How to Fix a Squeaky Door?

It is midnight and you are somewhat hungry. Grabbing something from the refrigerator seems like a harmless idea, right? However, you don’t want to wake your partner and you know it pretty well that the biggest obstacle in your mission is the squeaky door (or even finding the lights in the dark). In fact, a squeaky door is a major irritation that leaves you wondering “how to make a door stop squeaking without calling a repairman?”

Why Do Doors Squeak?

Door squeaking is often caused by the friction that results when wood rubs against the wood. It happens when the door is not perfectly aligned within its frame. The door hinges cause squeaking when the screws in the hinge are loose or if the pin in the hinge is out of shape. If the screws are loose then a simple screwdriver would be enough to fix the problem. However, if that’s not what is causing door squeaking, then keep on reading on how to fix squeaky hinges.

Tips on How to Make a Door Stop Squeaking

As door squeaking is caused by the hinges, here are some ways you can fix squeaky hinges.

Tools You Need

• Hammer
• Nail punch
• Flathead screwdriver
• Paper towels
• Lubricant
• Steel wool
• White grease or Paraffin Wax

Lubricate the Hinge Pin (Without Removing It)

Removing the hinge pin requires some effort, especially if the hinge pin is covered in rust. Therefore, try lubricating the hinge pin first. Although general-purpose machine oils and penetrating oils such as WD-40 are considered the best solution to the squeaky door problem, door hinges don't really require high-performance oil. You can use olive oil or even cooking oil.

Remove The Hinge Pin

Simply place the flathead screwdriver under the lip of the top pinhead and use a hammer to tap it upwards. If that doesn’t work, place the nail on the bottom of door hinge and tap it upward with a hammer. It’ll do the job.

Use Steel Wool

If you notice that the hinge pin is discolored, use steel wool. There is a possibility that rust, dust, or grease is causing the squeaky sound. Therefore, use steel wool to clean the hinge pin properly.

Coat the Hinge Pin in White Grease

Simply using oil to prevent squeaky sound is not a long-term solution. So, once you’ve removed the hinge pin, try coating it in white grease as it prevents the hinge pin from rust in the future and it also helps the oil from drying out. You can also use paraffin wax or even beeswax.

Mission Accomplished

Once you have removed the rust with steel wool and greased the hinge pin, put the pin back in the hinges. These most effective methods are enough to provide a solution to your question of how to fix squeaky hinges.

But What If These Methods Fail?

If all methods fail to deliver the required result, the ultimate solution is aligning door frame.

Lubricating the hinge pin can solve the problem for short-term, but it is likely to come back if the door is not aligned to its frame. As a result of the imperfectly aligned door and frame, the weight distribution is imperfect and it results in putting stress on the hinges (which ultimately causes the irritating squeaky sounds).

You can fix this issue by simply detaching the door from its frame and re-aligning it so that the hinges are parallel. If you feel like this is not something you can do, call a repairman.

We hope that you found a perfect solution to your question of how to make a door stop squeaking. These methods are simple and you’ll be able to fix a squeaky door without sp aending your money on changing the hinges or even calling a repairman.