How to Install a Doorstop

Setting up a Hinge-Mounted Doorstop

Decide what type of doorstop you want to install. There are 2 common types suitable for home use: hinge-mounted and fixed post (also known as wall mounted). Hinge-mounted doorstops remain out of the way and don't require drilling any holes into your wall. Fixed post doorstops require you to drill into your wall to mount them, and are best suited for heavy doors.

Buy the doorstop(s). Hinge-mounted doorstops consist of a small metal body, 2 rubber pads (1 of which is adjustable), and a metal ring. They are readily available at hardware stores and will fit nearly any door.

Pry the top hinge pin out. Close the door on which you are installing the stop, and use a flat-head screwdriver to pry the hinge pin out of the top hinge. Place the tip of the screwdriver underneath the flared top of the hinge pin, and use the screwdriver as a lever to force it out.

Fit the hinge pin through the ring on the doorstop. Align the doorstop so that the adjustable rubber pad faces the wall, and the fixed pad sits flush against the door. Hammer the hinge pin back into place.

Adjust the doorstop to allow the desired opening distance. Twist the threaded rod attached to the adjustable pad to determine how far the door can be opened. This may require a flat-head screwdriver, or you may be able to grab the pad in your fingers and twist it.

Installing a Fixed Post Doorstop

Buy the doorstop(s). Fixed post doorstops consist of a short, rigid post with a rubber pad on 1 end. The other end is affixed to your wall or baseboard, usually by drilling a hole and threading the stop into the hole.

Open your door until it is parallel with the wall. Using a pencil, mark the point on the baseboard that lines up with the edge of the door. Now mark a second point that is 1.5 inches (38 mm) from this point, towards the door's hinges. Be careful not to mark the point further away from the edge of the door than this, because if the doorstop is installed there it could punch a hole through a hollow-core door.

Drill a hole into the baseboard to mount the doorstop. Using a drill with a 1/8 inch (3 mm) bit, drill a hole into your baseboard where you drew the second pencil mark.

Screw the doorstop into the hole. The doorstop will have 1 side with a threaded screw protruding from it; screw this end into the hole you drilled by rotating it clockwise until it is flush with the wall.