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I have a stainless steel counter-depth refrigerator door (LG LFXC24726S). The right wall sticks out a bit further than the frame, and if the right door swings too far, it hits the wall and will eventually chip itself, and/or scratch the door - two outcomes I want to avoid.

Per the photos, I have placed three small clear rubber bumps between the door and the wall, but

  1. they look ugly
  2. they keep shifting, so I'd have to glue them in place

I need to find a solution that is not visually intrusive, but creates a good barrier. One solution I considered was somehow adjusting the door's swing radius to prevent it from reaching the wall, but I don't believe that can be done with this model (perhaps I am wrong).

Alternately, I need some form of bumper, but I don't quite know what to search on/for. I'd prefer something clear that won't scratch the door. I suspect some sort of 4-5 inch long clear rubber corner wrap would work, but I wouldn't even know what to call it to identify it, let alone know where to obtain one (ostensibly, "the internet" once I know what to search for).

Ultimately, aside from the non-starter suggestion of removing this piece of wall, how should I prevent the door from hitting the corner?

Bumpers Detail. Click for full size image

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Open Door Detail. Click for full size image

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  • Get a big tough bumper and screw it on right at the top. No one will see it there. There are different shapes and colours, you can surely find one you like.
    – RedSonja
    Commented May 22, 2015 at 6:12
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    the corner thing you're looking for is probably called a corner guard
    – DrewJordan
    Commented May 22, 2015 at 12:45
  • Old post, but looks like it could be avoided by pulling the fridge out another inch (larger bumpers behind the fridge, to maintain that distance). Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 17:10
  • @Crossfit_and_Beer - the fridge doors and the fridge itself would protrude too far into the area; there is an island (not shown) in front of it.
    – JoshDM
    Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 21:39

7 Answers 7

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Whirlpool French door started hitting the new Silestone countertop a few months after the remodel. Dont think the part failed—probably it is due to our 100 year old house tilting. I have just installed high gauss magnets in the upper door hinge and they work perfectly.

enter image description here

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Most refrigerators have options to swap the side that the refrigerator door is hinged from. If this is an available option on your unit you may want to consider swapping the hinge side so that the door swings open the opposite way.

It is hard to tell from your picture if the unit you have offers this option. If yours is a refrigerator that has split opposing doors down the front then this may not be an option for you.

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    It is a French door fridge so this is not an option.
    – JoshDM
    Commented May 22, 2015 at 11:05
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The terms / phrase you want to use with your local home improvement store are "outside corner moulding". I've seen a very broad selection of this at Lowes and Home Depot in my area, so there's bound to be something there that you'd find acceptable. If not, you may be able to find a lexan or polycarbonate outside corner moulding on the internet. Were this my house, I would try to find a 1/2" or 1" moulding that was either clear or a color matching the wall and affix it using epoxy on the inside of the moulding. Clear silicone should do the trick for the clear moulding, any color for a moulding color matching the wall.

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  • They only sell them in 8-foot increments, so I bought one (for around $2.00) and tested it. Seems to not scratch the door, but it might be an eyesore, so we'll see if I use a lot of it (for consistency) or a little of it. I will apply it with clear silicone after the kitchen is painted (late June, early July), and update my answer then with the results.
    – JoshDM
    Commented Jun 4, 2015 at 16:33
  • It turned out that this didn't look good at all, but it is a good alternate.
    – JoshDM
    Commented Nov 16, 2015 at 15:08
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Below is a picture of the left door of my LG french door fridge. The right door looks the same. That clear soft plastic thingie, screwed into the base of the cabinet above the fridge, is one of four stoppers that came in a package that I bought at Home Depot. It uses the the grey plastic door hinge, itself, to stop the door from going to far. I installed them above both doors as my fridge sits on a 45 degree angle in the corner of my kitchen, between two granite counter tops. Without the stoppers, the fridge would develop dents whenever the doors hit the granite. Works like a charm and, equally good, you can't see them unless you know they're there and know where to look.

left door of my lg fridge

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  • This is an interesting solution, but I'm not sure my cabinets are close enough to the fridge top to attempt this.
    – JoshDM
    Commented Sep 29, 2016 at 16:47
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Pull the fridge forward a little so the door misses the wall. One or two inches should do it. A little testing will tell you how far you need to pull it out.

Also, move it to the left a little if you have room. While many new refrigerators only need a little clear space at the top (1/2" or 1") to vent exhaust air - some need an inch or so on the sides as well. It will perform better when given the proper ventilation space.

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  • The fridge doors and the fridge itself would protrude too far into the area if I did that. There is an island (not shown) in front of it.
    – JoshDM
    Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 21:41
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Cut out wall as shown and replaster:

wall cutout

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  • I already compensated for your answer in the context of my question (last section) prior to you posting this answer.
    – JoshDM
    Commented May 22, 2015 at 21:42
  • Yes you did qualify this approach as non-starter, but I always view it as more polite to avoid responding like this. Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 17:13
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After testing it, I decided that an entire strip of corner molding (or even a section of it) simply looked lousy for this kitchen. After repainting the walls, I found the spot where the door came closest to hitting the edge of the wall. I removed the weak adhesive from a clear, circular vinyl bumper (Everclear brand), and using clear silicone, I glued it into place. The appearance is non-intrusive and it has worked great for months. If it comes off, I have more clear silicone and backup bumpers.

Click below for close-ups.

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