Why Hold Open Is an Essential Feature
In commercial settings, it supports smooth foot traffic, loading access, or ventilation. In residential use, it’s ideal for when you need the door to stay open for pets, kids, or guests.
For fire-rated or self-closing doors, combining hold open with controlled closure gives you the best of both worlds—flexibility when needed, and automatic security when not.
How Do Hold Open Hinges Work?
Hold open door hardware uses mechanical positioning or spring-loaded tension to keep the door open beyond a specific angle—typically 85 to 90 degrees. Some models, like ours, feature adjustable stops, making it easy to customize how far the door opens before it holds position.
How to Adjust Door Hinges to Keep the Door Open?
In a hinge set, Waterson also included 3mm and 5mm hex wrenches with other components. For doors that don’t stay open, these are four steps that you can adjust accordingly:
- Open the Door: Open the door to about 90 degrees to access the hinge.
- Check Tension: Identify the tension on the hinges by gently moving the door and observing any play or looseness.
- Adjust Tension: Use a 5mm hex wrench to tighten the tension on the hinges. Start with the top hinge and increase the tension by one increment at a time.
- Continue Adjusting: Move down to the next hinge and repeat the process, tightening the tension incrementally from top to bottom.
- Test the Door Stop: Close and open the door to ensure the door stop is working correctly.
- Final Adjustments: If necessary, make further adjustments to the tension until the door stop functions as desired.
Is this hard to visualize? Watch this Hold Open Door Hinges Adjustment for more insights now!
How to Stop a Door Opening Past 90 Degrees
To limit a door from swinging past 90 degrees, you can use a door stop, install a hinge restrictor, or adjust hinge placement. While bending the hinge pin may offer a short-term fix, it's not recommended for long-term use. If the door swings open on its own, check the striker plate or hinge alignment to restore proper balance.
Waterson offers a practical built-in door stop solution for select models. WP01 limits the swing to 90°, while WP02 allows up to 120°.
Request a quote and let us know your project needs.
Waterson Heavy Duty Hold Open Door Hinges for all Usages
Waterson hold-open feature designed for high-traffic, non-fire-rated commercial doors where traditional closers don’t fit. Built discreetly into the hinge barrel, this hidden function maintains a clean aesthetic while delivering dependable performance.
- Concealed hold-open mechanism activates at 85°–90°, keeping doors firmly open without additional hardware.
- Ideal for doors with limited overhead clearance, such as hospital or ceiling-flush doors.
- All-in-one solution combines closer, spring, and hold-open in a single compact component.
- ADA & ICC A117.1 compliant for adjustable opening force and smooth operation
- Durable stainless-steel construction meets NFPA 80 & UL 3-hour fire rating for added safety.
Waterson Heavy Duty Hold Open Door Hinges Applications
- Hold open bedroom doors
- Hold open front doors
- Hold open garage doors
- Hold open entry doors
- Hold open interior doors
- Hold open exterior doors
- Hold open screen doors
- Hold open hospital doors
- Hold open classroom doors
- Hold open office doors