What is a doorstop?
A doorstop is a small nub or pad, normally connected either to the door, to the floor or to a skirting board, which prevents the door handle on a hinged door from crashing into and damaging the wall when the door is swung open. Door stops are always installed on the rear side of the door, on the same side as the hinges. Door stops are especially important for glass doors, which are likely to crack or shatter with any significant impact.
What purpose does a doorstop serve?
Doorstops prevent your door fixtures from coming into contact with walls and paintwork, by being the first point of impact. When the door is opened, the doorstop will take the force of the blow before the handle can reach the wall. Doorstops are usually cushioned in some way to absorb the force of a quickly opened door, usually by means of rubber padding or a spring of some sort.
What different types of doorstop exist?
One particular point of difference between doorstops is where they are mounted. Some door stops are mounted on the back of the door (often as either a small springed stop or a rubber bung) and others are mounted on the wall itself to stop impacts from occurring. Glass doors are often stoppered by special doorstops which have been attached to the floor. These help spread the point of impact to lessen any shock when a glass door is slammed open, and stop the door well before it reaches the wall.
Sliding doors may also have stops installed at the end of the door to prevent them from being slammed open.
