Fit a floor or skirting door stop

Fit a floor or skirting door stop, choosing the right screw or fixing for your floor, skirting or wall behind it.

DS-01Choose your door stop and mark the spotDecide between a floor-mounted dome stop, a hinge-pin stop, or a skirting-mounted stop. Open the door fully and mark exactly where it naturally rests against the floor, skirting or wall. Check a floor dome won't catch the door edge as it swings, and check the skirting is thick enough to take a screw where you've marked it.

1 each · Door stop (dome or hinge-pin type)

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1 each · Pencil

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1 each · Tape measure

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DS-02Gather tools and protect the areaLay a dust sheet under the work area. Get your cordless drill, a small wood pilot bit, a masonry bit if you might hit brick or block, a screwdriver, and safety glasses. Have a vacuum or brush ready for dust once you've drilled.

1 each · Cordless drill/driver

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1 set · Drill bit set (wood and masonry)

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1 each · Dust sheet

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1 each · Safety glasses

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DS-03Check for hidden pipes and cables before you drillCables and pipes can run almost anywhere, including under floors and behind skirting on the way to a socket. Scan the spot with a cable and pipe detector, but treat it as a guide only - detectors miss cables that are deep, in metal conduit, behind metal-backed board, or outside the usual safe zones. Find your stopcock now (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns freely, so you can shut off the water fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any doubt, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and turn off the water at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry water.

1 each · Cable and pipe detector

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DS-04Work out what you're fixing intoFor a floor stop, tap the floor: a dull, dense thud usually means solid concrete or screed, while a slight give or hollow sound means timber boards over joists. For a skirting or wall-fixed stop, trace along the skirting with a magnet or stud detector - a steady line of screw heads every 400-600mm means timber studs behind, and fine steel swarf from a small test hole means metal studs. A hollow, even tap with no give often means dot-and-dab plasterboard over masonry, dense solid-sounding walls are brick or block, and older properties with a slightly springy, uneven surface are often lath and plaster.

1 each · Stud detector or magnet

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1 each · Bradawl

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DS-05Pick the right fixing for what's behindScrewing straight into the skirting board itself is usually the strongest and simplest option, since a door stop only takes light knocks - a 4x25mm wood screw with a 2mm pilot hole is enough. If you're fixing into solid brick or block, drill a 6mm hole 30-35mm deep and use a wall plug. Into a timber stud, drive a wood screw into its centre with no plug needed; into a metal stud, never use a plain plug or wood screw - use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or small toggle-type anchor instead, as ordinary screws strip straight through 0.5mm steel. Through dot-and-dab, use a fixing long enough to reach the masonry behind the dab, or a hollow-wall toggle if you can't reach it; into lath and plaster, find a solid lath with a bradawl test hole and screw into that, using a fine pilot hole to avoid cracking the old plaster.

4 each · Wood screws (4x25mm)

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2 each · Wall plugs (6mm)

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2 each · Metal-stud self-drilling fixings

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2 each · Hollow-wall toggle fixing

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DS-06Mark and drill the pilot holeHold the stop's baseplate against your marked spot and mark the screw hole positions through it. Drill straight and level, at the depth needed for your fixing type from step DS-05, then blow or vacuum out the dust before fitting anything.

1 each · Vacuum or brush

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DS-07Fit the door stopHold the stop in position and drive the screws through the fixing holes into your chosen fixing. Tighten until snug - don't overtighten, as this can crack a rubber buffer or hairline-crack old plaster.

1 each · Screwdriver

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DS-08Test the door swingOpen and close the door fully several times. Check it rests cleanly against the stop without the handle striking the wall, and check a floor dome doesn't catch on carpet or a rug as the door passes over it. Adjust the position slightly and re-fix if needed.

DS-09Tidy upVacuum up any dust or drill swarf from the floor or skirting. Fold away the dust sheet and put tools away. Dispose of any packaging or offcuts.

PART OF A BIGGER PROJECT

Fix sticking, squeaking and rattling doors through the house

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