Based on information from Encyclopaedia Britannica, door stops originated in 1775, after the rising butt design of hinges was introduced, which allowed doors to close automatically. In fact, such door stops featured intricate sculptural forms of famous personalities, including Napoleon, Disraeli and Shakespeare. This is a major difference from modern versions that are plain and geometrically shaped.
Door stops can be quite useful in the house. However, you need to select the right ones; otherwise, it might do more harm than good. In fact, you should only use purpose-built products, not just any item to stop the door. If not, you just might find yourself misusing a valuable piece of sculpture just like the UK couple who used a rare Chinese artifact valued at £250,000 (based on a 2014 report on the Daily Mail).
A useful way to select the right product from the door stop series is by assessing two key aspects: the intended use and the appropriate mounting.
Assessing The Intended Use
Assessing the intended use of door stops is quite simple. Generally, there exist two broad uses: holding doors open or closed and preventing damage to walls. This is a simple decision to make, since the most urgent need will determine which type of product to choose.
Some varieties that prevent damage to walls include the spring and solid wall-mounted versions. On the other hand, wedges, hinge pins and low rise floor mounted versions will prevent excessive swinging.
Choosing The Correct Mounting
Selecting the right mounting is especially critical since the wrong choice could mean damage to walls, floors and doors. This means that you should consider the door weight, as well as floor and wall strength before selecting floor, wall or door mounted varieties.
If the door weight isn't excessive, a stop mounted on it will serve the purpose without causing any harm. This is an important consideration to make, if you intend to install the hinge pin variety. Moreover, this choice is useful if you don't intend to mount anything on your floor. If excessively heavy, you might hardly notice the push by the hinge pin when opening your door, which can damage the wall and door. Another interesting choice is the kick down stop, mounted on your door. This variety will have contact with the floor, rather than the wall as is the case with the hinge pin.
When installing wall mounted versions, such as the spring and solid stops, you have to consider both the strength of your door, as well as the wall. The wall will provide a firm base for mounting, but then your door has to be strong enough to sustain regular impact with this stop. However, to prevent impact between stop and door panel, you can mount a concave/ convex stop that will only have contact with the lever handle or latch knob.
Floor mounts are perhaps the most common variety, having been in existence for much longer than the other versions. Modern products also feature adjustable designs of the low rise varieties. In case you have a particularly heavy door, the heavy duty wedges should be your best choice.
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