Squeaky doors often appear in old houses or unrenovated apartments. Their sound can annoy or even frighten. We suggest how to deal with it.
Fortunately, the problem of creaking doors can be solved relatively quickly, without spending a lot of money. It is usually enough to apply the appropriate lubricant, which immediately eliminates the persistent sound. What if this is not enough? In this article we also present other ways that you should know.
There are many possible reasons why your door may be making unpleasant sounds. One of the most mundane is exploitation, that is, simply long and intensive use of the equipment, and thus wear and tear of the hinges and loss of lubricant properties. This is perfectly natural, so even if you have decided to buy an expensive and solidly made door, it is unfortunately inevitable that after a few years the hinges will start to creak.
Additionally, you need to keep in mind the issues related to how often you open the door. This definitely has an impact on accelerating wear and tear. On top of everything, there are factors such as moisture, temperature, dust, and dirt. All of the dirt collects in the crevices of the door over the years, often impeding the movement of its hinges. Experts point out that it’s best to regularly check the condition of your hinges. This will prevent excessive creaking and the doors will open smoothly.
How to lubricate the hinges?
In order to lubricate the doors that make our lives miserable, we can choose from many different preparations available on the market. Many choose a special lubricant for hinges, which can be purchased in most construction and renovation stores. However, it can also be successfully replaced by other agents such as silicone oil, technical petroleum jelly or aerosol agents
In case of an emergency, without the possibility to go to the store, what we have in every kitchen will also be suitable for oiling a defective door. Margarine, butter, edible oil, and things like wax or soap will be good temporary solutions
However, keep in mind that food products can go rancid and cause a bad smell throughout the house. Therefore, before applying a professional product, you will need to clean the hinges first and only then apply the grease.
Experts advise that it is best to lubricate the door when the leaf is raised. This will mean that you do not have to hold the door while lubricating it, which is much easier. For this purpose, it is enough to put a slat under the door. You should also be very careful that our doors do not fall off the hinges. This is important because reinstalling them is very difficult and it is possible that we may not be able to do it ourselves. This would only make us add more work to ourselves
While you are oiling the hinges, you should protect the floor so that you don’t stain it. To do this, lay out plastic wrap or old newspapers in your work area. Then apply lubricant to the upper hinge and put a cloth under it, on which the preparation will flow. Remember that the thinner the consistency, the greater the risk of staining
At the end of the job, remove the excess grease and slide the door leaf back into its place. Follow the exact same steps when lubricating the lower hinge. Once you have removed the trim and slid the door back into its place, open and close the door several times to properly distribute the grease throughout the hinge
Main photo: Pavel Czerwinski/unsplash.com
