A doorstop is the cheapest piece of hardware in the house and the one most people install incorrectly. The 1-inch screw that came with the doorstop drives into the baseboard or floor, the rubber tip falls off within a year, the screw works loose under repeated impact, and the door knob punches a perfect circular hole in the drywall. The fix is a 5-minute proper install with the right hardware.

This guide covers the three doorstop types: baseboard-mount (rubber-tipped, screws into baseboard at door swing radius), floor-mount (screws into floor near where the door knob would hit), and hinge-pin (clamps to a door hinge pin, stops the door from over-swinging).

Before you start

Three things to settle:

1. Baseboard vs floor vs hinge-pin. Baseboard-mount is the standard — easy to install, easy to replace, and inexpensive at any hardware store. Floor-mount holds heavier doors and survives kicks better. Hinge-pin doesn't require any baseboard or floor work but only works with traditional hinged doors and limits the door's max opening angle.

2. Mount it in a stud or solid backing. A 1-inch wood screw into the front face of a baseboard, with no anchor and no stud, holds about 5 lbs. Repeated door impact loosens it within months. Plan to either drive the screw through the baseboard into the wall stud behind, or use a longer screw (#8 × 1-1/2 to 2 inches) that bites the framing.

3. Match the doorstop to door weight. Light interior doors (hollow-core, 25 lbs) work fine with any doorstop. Heavy solid-core or exterior doors (60+ lbs) need a heavy-duty doorstop and a stud-mount install. The lightweight 'spring' doorstops with the rubber-tipped end fail on heavy doors.

What you'll need

Tools

Cordless drill with bits
1/8" pilot drill bit
Stud finder
Tape measure
Pencil
Phillips driver

Materials

Doorstop (baseboard-mount, floor-mount, or hinge-pin)
#8 × 1-1/2 to 2 inch wood screws (replacing the cheap 1-inch screw)
Wood filler (for any redo holes)

The 1-inch screw in the package is too short

Most baseboard doorstops ship with a 1-inch screw that doesn't reach the wall stud behind the baseboard. The screw drives into the back of the baseboard only — about 3/4 inch of bite — and works loose with each door impact.

Replace with a #8 × 1-1/2 inch screw that drives through the baseboard and bites the wall stud behind. The longer screw turns the doorstop from a 6-month repair into a permanent installation.

Step-by-step instructions

Open the door fully and find the impact point

Swing the door open as far as it normally goes. Look at where the door knob would contact the wall if there were no stop.

That's where the doorstop goes — usually 30 to 36 inches from the door hinge along the door's path.

Pick the mount type

Baseboard-mount: most common. The rubber tip catches the door's edge or knob.

Floor-mount: better for heavy doors and stronger hold. Mounts to the floor near the door swing.

Hinge-pin: clamps to the top hinge pin, limits the door's max swing. No baseboard or floor work.

Find the stud behind the baseboard (for baseboard-mount)

Sweep the area at door-handle height with a stud finder. Studs typically sit at 16-inch centres.

Position the doorstop directly over a stud where possible. Mark the screw position with a pencil.

Pre-drill and install the screw

Drill a 1/8-inch pilot hole through the baseboard and into the stud behind.

Drive a #8 × 1-1/2 inch wood screw through the doorstop's mounting hole into the pre-drilled pilot. Snug only — over-driving strips the wood.

The doorstop should sit firmly against the baseboard with no rotation under hand pressure.

For floor-mount: pre-drill into the floor

Mark the doorstop's position on the floor where it'll catch the door bottom.

Pre-drill 1/8-inch pilot. Drive the included screw into the pilot. For floor-mount on tile, use a tile bit and snaptoggle.

For hinge-pin: pop the hinge pin and clip the stop

Remove the hinge pin from the top hinge by tapping upward with a hammer and small punch.

Slide the hinge-pin doorstop onto the pin in the orientation specified by the package.

Re-insert the hinge pin. The doorstop now contacts the door frame when the door reaches its limit angle.

Test the install

Open the door at full speed (simulating actual use). The doorstop should absorb the impact without moving.

If the doorstop shifts or the screw works loose, the install isn't into a stud — re-anchor with a longer screw or move to a stud-aligned position.

Common mistakes that cost you

Using the 1-inch screw in the box. Doesn't reach the stud. Works loose under door impact within months. Replace with #8 × 1-1/2 to 2 inch screws.
Wrong type for the door weight. Light spring doorstops fail on heavy solid-core doors. Match the stop to the door.
Skipping the stud-mount. Baseboard-only mounting holds 5 lbs. Door impact is repeated short bursts of much higher force. Always stud-mount.
Mounting in the wrong location. Test the door swing arc first. Mounting at the wrong distance means the doorstop doesn't catch the door knob and the wall still gets hit.
Overlooking the door's full swing speed. A door swung open at full speed loads the doorstop briefly with 30+ lbs of force. Cheap doorstops fail; replace the rubber tip annually if needed.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my doorstop keep falling off?

Almost always: the original 1-inch screw works loose because it doesn't reach the stud behind the baseboard. Replace with a #8 × 1-1/2 inch screw driven through the baseboard into the stud.

Should I use a hinge-pin doorstop instead?

Hinge-pin doorstops are tidy — no baseboard or floor hardware, and they're invisible from across the room. They limit the door's max opening angle (typically to 90-110 degrees) which can be useful or annoying depending on use case.

Use them in spaces where the door doesn't need to open all the way (closets, bedrooms). Skip them where you sometimes need the door to swing fully (entrances, shared rooms).

What if the stud doesn't line up with the impact point?

Use a longer screw with a wall anchor (snaptoggle). The snaptoggle through the baseboard into the wall behind gives stud-equivalent hold without requiring a stud at that exact spot.

When to call us instead

Door damage from missing or failed doorstops is a common renovation symptom — knob holes punched through drywall, dented baseboards, scratched walls. We repair these as part of broader wall and trim work.

Book a free 60-minute site visit →

Related Ottawa services

If you have multiple door-impact damage points, our residential renovation team handles wall and trim repair as fixed-price work. Book a free 60-minute consultation.