How to Choose a Door Stopper?

When opening, interior and entrance doors very often hit the wall with their handles. Over time, damage appears on the wall in the form of scratches, dents and chips. In addition, the door leaf suffers from the impacts, the handle gets damaged and scratched, and the hinges wear out and become loose. Door stoppers (also called limiters, buffers, or door stops) will help solve these problems. These are special floor or wall-mounted restrictive devices that reduce the opening angle of the door and soften its impact. In doing so, they protect the wall, door leaf and hardware from damage, and extend the service life of the door structure.

Which door stopper is better to choose?

When purchasing a door stopper, several important factors should be taken into account. First of all, these are the dimensions, weight and purpose of the door (entrance, interior, public, office or residential use), the material it is made of and the operating conditions. The team of specialists at DANAPRIS DOORS also strongly recommends taking into account the overall interior style of the room, as well as your own aesthetic preferences.

Choosing the right design

The most reliable, durable and affordable are simple door stoppers. They are minimalist devices without mechanisms, consisting of a strong metal body and a damper made of elastic material. Such a product will serve reliably for many years, protecting the wall, door hardware and leaf from damage. Other types of limiters are divided into magnetic and mechanical according to their design features.

Magnetic door stopper

It consists of a housing with a built-in magnet and a cushioning coating that absorbs the impact. This type of limiter works in conjunction with a corresponding metal element that is attached to the door opposite the magnet. When the door leaf reaches the magnet during opening, it stops because it is attracted to it. The door remains in the open position until it is pushed. This design is only suitable for interior doors — the magnet simply cannot hold heavy entrance door models in the open position. Concealed door stoppers are very popular, with the magnetic element neatly and discreetly mounted into the floor.

Mechanical door stopper

It is used primarily in public and commercial spaces; using such mechanisms in residential buildings is inconvenient, and they will not enhance the interior either. These can be fold-down models on a “goat leg” or retractable models with a brake pad, which are activated by pressing with the foot. There are mechanical devices that hold the door open and can even prevent it from slamming shut. The common drawback of all mechanical limiters is their short service life — sooner or later they will break down.

Material and appearance

When choosing a stopper for PVC, aluminium, wooden, MDF and other door models, attention should be paid to its appearance. It can be a washer, a simple cylinder, a quarter or half sphere, a chess piece, or even an interesting decorative figure that will add originality to the room. It is important to pay attention to the shade — ideally it should match the shade of the door hardware (hinges and handle).

The material of manufacture matters when choosing a door limiter, as it determines its appearance and performance characteristics. The most common options are:

• Brass. Has a beautiful golden hue, is resistant to mechanical stress and corrosion — such a limiter will last a long time.
• Stainless steel. A strong and reliable option, resistant to corrosion and stress, will serve for many years while maintaining its properties and appearance.
• Plastic. An inexpensive material available in various shades, which is why plastic door stoppers are quite common, but they are not known for their reliability, strength or durability.

Door limiters — installation locations and options

There are two main types of door stops by mounting location — wall-mounted and floor-mounted. Universal models are also available that can be mounted on either the floor or the wall. It should be noted that universal stoppers are 1.5–3 times taller than floor-mounted ones, so on the floor they can be a tripping hazard, whereas on the wall they look neater.

Floor-mounted door stopper

The most common option, which can take the form of a small cylinder, a washer, a half (or quarter) sphere, or a chess piece. It is suitable as a stopper for both entrance and interior doors, and serves reliably for a long time. Such limiters are installed so that when they come into contact with the door leaf, the gap between the wall and the handle is 1–5 cm. The optimal distance from the door opening is two thirds of the leaf width. The disadvantages of floor-mounted models include the risk of injury (toes can be hurt), the inability to install them with underfloor heating, and limited space requirements.

Wall-mounted door stopper

This option is used when it is not possible or simply not desirable to install a floor limiter for one reason or another. Most often it is a device in the form of a metal bracket with a magnetic cap. There must be a wall perpendicular to the opening door, and it must be solid (not made of drywall). Such devices are mounted at a height of 5–20 cm from the floor; an overhead stopper installed in the upper part of the wall is used less frequently. It is important to maintain the correct distance from the opening (optimally two thirds or three quarters of the door leaf width) so that the stopper is positioned away from the hinges to reduce the load.

Non-standard and original door limiters

Non-standard and original door stops are also used. There are self-adhesive silicone door stoppers that are glued to the wall, primarily at the level of the door handle. When the door is opened, the handle simply rests against the soft elastic buffer. These limiters are inexpensive and easy to use, but they will not last long. They are best used only for interior doors. A self-adhesive silicone stopper is also convenient for sliding doors.

There are also mobile limiters that can be easily moved from place to place and come in interesting and unusual designs. This can be a simple door stopper in the form of a fabric bag in any colour, or an original one shaped like an animal, a toy, or other fun forms. These options are very popular with children — they are bright, cheerful and completely safe. They are used for interior doors, primarily in children’s rooms. The main drawbacks of such options are their short lifespan, as they quickly lose their aesthetic appearance.