How to Hold a Door Open with a Coin

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posted on 18 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Doors that shut on their own are designed that way for a reason. They can be built to prevent the spread of fire and smoke in a building and also keep the bugs and insects away from the cool refreshing air.[1]
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You may need to hold the door open temporarily. Placing a coin in a door will not hold it open wide enough to walk in and out of the door. However, it will prevent the door from closing all the way. If you're moving small furniture in and out of your home during moving, this can be helpful. It eliminates the need to unlock the door or turn the knob each time, as you can merely push against the door to get it to swing open. If you need to prop a door open wider, use a door stop or a heavy object instead of a coin.

Steps

Placing a Coin in the Door Hinge

Grab a coin. Canadian/US Quarter or 20/50 Euro Cents work well. Avoid using small coins like pennies or dimes as they do not have enough surface area to hold the door open. You may need more than one coin if you're unable to jam the door open with a single coin. If you're in another country like Australia or South Korea, use the largest and thickest coin possible.

Open the door slightly. To start, open the door slightly. Open it just enough that you can fit a coin between the edge of the door near the hinges and the door frame. You may want to have someone hold the door open for you. It can be difficult to hold the door open on your own, and you do not want to prop the door open with another object. If the door is propped open too wide, it may be difficult to properly insert the coin.

Insert the coin into the upper hinge. To start, you'll want to insert one coin in the door's upper hinge. Take your coin and position it just below the top hinge of the door. Place the coin between the edge of the door and the door frame. About half the coin should be between the door and frame. Move the coin upward slightly and push it into the door's hinge. Let the door close. With luck, the door should be propped open just slightly to the point you can push the door open without during the handle.

Secure the coin with tape, if necessary. If your door's hinge is wider, the coin may slip out. Therefore, you may need to secure coin in the door frame with a piece of tape. Go for masking tape or duct tape over scotch tape, as these types of tape tend to be stronger. Push the coin back between the door and door frame, and slide it into the hinge. Once the coin's in place, tape it down with a strip of tape.

Try a coin in the lower hinge if this does not work. Depending on the build of your door, this method may not work. If you're unsuccessful, you can try securing a coin in the bottom hinge as well. Follow the same method as you did when placing a coin in the top hinge. If this still does not work, you should try another method. No method will work on every type of door.

Taping a Coin Over the Strike Plate

Identify the strike plate. You can also hold a door open with a coin using the door's striker plate. First, identify the strike plate on your door. The strike plate is the metal part of your door affixed to the door jamb. It is found on the side of the door, near the doorknob. The strike plate usually has bolts installed to hold it to the edge of your door. It's main purpose is to prevent friction as the door opens and closes. If you place coins over the striker plate, they may prevent the door from swinging closed.

Tape a coin over the door's strike plate. Take your coin and place it somewhere on the strike plate. It does not matter where you place coin. Just make sure the coin is somewhere on the metallic strike plate. Use thick tape, like masking tape or duct tape. You may want to place the coin over the door's latch. This can hold the door handle at an open angle, allowing you to push the door open and closed without turning the knob. This will also prevent the door from locking. However, placing the coin on the door latch may not hold the door open. Depending on the gap between your door and door frame, it may just allow you to push the door open and closed.

Add more coins to the striker plate if you're unsuccessful. One coin may not be enough to successfully hold your door open. If there's a larger gap between your door and door frame, a single coin may not be thick enough. If one coin does not work, tape another over the first coin. You may have to add quite a few coins before your door is successfully propped open with coins.

Taking Safety Precautions

Do not prop a door open around children. You want to be careful when propping doors open if you live with young children. A door could swing open and closed fast if a child fell or pushed on it. This could cause injury. If you need to prop a door open, do so only when your children are secured elsewhere.

Make sure animals will not get out if a door is propped open. If you have pets, do not leave a door propped open unless you're supervising them. A larger dog could push a propped door open and get loose. Make sure to secure animals in another room before propping a door open with a coin.

Use a conventional door stop or bigger objects on a larger door. A heavier door will be unlikely to be propped open by a coin. The force of a heavy door can easily dislodge a coin doorstop, even one that is carefully taped down. If you need to hold open a larger door, use a bigger object like a chair or cinderblock. You can also purchase a door stop at a local hardware store.