9 Easy & Simple Ways to Stop Door Slamming Shut

Do you have a door in your house that slams shut every time someone goes through it? It can be really frustrating hearing that large bang behind you, particularly if you’re trying to be quiet. A slamming door can also cause damage to the door itself as well as the frame, so it’s important to take action to prevent this from happening whenever possible. In this we’ve put together nine simple and easy ways to stop those doors slamming for good!

Why do doors slams?

Before we get into how to stop your doors slamming shut it’s important to understand why it might be slamming in the first place, here are three of the most common reasons:

• The door is unbalanced – if your door isn’t hung evenly in the door frame then it’s more likely to swing open or shut with more force than usual.
• The hinge pins are loose – if the hinge pins aren’t tight enough then they can cause the door to sag which will make it more difficult to close properly.
• The weather – windy conditions can cause doors to slam shut, so it’s worth taking this into account when choosing a method to prevent slamming.

Irregular shaped door:

Before you start making any adjustments to the way the door is hung it’s important to check that the door itself isn’t damaged or warped in any way.

This in the case of warping can often be seen via it’s irregular shape, meaning the door doesn’t fit perfecting in door frame or door seals and therefore why a sound is created each time the door slams shut as it hits into areas it isn’t meant to.

If the door is damaged, it’s likely that it will need to be either fixed or replaced before any changes are made to the door frame.

Air flow and draughts:

As mentioned in the first section, weather can a big reason for doors slamming with the air pressure changes and draughts that can come with it. The reason why draughts lead to slamming doors is down to the fact that as air moves around the room it can cause the door to move too, with the air pressure building up in a confined space and then trying to squeeze out of a another smaller one.

If you live in a draughty property it could be really be worth looking at trying to fix this before moving onto potential fixes for individual doors. Some solutions include things such as increasing insulation in your property, even if it’s just a slightly cracked on broken window something like window insulation film can make a big difference.

Additionally, closing windows that don’t need to be open or closing the door in which that window is in to cut of the air flow to the rest of the property can also help.

How to stop a door from slamming:

Now that we’ve looked a few reasons why your doors slam shut, we can get into some great ways to prevent it happening in the future.

1. Use felt pads

One really easy way to stop a door from slamming is by using things like felt pads. Felt pads are small square, rectangle or round pads made out of felt. These can be placed either on the door itself or on the door frame and will help to cushion the blow when the door is shut, absorbing some of the impact and noise in the process.

2. Try foam strips

Foam strips are another great option, these work in a similar way to felt pads but are slightly thicker and more durable. These can also be placed on either the door or door frame and will help to reduce the noise of the door slamming as well as any potential damage.

3. Check door hinges

As we mentioned earlier, one of the main reasons doors slam is because the door hinges are loose. This can often be easily fixed by simply tightening the screws that hold the hinge in place, but sometimes it can be more difficult. It’s important not to overtighten these as this can damage the door or door frame, so just make sure they’re tight enough that the door doesn’t move around when you close it.

We’ve written full guides on how to deal with this, both on how to adjust uPVC door hinges as well as how to adjust composite door hinges, so if you have either of those and suspect it could the problem definitely check them out.

4. Adjust door closer

If the door is hanging correctly in the door frame but still slamming shut then it’s likely that the problem is with the hinges as mentioned above.

The first thing you’ll need to do is remove the door from the frame so that you can access the hinges.

Once the door is removed, check to see if the hinge pins are loose. If they are, simply tighten them up using a screwdriver or Allen key.

If this doesn’t solve the problem then you may need to adjust the position of the hinges themselves. This too is covered in more detail in the guides mentioned above.

5. Install hydraulic door closers

Hydraulic or Pneumatic door closers are a great way to prevent your door from slamming, and they can be used on both internal and external doors.

These work by using either air or oil pressure to slowly close the door, rather than it being gravity that does it. This means that the door closes slowly and smoothly, with no risk of it slamming shut.

These are relatively easy to install, but if you’re not confident doing it yourself then it’s always best to get a professional in.

6. Weather stripping

Weather stripping is a great way to help prevent doors from slamming, as well as draughts. This is a strip of material, usually rubber, that goes around the door and helps to seal it. This means that there’s less chance of air being able to get in and push the door shut, as well as helping to insulate your property.

It’s important to make sure that you get the right type of weather stripping for your door, as well as making sure it’s fitted correctly. If you’re not confident doing this then it’s always best to get a professional in.

7. Add a door stopper

One of the easiest ways to stop a door from slamming shut is to use a door stopper. This is a small device that fits onto the bottom of the door and stops it from closing all the way. Door stoppers come in a variety of different materials, including rubber, foam, and even metal, so you can choose one that best suits your needs.

If you have young children in the house then you might want to opt for a softer material like foam or rubber so that they don’t hurt themselves if they happen to fall against the door.

8. Install a pinch guard

Another great option to reduce door slamming, particularly if you have young children in the house, is to install a pinch guard. These are devices that fit onto the door and stop it from closing all the way. This means that there’s no risk of anyone getting their fingers or hands caught in the door, which can obviously be very dangerous.

Pinch guards are relatively inexpensive and easy to install, so they’re definitely worth considering if you have young children in the house.

We would recommend checking out BYETOO’s pinch card if you would like to explore this option as they’re known for being the most durable.

9. Try door filters

Door filters are a great way to help reduce the amount of noise that comes through a door, as well as helping to stop doors from slamming shut. These work by reducing the amount of air that can pass through the door, which in turn stops the loud noise each time the door slams.

Door filters are relatively inexpensive and easy to install, so they’re definitely worth considering if you’re looking for a way to reduce the amount of noise in your home.

Final thoughts:

When you have a door slamming problem it can be tempting to just ignore it and hope that it goes away. However, in most cases, the problem will only get worse over time. It’s therefore important to take action and try to fix the problem as soon as possible.

The good news is that there are a number of different things that you can do to help stop doors from slamming shut. These range from simple things like installing a door stopper, to more complex solutions like weather stripping.

If you’re not sure what to do then it’s always best to get a professional in to take a look and give you some advice. However, in most cases, the problem is relatively easy to fix and you should be able to do it yourself.