DIY Home Improvement Forum banner

How do I repair an interior door that will not stay open?

7K views 23 replies 17 participants last post by  woody4249 
#1 · (Edited)
#4 · (Edited)
The problem is, I try to open the door(s) all the way, but they try to swing back slowly to close. I need a simple solution to fix the problem.
Thanks for you help.

Something for fixing the unclosed door from closing/opening on its own, as sdsester mentioned a door stop.There is a magnetic type door stop where part of it is mounted to the baseboard molding along the wall at floor level behind the door and the other part mounted to the door so that when the door was opened toward the wall the two pieces met. This was a heavy solid core door leading up to an unfinished bonus room and the stop held the door firmly in place.

the door stop part that attaches to the baseboard sticks out from the baseboard a few inches to allow distance for the door knob, sometimes this is a problem because it can be a toe stumper, ouch.
 
#10 ·
There is a magnetic type door stop where part of it is mounted to the baseboard molding along the wall at floor level behind the door and the other part mounted to the door so that when the door was opened toward the wall the two pieces met.
Like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Get-Organized-MAGNETIC-DOOR-CHROME/dp/B000A7OOZ0

Went with one like that on one of my doors. It's a metal, all glass door in metal frame that used to be for an external entryway, but now has a 3-season glass room (installed by previous owners). Fixing the metal frame door wasn't really an option.

A nice feature is the part on the door is a socket with a spring inside the catch for the ball. This allows the door to be swung open harder against the catch without causing damage. I've got the magnetic post installed horizontally from the baseboard behind the door. Works great.

Solving the problem 'the right way' would require finding out where the door frame is out of level and fixing that. But this can be a lot of work as you can't just move one portion of the frame without there being potential issues on the other sides. As in, the hinge side of out of level, so you pop off the moldings on that side and re-shim it to get it level. This means the door is now likely to be a little farther over on the other side and might not have enough room to close properly.

So using a magnetic stop is sometimes a lot less trouble.
 
#5 ·
There are a couple of things that might cause this.
First check......I am assuming the hinges are not a "Rising Butt Hinge"
These are intended to raise the door to lift it over carpet etc. As this action is like a spiral shoulder on the hinge, gravity will want to close the door after opening. Solution would be to replace the hinges with regular butt hinges.
Second......The door frame is out of plumb. If you have a removable stop, you can reposition the hinge so that the door is plumb. The stops can be reinstalled to fit the new door position. Leave the thickness of a credit card between the door and the stop for clearance.
If the stops are part of the jamb, you can still move the hinge out until the door is plumb, then an additional overlay stop should be installed to cover the gap.
If all the above fails, remove the door frame and reinstall correctly making sure that the frames are plumb and level.

 
#12 ·
Well, yeah, if all you're trying to do is make the door harder to close. Bending the pin will do that, it'll make that hinge stiffer to close and that might help keep the door from swinging closed as easily. Depends on how fast the door is swinging shut. If it's just a gradual creep, then a tighter hinge with a bent pin might be enough. That is until the hinge wears and the problem returns, or starts squeaking enough to drive you crazy.
 
#21 ·
add another vote to slightly bending the hinge pin.

a major portion of my job is installing doors and door hardware commercially. i usually have nothing to do with setting the frame ahead of time, so i use this trick from time to time when the frame isn't perfect (which it rarely is).

if bending the pin a little doesn't work, i have also take some construction adhesive (liquid nails, subfloor adhesive, whatever) and lightly coated a pin, and then propped the door in the open position overnight. a light tug on the door in the morning to break the seal of the glue. tightens the whole thing up.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top