The sound of a door slamming loud can be disturbing for all the family members, especially if you are shutting the door at odd hours when everyone is sleeping.
Making a door close quietly is not a difficult task, only if you try.
This article will help you discover basic techniques for quietly closing the door.
Door with handles and knobs
Firstly, we will discuss how to close the door with handles and knobs quietly.
- Make sure you use your dominant hand to open the door with a handle.
- Grasp the handle with your hand in a horizontal position and your knuckles facing upwards. It will be the same as grasping a bicycle’s handlebar while you ride it.
- If the door has a knob installed instead of a handle, you will hold the knob as of you’re holding a ball in your palm.
- To open the door with the knob, rotate it clockwise. Gently rotate it as far as your wrist allows.
- To open the door with a handle, push it downwards as if you’re trying to change it from a horizontal position to a vertical position.
- If it is the door of a hotel room, you will need a keycard to rotate the handle. Insert the keycard into the slot and rotate the handle after the indicator light flashes green.
- If you’re inside the room, you’ll have to pull the door open. If you’re trying to open it from the outside, you’ll have to push the door after turning the handle.
- Remember to keep a firm grip on the knob or the handle of the door while you open or shut it.
- The firm grip of your hand will allow you to handle the door quietly; otherwise, it may shut with a bang.
- Keep your hand grip strength on the handle till the plate where the latch is receded is aligned with a similar plate attached to the door frame.
- Please don’t lose the grip until the door is in place; otherwise, the latch missing in its proper place will make a loud sound.
- When you let go of the handle, make sure you do it very gently to avoid any extra noise.
Whether it’s a sliding door, a door with knobs, a door with a handle, or a pocket door, every kind of door can be closed quietly.
You only need to be patient and move a bit slower to make minimum noise while you close the door.
Act slowly with focused movements if you don’t want to disturb anyone.
Cleaning and lubrication
Sometimes only the cleaning and proper lubrication of the door hinges can make you avoid a great deal of noise.
Wiping them with a damp cloth will remove the surface grime, which helps in reducing the noise.
After you’re done with the cleaning process, lubricate the hinges with silicone-based spray or petroleum jelly.
This will help in getting rid of friction within the hinges, thus making the door quiet.
The squeaking sound that you may be listening to every time you open and close the door will be gone now.
But remember, by continuous use of the door, the lubrication dries out.
You may need to apply it again after some time.
The metal plates
If the metal plate attached to the door frame is poorly attached, then the metal latch will keep grinding on it, creating a loud sound each time you close the door.
To avoid that loud sound, you should turn the handle in advance while closing the door.
Turning the handle in advance will help in the slamming of the latch against the metal plate.
You can also take off the metal plates by unscrewing them from the door frame to adjust them properly in place.
Try to adjust it by placing it a bit lower or a bit higher until you find the right place.
Using a door silencer
Latchy Catchy can be easily found on Amazon.
This is the best thing you can get for your kid’s bedroom door.
It is no rocket science, just a piece of cloth preventing the latch from engaging.
The better part is it can be easily fixed and removed from the door, as well as it can be used on any door regardless of its shape, type, and size.
It is a cheap innovation that costs you nothing but gives you a lot of mental peace.
The door closes fine even with this cloth thing; it only helps avoid any noise produced every time you shut the door.
You should better give it a shot!
Automatic quiet door closer
You must have seen automatic door closers at offices, shops, and other commercial places.
They are commonly used these days, so there is no reason that you cannot try them for the doors at your home.
Its mechanism includes a cylinder that compresses when the door opens and then automatically closes the door in slow motion.
There will be no bang and no slam of the door; you will only hear a gentle swish of the air cylinder when the door is closing.
They work better with solid wood and heavy and big metal doors.
You will find them easily in the stores and get them fixed by any professional.
Rubber or foam tape
When the door is connected to the door frame, then even it can make a loud noise.
To avoid this problem, use rubber or foam tape to soften the parts of the door that meet with the door frame.
For this purpose, weatherstripping foam tape is easily available on Amazon.
Cover the door frame or the edges of the door with this weatherstripping foam tape which will help in reducing a great deal of noise even if you slam the door shut.
It also reduces the latching sound because this tape creates some resistance.
You will have to force the door to close, making it close slowly.
Soft close door hinges
Soft close door hinges prevent the slamming of the door if you accidentally close the door too hard.
These are spring-loaded hinges with adjustable tension, automatically preventing the door from slamming.
Hence, when you close the door, there will be no noise caused.
Sliding door and pocket doors
Keep a strong vertical grip on the handle of the sliding door with your dominant hand.
Sliding glass doors have handles, but you will find a small indented area on the sliding screen doors and pocket doors where you rest your fingers.
Now try to slide the door, and keep sliding slowly because sliding fast with more force can cause a loud bang sound.
Also, slow sliding will help in avoiding the loud grind against the track, causing a slam shut.
The only thing you need for this is a lot of patience.
Try to keep the track of the door clean.
If you find it dirty, clean it up by using a vacuum cleaner or wipe the track with a wet paper towel every now and then.
Try to remove every particle of dirt and grime.
After cleaning, lubricate the track using a silicone-based spray or grease to reduce the sliding friction.
Let me give you a bonus tip here; while you walk along the door to ouch it close, take small steps and lean your shoulder against the door.
This will help you have firm control of the door.
Slowly keep pushing the door, giving one final push when you come near the lock mechanism, but gently.
Conclusion
There can be multiple reasons behind the cause of the noise when you close the door.
To make a door close quietly, you need to make a slight effort by only keeping in mind some of the points mentioned above.
Only determine the noise source and observe under what circumstances your door is making that noise, then start working on it.
The best thing you will notice after reading this article is that all of the DIY methods mentioned above will cost you very low, and the products mentioned are very inexpensive.
FAQs
1) How can I make my door latch quieter?
A stiff latch causes more noise.
So the lubrication of the door latch can be a good solution to this.
Lubrication will help in avoiding any sound by softening the door latch.
If the door doesn’t get much quieter by lubrication, then try the latch silencer, Latchy Catchy.
2) How to close a shaky door quietly?
A shaky door may cause more noise.
Close the door quickly so that it doesn’t cause much of a noise.
When you know that a door is shaky, try to repair it as soon as possible.
3) How to close a squeaking door without making it squeak?
To close a squeaking door quietly, you need to close it quickly to avoid the sound as much as possible.
If it is a pocket door, then it should be closed relatively slower, not too slowly but also not too fast.
This will help in avoiding the squeaking sound.
4)How do I lubricate my door hinges?
To lubricate your door hinges, you can use a lubricant such as WD-40 or a silicone-based lubricant.
Apply a small amount of lubricant to the hinge, and use a rag or paper towel to wipe off any excess.
5) Can weatherstripping help reduce noise from a door?
Yes, weatherstripping can help reduce noise from a door by creating a seal between the door and the frame, which can also help with energy efficiency and keep out drafts.