Door stops

The brake rotors would do more damage. But, I like the idea about the hold open arms. I'll have to look at the hold open arms, and see if I can make something for those.

My old middle school used to have those magnetic hold opens. Like you say, when the fire alarm went off, the hold opens released. The church has been, over the years, cutting way back on the paid maintenance staff hours, so I'd have to guess that the magnetic hold opens aren't going to happen. Plus, they need power to run the magnet.

There's nothing in the door closer that will keep it open?

SM: I havn't seen it, if there is.

How about a 1 or 2 foot piece of 2x4 where the hinges are?

SM: I'd like to avoid anything at the hinge end. Don't want all the leverage of the wide door concentrated on the smaller hinge end. Not only the door closer pulling on the hinges, but someone sure to walk by and bump the door. That's a lot of leverage, pressing on a very small place.

What if you kick the tall end towards the door. Or maybe put your foot against the tall end and force the door into the stopper, but that's not as good.

SM: I've tried assortment of techniques. A couple days ago, I tried to wedge the kitchen door. The gap to the floor is maybe 3/8 inch. I tried every this or that with a door stop, including turning the door stop upside down. Finally went and got another door stop that was a bit more grippy.

Probalby not. Make a couple and see. You probably have to kick them into place to make them stick.

SM: The construction place near me had some cut scrap out, the other day. Some of the pieces were triangle. We'll try thm.

I agree; Sandpaper will sand the floor. Worse than scratching the bottom edge of a door, which can be touched up if necessary with stain or Old English furniture polish/stain.

SM: Need something grippy, but not sandy.

I'd think that if the building was on fire, people would have the sense to exit, instead of sit in class rooms with the door open. The regs prohibit sleeping or staying over night in the building. I'm sure in case of regional or national emergency, those might be quietly ignored if we were housing refugees. But, you'd think people would know to keep the door closed when sleeping.

Bricks. Or concrete blocks if the doors are really big :)

PS - the church ladies could crochet pretty covers for the bricks :)

Change the door closers to a model that has a lock to hold them open, this type has been around for decades, I just don't know what the trade name is for them.

Make a wedge with a round top and a flat bottom, so they have no choice. Of course, if the top is hard and slippery, and the bottom is rubbery, they'll figure it out when it just doesn't work the wrong way.

Have you considered (expensive, I know) magnetic catches for the backs of fire doors? I've seen these in hotels and schools where the magnets release when the fire alarm goes off, so the doors can stay open as you want, but will shut in the event of a fire/emergency.

There ya go. It was my first thought and figured someone would suggest it.

Stormin, to expand on that a brick may not be heavy enough (you'd have to judge that but I suspect it won't be enough). You know those smaller 'half cinderblocks' (one hole, not 2). That's perfect. Tall enough they do not pose a trip hazard and heavy enough. To protect the doors finish, and floors, put a rubber matting on the bottom (there are silicone caulks that will hold it) then have one of the ladies who sews, make a little top cover (open at the bottom). One strip around it with a seam, and a square sewn to the top. Drop over cinderblock. Now, it even looks pretty.

For that small a gap, how about a magazine or thin piece of carpet, or vinyl linoleum, or something that bends but has some stiffness, folded over but not creased, so the flat area where the two pieces meet will go under the door, but when the door gets to the rounded area where it is bent bends over, the door won't go any farther.

For the magazine, you'd open it at the middle and fold the front half behind the back half, so the part away from the spine or staples is flat, but the part near the staples is taller and round.

on 10/6/2009 7:54 PM (ET) Stormin Mormon wrote the following:

Try these door stops that stay on the door so you don't have to search for your home-made wedges when you want to hold the door open.

Had the same problem at my work place... made a "door jack" and it works beautifully:

Make a wooden wedge, same dimensions as you would buy. Drill a hole downward through the "fat" side of the wedge. Go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy a small diameter carriage bolt, and a "pronged tee nut" (Google Image search) and a wing nut that fit the diameter of the carriage bolt. The carriage bolt must be a small enough diameter to fit into the drilled hole. Assemble as follows: pronged tee nut, prongs facing up, drive the prongs into your wooden wedge, centered on the hole you drilled. Thread carriage bolt all the way into the pronged tee nut so that an inch or so is exposed on the other side of the hole at the top of the wedge. Attach the wing nut to the other side of the carriage bolt. The wing nut needs to become "part" of the assembly... you can superglue it, or you can damage the threads of the bolt... or you can solder it.... or you can use a drop of LocTite... its up to you. How to use: place the wedge snug under the open door, give the wing nut a couple twists for increase the angle of the wedge and you are in business. Carriage bolts are nice due to the smooth rounded top that won't gouge the flooring. If you are using on vinyl flooring, you may want a dab of silicone caulking for further protection between the bolt head and the floor. (dab the caulk on the bolt head and let it dry a day before you actually use it)

Make a dozen of them, cost will be about a buck a piece, maybe even two bucks. Leave them in the janitor closet for future generations..

Good luck!

I guess what he was saying is that since these are fire doors, they're not allowed to have those.

A couple days later, I was scavenging some cut wood scraps for the single adults campfire and marshmallow roast. The construction place near me had some scraps I got for the fire. They also had some various triangle pieces, which I took to the church. Aparently, they work well enough, as door stops. Assortment of sizes and angles, so one's bound to work here or there.

Great ideas, all who wrote. Thank you, to all.