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A slamming door is usually an easy fix. Most of the time the door is hitting a hard stop with nothing to soften it, it’s being pulled shut by a draft, or a closer is set too fast. Work out which one you have, and a quiet door often costs less than $20.
Quick answer To make a door close quietly, put thin felt pads or rubber door silencers on the door stop so the door lands on something soft. If the door swings shut on its own, slow the door closer with its adjustment screw or stop the draft that’s pulling it. Adjust the strike plate if the latch clacks, and grease the hinges if they squeak. These fixes quiet the close, but they don’t stop sound passing through the door.
| The noise | Usual cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Bang when it shuts | Door hits a hard stop | Felt pads or door silencers |
| Slams on its own | Draft or air pressure | Find the draft; door stop or holder |
| Slams on a closer | Closer set too fast | Turn the speed screws |
| Sharp click or clack | Latch hitting the strike plate | Adjust or reposition the strike plate |
| Squeak or creak | Dry or rusty hinges | Grease the hinge pins |
| Rattles when shut | Gap between door and stop | Bend the strike tab; add weatherstripping |
Why Doors Slam: Drafts, Closers, & Latches
Doors slam for a handful of reasons, and the fix depends on which one it is:
- Nothing to cushion the close. A door stop is a strip of hard wood or metal. With nothing between it and the door, every close is a bang.
- Air pressure. An open window, a bathroom fan, or the HVAC return can pull a door shut hard. If a door only slams on windy days or when the system kicks on, this is why.
- A fast closer. Apartment entry doors and commercial doors often have closers. When the speed is set high, or the closer is worn, the door crashes into the frame.
- The latch. Even a gently closed door can clack if the latch hits the edge of the strike plate before it drops in.
- A door that’s out of square. Sagging hinges or a door that swings on its own because the frame isn’t plumb will close harder than it should.
How to Make a Door Close Quietly: Felt Pads, Bumpers, & Door Silencers
The quickest fix for most interior doors is giving the door something soft to land on.
- Felt pads. Stick small, thin felt pads on the door stop, one near the top, one near the bottom, and one by the latch. Use the thinnest pads you can find. Thick ones can stop the latch from catching, so you have to push the door shut.
- Door silencers. These are small rubber bumpers that press into holes drilled in the door stop. Metal frames in apartments and offices usually have the holes already. They last longer than felt and are the standard fix on commercial doors.
- Adhesive rubber bumpers. Clear or gray bumpers work like felt but hold up better on a door that gets heavy use.
- Weatherstripping. Thin foam or rubber weatherstripping along the stop cushions the whole edge and also seals the gap, so it helps with sound and drafts too.
Skip the old trick of rubber bands around the knobs. They work for a day or two, then snap.
Adjusting Door Closers & Adding Soft-Close Hinges
If your door has an arm closer at the top, it almost always has adjustment screws on the closer body, usually one for the main swing and one for the last few inches, called the latch speed. Turning a screw clockwise usually slows the door. Make small turns of about an eighth at a time and test between each. Turning too far can push the valve out and leak the fluid, which ruins the closer. If it leaks oil or won’t hold a setting, replace it.
On a storm or screen door, the tube-style closer has a screw at the end for the same purpose. For interior doors with no closer, soft-close door dampers mount on the frame or hinge and catch the door for the last few inches. If you rent, ask your landlord or building manager first, especially on a fire-rated entry door, where the closer has to latch the door every time.
Stopping Drafts That Slam Doors Shut
When the air does the slamming, padding helps, but fixing the draft is better. Close the window that’s pulling the door, or use a door holder or wedge on breezy days. If a bedroom door slams every time the heat or AC turns on, the room may not have an easy path for air to get back to the return. Leaving a little more gap under the door, or having an HVAC pro add a transfer grille, solves it. Note that a bigger gap under the door lets more sound through, so pick your trade-off.
Quieting Squeaky Hinges & Rattling Latches
- Squeaky hinges. Pull one hinge pin at a time, wipe it clean, and coat it with white lithium grease or a silicone lubricant before tapping it back in. Light spray lubricants work for a quick fix but wear off faster. On old rusty hinges, replacing them is often easier than cleaning them.
- Loose hinges. Tighten the screws. If they spin, swap one screw per hinge for a longer one that reaches the framing.
- Clacking or rattling latch. Look for scrape marks on the strike plate. Filing the opening slightly or moving the plate fixes a latch that hits the edge. If the door rattles once it’s shut, bend the small tab inside the strike plate toward the stop so the latch holds the door tighter.
Want a Quieter Room, Too? Soundproofing a Door
Everything above makes the close quieter. It doesn’t stop voices or TV from coming through the door, and the door is often the weakest part of a wall. In a field test at a luxury timeshare in Orlando, our sister company Commercial Acoustics measured about 9 dB more sound at the base of the door than at the wall beside it. The same report puts typical doors at:
- Hollow-core door: STC 24 to 32
- Solid-core door: STC 32 to 36
- Acoustic door with seals: STC 40 and up
To soundproof a door, swap a hollow-core door for a solid-core one, seal the sides and top with gaskets, and close the gap at the bottom with a sweep or automatic door bottom. Seal gaps between the frame and the wall with acoustical caulk behind the trim. Our guide to airborne noise explains why gaps matter so much, and the home office and neighbor noise guides cover doors as part of a whole room.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make my door close quietly?
Give it something soft to land on. Thin felt pads or rubber door silencers on the door stop take most of the bang out. If the door swings shut by itself, slow the closer or stop the draft pulling it.
Do felt pads stop doors from slamming?
They soften the impact, so the door thuds instead of bangs. They won’t slow a door that’s being pulled by a closer or a draft. Use thin pads so the latch still catches.
Why does my door slam shut on its own?
Usually air pressure. An open window, an exhaust fan, or the HVAC return can pull the door shut. A door that isn’t hanging plumb can also swing closed on its own.
Does a quiet-closing door block more sound?
Not much. Pads and closer fixes only quiet the close. To block sound through the door, you need a solid-core door, seals around the frame, and a seal at the bottom.
