A kick plate is one of those things on a home that you would just never think about unless it was drawn to your attention. You have most likely never seen them in a hardware store, and you may even have to think twice if you have one on any of your doors. But having a kick plate is a nice decorative touch to your home, and it is also a great way to keep your doors looking better for longer.
When you are getting ready to decide how to choose and install a kick plate, the first thing to remember is that this plate is always installed on the side of the door that is pushed. In other words, imagine kicking open a door while you have a handful of groceries. That would be the side of the door where you would want the kick plate.
1. With anything that involves a drill and the destruction of wood, you should remember the old saying, “Measure twice, cut once.” This is particularly important since you will be drilling into a rather large piece of wood (your door), and you don’t want to make a mistake. In fact, it doesn’t hurt to have someone else measure it, too, so you can compare results – just for safety.
2. Then, you should think about the type of material that you would like your kick plates to be made of. The most decorative are usually made of brass, though you can find cheaper ones that you might use on a garage or laundry room door that are simply made of thin aluminum. These are more for keeping your door clean than for decorative purposes.
3. When you are deciding on a size for your kick plate, keep in mind that you will want it narrower than your door by anything from a half inch to one inch on each side. This will help to ensure that you can easily open and close the door without the kick plate getting in the way.
4. The height of a kick plate is up to you, though most of them run anywhere from four to eight inches. Remember that if you have decorative molding or a pattern on your door, you will have to make sure that the kick plate falls well below that mark.
5. In order to install the kick plate, there are several different ways to mount it. You can find kick plates that have a magnetic backing that will stick to certain surfaces, and you can always tape it in place. However, choosing to screw it into your door is the best way to have a kick plate that lasts forever. Just be sure to use screws that are the same color as the kick plate itself.
The entire job of choosing and installing your kick plate shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, but it is definitely worth it to you to measure ahead of time and even drive around your neighborhood to see what other people already have installed. Once you go looking for these, you might be surprised by how many you find!
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