Magnetic Doorstops and Hold Backs

Many modern houses show themselves completely opened to the elements with entire sides of the building ready to welcome in the wind (and birds, bats, etc.). Recently, a client called up to say that they were worried that their doors would hurt someone when the wind picks up, slamming doors into their frames. Forget worrying about plaster; the possibility of someone getting caught by one of these things worried him.

This client wanted help securing the doors and thought about magnetic stops.

Now, this is the same house where the client claimed one of his windows was blown clean off the house and smashed onto the patio below. The casement stay question warrants an entirely different discussion, but this is just to say, this house is in a breezy spot.

Both mechanical connections (hooks) and magnetic (non-electromagnetic) connections can and should be considered. The question of which would work best depends on a few things outside of aesthetics, which definitely entered into the final decisions here.

The client felt that if his teenage kids would need to bend down to hook or unhook anything, these doors would never get hooked or unhooked. An automatically secured and unsecured option was preferable. So, magnetic, right?

Well, it really depends. My feeling is that the holding force on a magnetic stop needs to be quite strong on an exterior door that can theoretically act like a sail in the right conditions. I’m sure there’s a way to figure out the force for a certain mass and area and wind speed, but no one will ever make that calculation… at least not to spec a door stop.

Here are the offerings and considerations we discussed :

Halliday+Baillie

A while back we actually did an in-house experiment, “The Test Report on Breakaway Force for Halliday + Baillie Doorstops” which tested the hold force of the single and double magnetic doorstops. Our findings: the double was not double.

So the HB 720’s and even HB 760’s are probably best used for lighter interior doors. Still, H+B has the HB 760, which addresses yet another question that needs asking when specifying a doorstop for an exterior door: “how much is the step down?” If the door is outswing and you are stepping down even one step, you need a stop that is tall enough. The H+B works for step downs of 5 inches max, and that is only when you use the elevating base. All in all, these stops are more appropriate for interior doors or exterior doors not subject to wind elements.

Chant

Floor-mounted and wall-mounted magnetic solutions from another New Zealand-based manufacturer, Chant, offer two different positions for the magnet: one that hugs the keeper and one that is tangential to the keeper. This allows the user to choose a lighter touch (“I don’t want to have to yank hard on the door to dislodge it from the stop”) or a more secure (“I just hit myself with the door”).

Chant also has some of the mechanical type door stops, called “Hold-Backs”, both wall-mounted and floor-mounted. These rely on hooking the door to the stop and then releasing the hook when you want the door to close. The height of these is 160mm or about 6-1/4”. These automatically drop the “hook” when the door comes toward its open position. The teenager will still need to bend down to release it, though I imagine they’ll figure out how to get their toe to come up between stop and door to unhook the stop.

Sun Valley Bronze

The classic Door Stop/Hold Back hybrid is best illustrated by the Sun Valley combo hook and rubber doorstop. These hold your door securely in place, and the bronze they are made from (not to mention their gorgeous finishes!) make them perfect for exterior elements. But, no magnets here, and again, these require the user (and the perhaps non-compliant teenager) to hook and unhook the stop.

JNF

JNF has many magnetic doorstops that we offer, but there is an interesting one in particular, the IN.13.186 Door Stop with Magnetic Retainer, that is worth considering. Both magnetic and rubber, this stop has an automatic height adjustment to different distances from the door to the floor (which helps with a neat install!). When approaching the door to the stopper, the magnetic rises and reduces the closing speed of the door until it stops

A more traditional door stop / hold back by JNF is the IN.13.189. However, this one is quite weak in it’s holding power and definitely for interior use.

FORMANI

Similar to but taller than JNF’s IN.13.189 is the Italian-made PB30 (UB40’s younger brother), which is part of Formani’s Piet Boon One collection. These are about 6” high, and available in satin stainless steel, powder-coated white, bronze, and satin black finishes, making it very versatile! Still, these are more so recommended for interior applications.

Decent mounting for stone or concrete interiors

FixFax

Then, there’s the FixFax magnetic version that sits flush to the floor. The FixFax is expensive, but its strong and hides itself. There are two versions: the 6510 can hold a door with a weight up to 155 lbs and the 7032 can hold a door with weight up to 220lbs. Both models give you the option of mounting the plate flush or fitting it with phase. Though we love this hefty piece, it comes only in a stainless steel finish. And, it would not help our homeowner with the windy exterior as these are meant for dry, interior areas.

And here is the FixFax 7032 in action!

Ghostop

Last but not least is our newest solution, the Ghostop. The Ghostop’s unique mechanical action uses a retracting pin to hold and stop door in the open and closed position. The beauty of these is that the hardware is hidden and they sit flush to the floor. There is also no trip hazard like conventional doorstops. Though they are nearly concealed, we love seeing that the Ghostop comes in a variety of finishes. There are 3 models of the Ghostop:

The GS100 is for cabinet doors (3/4” min. thickness) and can mount from the head, side, or bottom jamb.

The GS200 is used to stop and hold any door on any surface and can mount from the head or side jamb.

And lastly the GS300 is used to stop and hold any door up to 400lbs on any floor surface.

…..all of which need little to no clearance!!

GS200

GS300

GS100

See the Ghostop in action:

In sum, though there are quite a few door stop / hold back options worth consideration, not all are the perfect solution for the client with an exterior, wind-vulnerable application and a teenager. Having a mechanical or positive catch might be the strongest against the elements, but ease of use, size and strength, how and where it will be mounted, finish options, and price are also important factors.

Magnetic Doorstops & Hold Backs