Doors are there to grant you access to certain areas that have been walled off. These doors are held to their posts through the help of hinges. Hinges not only act as support but also help the door open and close.
This is a simple working principle of any door. However, it can sometimes get complicated when the hinges get bad. Friction in the wrong places and without lubrication can make this once simple process of opening and closing a door become a nightmare.
Squeaky sounds coming from the door when you move can make you uncomfortable and annoy your neighbors. Opening a door in the dead of the night when everywhere is quiet, only for that squeaky noise to go off, disturbing everybody around.
This is a common theme and has led to many unpleasant and even annoying experiences. No matter how slowly you try to open the door, you just can’t shake the sound off.
Instead of trying to manage it, you can fix it to stop the squeaky sounds once and for all. Most people know it can be fixed, but how? One of the most common ways is the use of WD-40; however, this method is not as effective.
WD-40 is a cleaning agent with a bit of lubricant. So it cleans the door hinges, removes grime and dirt, and leaves a small lubricant there. Surprisingly, using WD-40 can also attract dirt and dust to the hinges and start the problem from afresh.
So how do you fix a squeaky door without using WD-40? We’ll find it out here, how to stop a door from squeaking without wd 40.
What Makes Doors to Squeak?
Before you go ahead with its solution, it is good you know what causes the squeaky noises you hear. Knowing the cause helps you determine the most effective solution to apply.
The major areas where squeaky sounds come from are the hinges and parts of the door. The major cause of the squeak from the hinges is dirt, grease, and lack of lubrication. Some other times, the door can make squeaky noises when there’s friction between the door and the ground caused by misalignment. Noises can also come from friction between the door and the post or frame.
Ways to Stop Door Squeak Without Using WD-40
There are several ways to stop the squeaky noises from doors that don’t include using the less effective WD-40 cleaner.
1. Tightening the Door Hinges
Oftentimes the cause of the squeaky sound is loose door hinges. Here the nails or screws holding the hinges have come off a bit or sometimes even completely. Tightening loose door hinges can stop the annoying noises coming from your door.
Materials Needed
- Nails/screws
- Hammer/screwdriver
How to do it?
This method is one of the easier ways to fix door noises but can only be used when you have loose hinges.
- Open the Door to Access the Hinges: You want to get access to the hinges so the first thing you should do is open the door wide so you can see the hinges. The part of the hinges attached to the door and the post should be as close to the same plane as possible.
- Check for Loose Door Hinges: To see if the hinges are loose, check for missing nails. Look at the hinges carefully to see if there are holes on the wood indicating a nail was once there. If you find out that nails that had previously been used are missing, this is a great indication that the hinges are loose. Also, try to pull the hinges outwards; if there’s any space between them and the wood, it shows they are not tight enough.
- Tighten the Hinges: You can make use of nails or screws to tighten loose door hinges. Ideally, you should use the type used previously on the hinges for uniformity, but you can also use any at your disposal. You do not need the biggest nails or screws here so as not to damage the wood. Average-sized nails/screws that’ll hold it firm but not break the wood are recommended. Put new nails or screws where you find they are missing and use a hammer or screwdriver to force them in. For loose hinges, simply hammer in or screw the nails/screws there.
2. Apply a Lubricant
Lubricants reduce friction between two surfaces and can be used on door hinges to stop squeaky sounds. There are several lubricants to use, but we’ll discuss this later. For now, let’s see what you need.
This method is ideal if friction is the cause of the annoying noises. Friction occurs when the area is dry, so lubricating the area will remove the noise.
What is Needed
- Clean rag
- Lubricants of your choice
How to do it?
These are the steps to using lubricants on door hinges:
- Open the door to access the hinges: You need some access to the hinges to work on it. Opening the door wide will give you the access you need.
- Spray the Lubricant on the Hinges: Most lubricants have spray nozzles as spraying is easier and oftentimes more effective since you do not have to touch the hinges with another material. If your lubricant does not come with a spray nozzle, you can pour it into a small spray bottle. Spray the lubricant directly on the hinges and allow it for some minutes. Open and close the door a few times so that it enters all the corners of the hinges.
- Clean off Excess Lubricant: Use your rag to clean off excess lubricants that may be dripping off by this time. You don’t want to have lubricant stains on your floor.
Some Lubricants to Use
As earlier stated, there are several lubricants available. Some are dedicated lubricants for activities like this, while others are regular products you use for other things. Sometimes you do not need fancy products to get rid of that noise from your door.
- Petroleum jelly: The petroleum jelly you rub on your body can be used as a lubricant on door hinges. Take some on a Q-tip or cotton ball and apply generously on the door hinges.
- Bar soap without glycerine: Organic soaps have high-fat content and can be used as lubricants directly on the door hinge. The presence of palm and coconut in soaps makes it a good choice of lubricant. Rub the soap on the hinges ensuring the corners see a lot of soap.
- Vegetable or olive oil: The vegetable or olive oil you use in cooking can help cure that disturbing noise of your door. Use a rag soaked in the oil to rub the hinges.
- Chapstick: Apply the Chapstick directly on the hinges ensuring you pay extra attention around the hinge pin so you can get enough of it into the corners.
- Hairspray: How about something quite easy? The hairspray can simply be sprayed on the hinges and can work its way into the corners without much work from you. However, this method does not last a long time, and you may have to repeat this frequently to keep the noise away.
3. Remove and Clean the Hinges
Sometimes, it needs a more thorough approach. When dust and rust on the hinges are too much, the best way to tackle it is by removing the hinges and cleaning them. This method will require a lot of effort as you may have to bring the door down, so you should get extra help.
Materials Needed
- Screwdriver
- Dish soap
- Dry rag
- Lubricant
- Bowl
- Warm water
- Toothbrush
How to do it?
Here’s how:
- Unscrew the Hinges and Remove them: Open the door so you can see the hinges and the screws holding them. Use your screwdriver to unscrew all the screws taking precautions, so the door does not fall. Have someone else hold the door while you unscrew it. Remove the hinges, pin, and screws.
- Mix the Warm Water and Dish Soap: Pour the warm water into a bowl and mix the dish soap into it. Warm water is great for removing tough stains.
- Soak the Hinges: Put the hinges and hinge pins into the bowl and allow to soak for some minutes. Soaking the parts in water will allow the soap to reach all the corners of the hinges.
- Scrub with a Toothbrush: Use a toothbrush or steel wool to scrub the hinges and hinge pins. Rub it thoroughly to remove dirt from the surface. Try to reach the edges and corners as these areas see a lot of hidden dirt. Rinse the hinges and hinge pins in clean water and pat with a clean, dry rag.
- Apply Lubricant and Replace: Apply a lubricant on the hinge pins and hinges and replace it on the door and doorpost using the screws and screwdriver. You’ll need a second pair of hands and an alignment tool to place the door properly. Poor alignment is also a major cause of squeaky door sounds, so you should pay attention to this part. Ensure the base of the door is close enough to the ground but not touching even when you open the door all the way. Also, ensure the door laps well but loosely on the frame as a tight door-to-frame lapping can cause friction and squeaky sounds.
Summary
You do not have to use WD-40 to lubricate your door hinges when you want to stop the annoying sounds coming from them. There are several other lubricants to use as well as other methods to stop the noise.
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