drill A Pilot Hole
Using the rod section of your door stopper as a guide, drill a pilot hole on the wall, just enough to leave a shallow hole as a marking. After marking the wall, remove the rod section and drill in until you are sure that the screw will fit enough.
4. Install The Door Stopper
Insert the screw inside the rod section of your door stopper, followed by the baseplate. Secure it with a screwdriver until it's properly attached to the wall. Finally, place the rubber stopper at the top of the rod section. The rubber stopper will protect the door from getting damaged.
If you use a magnetic door stopper, attach the smaller piece to the door. Unscrew the base and cover, then drill the base to the door. Once secured, attach the spring and the cover before inserting the spring back into the base. Lastly, compress the cover and tighten it.
5. Check If The Stopper Prevents The Door From Fully Opening
You can try to open the door and see if you have placed the door stopper properly. If you used a magnetic door stopper, see if the door stopper is strong enough to hold the door in place. The magnetic door stopper must be able to hold even heavy doors.
Click here to see this magnetic door stopper on Amazon.
Use a Door Closer With a Hold Open Feature
Another way to prevent your door from closing is by installing a door closer with a hold-open feature. This type of door stopper is mostly used in commercial spaces. However, no one is stopping you from trying it at home, too! But what is a door closer with a hold-open feature?
It is simply a type of hydraulic spring device that has an adjustable arm. What makes it different from a door closer with no hold open arm is the type of arm used.
There are two types of door closer with a hold-open feature:
Friction Hold Open Arm
A friction hold-open arm has a special nut and compression assembly at the pivot point placed at the door's shoe and forearm that allows the door to fully open. This type of door closer with a hold open feature holds the door open when the nut compresses the washer and creates friction.
The only downside is you have to tighten the nut to keep the arm in a hold-open position.
T Handle Hold Open Arm
The T handle hold-open arm can go 1/4 clockwise or counterclockwise. It has a concave ball at the bottom of the T handle that serves as a ball catch receiver or detent, while the parallel arm has an exposed ball.
The two balls connect perfectly with the bottom of the T handle when the door is fully open. It stays in a hold-open position when the handle is screwed in 1/4 turn, and the T handle plunges out with the bottom of the T handle receiver.
Click here to see this hold-open door closer on Amazon.
What To Do When The Door Is Jammed?
If you are stuck inside, try jiggling the knob until it loosens. You can insert your credit card on the side where the latch and the wall connect. Slide the credit card on the latch until it pushes back. If it doesn't work, you can try to remove the hinges or completely remove the knob to fix it.
If you're on the outside, try to use an all-purpose lubricant to loosen the knob. You can also create a space between the latch and the wall before you jiggle the knob. Apply force if needed.
Wrapping It Up
You have plenty of choices to keep your door from fully opening. Whether a DIY door stopper or a commercially used door closer, the choice will always be yours. What's important is the door stopper will serve its purpose and will give you access to proper airflow without risking your privacy.
Before you go, don't forget to check out these articles, too!
How To Patch a Hole In a Wood Door
Wind Keeps Blowing Door Open – What To Do?