The power of a door stop
Healthabitat places great value on high quality “Health Hardware”
It is a term first used by Dr Fred Hollows to describe the physical equipment needed to give people access to the health-giving services of housing, such as drainage, shower roses or taps.
Some of these pieces of equipment might not appear crucial straight off the bat but from over 30 years of documenting and fixing “health hardware” we have come to appreciate some of the more subtle aspects of the living environment.
Let us introduce the mighty door stop! The door stop fulfils a series of roles;
- Protects the door handle from loosening and damage
- Less damage to handle mean lock mechanism continues to function. Privacy and security is maintained.
- Room function not compromised by a faulty door or lock.
- Protects the wall, or door behind from damage.
- Intact walls and doors mean fewer access points for vermin or water which can lead to health risks or major repair work.
Bathroom door opening into the swing of a glass screen door or plasterboard wall. A well-placed doorstop can help stop this.
A cheaper doorstop might be the most obvious solution such as the ubiquitous “cushion door stop”, whilst this can be useful it has a few drawbacks. We would argue that a slightly more expensive stainless steel floor mounted door stop that is robust and less likely to fail is a better investment. One of our team saw a floor-mounted door stop still screwed to a house slab after a house had been demolished!
- Cheap, about $2.50 AUD
- Wall/door mounted with bracket that the doorstop slips on
- Hard to secure to hollow core doors
- Stop can loosen or be knocked off and lost
- Move with door or stays against the wall, rarely in the way
Floor mounted stainless steel door stop.
- Mid-range, about $8.50 AUD
- Robust single unit. Nothing to be lost
- Works for all door types
- Placement must be carefully considered to not be in the way
This is just one part of the door design. Healthabitat has done detailed research into door design.
https://www.healthabitat.com/products/doors-locks-hinges-handles
More on door stops at Housing for Health – the guide.
HLP6 – Reducing the negative effects of animals, insects and vermin –
Real-World Examples – Lack of door stops and door handle damage to soft wall materials can combine to allow entry points for mice into wall cavities and cabling.
Design and Specification – B6.2 .10. doors stops are fitted to prevent door handles making holes in walls, which could create entry points for vermin.
