A door slamming can be startling, annoying, and will disturb your peace and quiet.
Below we look at the best methods you can use to stop a door slamming to prevent the unexpected loud noise and vibrations that come with it.
Here’s how to stop a door slamming:
- Check the hinges.
- Apply felt pads.
- Install an automatic door closer.
- Attach weather stripping.
- Use a door stop.
- Use pinch guards.
- Install a door silencer.
- Try a rubber band.
- Lay down a weighted draft stopper.
- Hook on a door cushion.
Causes of Door Slamming
As with anything, you must consider the cause before you choose the solution. The most common reasons include:
- Using lots of force when opening or closing the door.
- Poor door installation. If a door is misaligned, this will cause a swing.
- Worn out or damaged hinges can cause an imbalance to the door.
- Drafts or changes in air pressure cause movement in the air, which causes the door to move.
Reasons To Stop Doors Slamming
Yes, the noise from slamming doors can be ear-shattering. But there are a couple of other reasons to stop your doors from slamming.
- Protection: Children’s fingers and dog’s tails can potentially get caught in a slamming door, which could cause some damage.
- Convenience: In some situations, a door that’s slammed shut means you can be locked out.
- Silence: Some people not only want the noise from slamming to stop, but complete silence when closing a door—which is possible with some products.
Without further ado, let’s get into our 10 methods on how to stop a door slamming.
1. Check the Hinges
The first thing you should do is inspect the hinges on the offending door.
Hinges that are damaged, poorly installed, or simply worn out can produce lots of noise or cause a door to swing too quickly.
If the door looks imbalanced, the hinges look uneven, or the screws aren’t in solidly, consider removing them and installing them again from scratch.
If they look past their best, buy some new hinges and install them. Open the door at a 90-degree angle and use a level to make sure they are even.
2. Apply Felt Pads
If fixing the hinges didn’t work, felt pads may be your next option—they are easy to install, affordable, and effective.
These items are usually used for protecting flooring and absorbing sound, so they’re ideal for sticking on the door frame to provide a buffer for the door when it closes.
They’ll slow the door down and prevent any sound.
The pads come with one self-adhesive side, so you can cut them to the ideal shape and stick them along the door frame.
3. Install an Automatic Door Closer
This option will require more investment than other techniques, but an automatic door closer is one of the most effective methods when it comes to how to stop a door slamming.
With an automatic door closer, no matter if there’s strong wind or you close the door with force, there’s no chance of it slamming.
If you’re at the end of your tether and want to fix the issue once and for all, an automatic door closer is a surefire solution.
You can usually adjust the speed and pressure of the door closer to your specifications.
There are both pneumatic and hydraulic options to choose from, and it’s best to get steel or aluminum as they will last longer than plastic ones.
4. Attach Weather Stripping
Weatherstripping not only stops a door from slamming, but it’s also an excellent soundproofing material as well.
It’s easy to install and will ensure you have less external sounds and noise from opening and closing the door.
Even better, it prevents dust, drafts, and insects from entering, and insulates your home to keep it warm or cool.
Simply measure your door and stick the weather stripping around the frame and door to provide a cushion to stop the door from slamming.
5. Slide a Door Stop Under the Door
If you don’t mind keeping your interior doors open, door stops can be a great way how to stop a door slamming.
Simply wedge a door stop under the door and it won’t move, even with gusts of wind.
There are a variety of door stops out there on the market, some of which are inconspicuous and others that can add a little pizzazz to your room.
6. Use Pinch Guards
These handy little tools are designed to stop little fingers from getting trapped in doors, but they’re ideal for slamming doors too.
Place the pinch guard over the hinges, and the door won’t be able to fully shut.
There are also different versions that slide over the door to prevent it from closing.
The good thing about this one is that you can easily remove it when required.
7. Install a Door Silencer
This is another little product that’s well worth the small investment to prevent your doors from slamming.
They’re more heavy-duty than other options and work well with metal doors, though they can be used with wooden doors.
A door silencer is typically a small cone-shaped piece of rubber with a flat back, designed to work as a bumper.
They also come in the form of a piece of fabric that hooks over the door handles and covers the door latch making it close more quietly.
8. Try a Rubber Band
If you’ve got some rubber bands lying in a drawer somewhere, give this easy method a try.
While it won’t stop the door from slamming, it will lessen the noise.
It won’t work for all doors but seems to be useful for most types of doors.
Simply get a rubber band, wrap it around one handle, and then across the edge of the open door over the other handle.
Ensure that the band sits both above and below the latch of the door.
This will create a bumper so that when the door hits the frame, it softens the blow.
9. Lay Down a Weighted Draft Stopper
Have you ever spotted a long, sausage-shaped roll of fabric at the bottom of the doors in your friend’s house?
This is a draft stopper, and it can work as a door slam stopper as well.
Look for the fabric, weighted versions, and you can leave the door at any angle with the stopper placed snugly in front.
It will also help block noise, odors, and save energy by keeping heat or cool air in the room.
If your door tends to slam open and closed, you can get double stoppers or buy two and place them on either side of the door.
10. Hook on a Door Cushion
Our last method is a slightly better-looking version of the rubber band trick.
A door cushion is designed to cover the side of the door over the latch to prevent it from slamming.
You can either make it yourself or buy one online—it’s simply a little cushion of soft material with two elastic loops to fit over the handles on each side of the door.
You can choose any kind of fabric design to match your home.
The benefit of this option is that the material is still thin enough to allow you to close the door, unlike the door stops or pinch guards.
As it covers the latch, the door won’t latch closed, but it will close quietly and softly.
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