Doors that shut on their own are designed that way for a reason: to prevent the spread of fire and smoke in a building. Sometimes you need to hold the door open temporarily, though, such as if you're moving furniture through the doorway. If you're in a pinch and you don't have a wedge on hand (the preferred method, see Warnings below) you can hold the door open with a coin.
Step 1
Obtain a coin. US Quarter or 20/50 Euro Cents work well.
Step 2
Open the door.
Step 3
Hold the edge of the coin against the door jamb near the top hinge.
Step 4
Slowly let the door close so one side of the coin is touching the door jamb and the other is pressed against the door. The pressure of the door will keep the coin from falling. The coin will brace the door open.
Step 5
Remove the coin and allow the door to close as soon as you're finished.
Tips
- Be careful not to bump into the door. The coin may become dislodged, causing the door to close suddenly (fingers have been known to get squished in this manner).
- It's not a good idea to hold a door open with this method if there are going to be children bouncing around. They can bump into the door and have it close suddenly on them.
- Don't try this with a dime.
- A golf ball can be used to hold open some larger doors.
Warnings
- Only do this with a light door (a door that doesn't close itself heavily). On heavier doors, the leverage of the door weight against something in the top hinge will bend it away from the door, especially if you accidentally bump the door towards the closed position. Then the door will start to tilt in its frame. That often causes the door to start binding in the frame when you try to close it.
- This is also not safe to do around children, the elderly or others who may be hurt if the door were bumped.
- As convenient as this may be, it could be unsafe and/or illegal to prop open a fire door or one which automatically locks when it closes. Doing so could jeopardize your safety and that of others.
