Fit a wall-mounted door stop to a solid brick or block wall

Fit a wall-mounted door stop safely, checking your wall type and drilling technique so the fixing holds and stays put.

DS-01Plan where the stop goesOpen the door fully and see where it naturally wants to rest against the wall. Mark a point where the dome or buffer will sit, usually 100–150mm up from the skirting board or level with where the door handle would otherwise hit the wall. Check the spot clears the skirting profile so the baseplate sits flat.

1 each · Pencil

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1 each · Tape measure

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DS-02Check what's behind the wallTap the wall around your mark. A dead, solid sound means bare brick or block. A slightly hollow or drummy sound in the first 10–40mm often means a dot-and-dab plasterboard lining over solid masonry. Drill a small 3mm pilot hole to confirm: solid straight away means bare masonry; a gap before you hit something hard means dot-and-dab, and you'll need a longer fixing later to reach the masonry behind it.

1 each · 3mm masonry drill bit

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DS-03Do your safety checks before drillingCables and pipes can run almost anywhere, even in solid brick or block, so sweep the area with a detector first. Still treat the wall as if something's there — cheap detectors miss deep cables, conduit, and cables behind metal-backed plasterboard. Find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns, so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. If you're at all unsure, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit and turn the water off at the stopcock before you drill.

DS-04Drill and plug the wallFor bare brick or block, drill a 6mm hole 35mm deep with a masonry bit and fit a 6mm x 35mm wall plug flush with the surface. For a dot-and-dab wall, drill on through the plasterboard and dab layer into the masonry behind — this can mean a hole 60–70mm deep — and use a longer 6mm x 60mm frame-fixing plug so the screw bites into solid masonry, not just the plaster skim. Clear dust from the hole before fitting the plug.

1 each · 6mm masonry drill bit

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4 pack · 6mm x 35mm wall plugs

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2 pack · 6mm x 60mm frame fixing plugs

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DS-05Fix the door stop to the wallHold the door stop's baseplate against the wall over your plug and drive a 4mm x 40mm screw through the fixing hole until snug. Don't overtighten — this can crack the plug or crush the plasterboard skim on a dot-and-dab wall. Fit or clip on the dome or buffer part according to the product. Swing the door a few times to check it meets the stop cleanly and doesn't rattle.

1 each · Wall-mounted door stop (baseplate and dome)

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2 each · 4mm x 40mm screws

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1 each · Screwdriver or drill/driver

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DS-06Tidy up and testVacuum brick or plaster dust off the floor and skirting, and wipe the wall down with a damp cloth. Push the door against the stop a few times to make sure it holds firm. Bin any packaging and off-cuts.

1 each · Dust sheet

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1 each · Damp cloth

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