We Tried Using A Pool Noodle As A Door Bumper And Renters Should Pay Attention
Many don't realize how necessary door bumpers are until it's too late. In the home, we hardly think about these small pieces of hardware until we notice the damage caused by our doors swinging open much too hard. At your local grocery store or hardware store, you can find an array of wall-mounted bumpers, floor-mounted bumpers, spring door stops, and adhesive wall protectors to fix this problem. However, if you have at least one pool noodle on hand, we've found a possible alternative to these products.
The summer staple for the pool can be easily cut with a kitchen knife for use on an eagerly-opening door. Just cut off a short piece of the noodle and open it with a cut lengthwise. The two cuts allow the foam to grasp the edge of your door and prevent it from banging on whatever it's in front of. For less than a dollar in most instances, you can create as many door bumpers as you need to protect your drywall, trim, shelving, or the door itself.
Gathering materials and creating our bumpers
When we first started our test for this hack, it was hard to tell whether we would need a small pool noodle or a larger one to fit the doors in our apartment. To make sure we covered all our bases, we bought one of each from Walmart. The smaller one, called the Big Joe Foam Swimming Pool Noodle, was only $0.98, but the "Super" version, which is ¾ inches larger in diameter, was $3.48.
We brought the two noodles home, found our chef's knife and a large cutting board, and set up shop on our kitchen floor. As mentioned previously, we simply cut off about 3 to 4 inches from one end of each noodle and then cut one edge lengthwise, careful not to slice into the opposing side. Our pool noodles cut like butter with the knife we used. It was so easy, in fact, that you could probably get away with using a box knife or pocket knife instead. When finished cutting, we were left with two small c-shaped pieces of foam that were ready for use.
Our experiment brought some issues to light
Before purchasing our pool noodles for this test, we knew exactly which door we would create our bumper for. In our quaint apartment, originally built in the 1930s, we have a few strange architectural choices, including two wooden shelves directly behind the door to a small walk-in closet. Each time you open the door, it hits said shelves and slowly chips away at the paint. We can't remove the shelves, as they are practically a part of the wall now, so the next best solution was this easy hack.
While separating the cut in the foam pool noodle with our fingers, we easily slipped both bumpers onto the edge of our door. We found that the small and large sizes fit about the same, but the thicker foam offers more protection. We positioned it where the door hit the shelf, and it worked! Quickly though, we realized that the door would not close with the foam on it. Normally we don't close our closet, but this may be a serious disappointment for those looking to create an inexpensive bumper for a door that must shut. It's also not aesthetically pleasing, but if that's your only issue, you could decorate it with fabric, paint it, or bedazzle the foam to your liking.
Our honest opinion on the pool noodle door bumper
In the end, we had mixed feelings about this DIY door bumper. For our specific situation, it worked wonderfully. However, it only performed so well because we constantly keep this door open and it's in an area where guests (and often ourselves) won't see the bright blue foam. If your space has a similar area in need of a door bumper, this hack will work great for you! It's renter-friendly, easy to make, affordable, and takes only a few minutes to set up.
On the other hand, if the door you have in mind must shut or it's located in a frequently-trafficked space, you might consider purchasing a different type of stopper to fix your problematic door. They are certainly more expensive and take some time to install, but the hardware was created for this exact issue. Depending on the style of your door, these professional bumpers will keep it from banging into the wall while also letting you enjoy your door as normal.