Although many would consider it to be a major problem,
it isn’t! In fact, it’s a minor house problem that
even you yourself can fix, and here’s how to.
Stop, Look And Listen
First, you should know where that squeaking sound is
coming from. You can do this by stopping, looking and
listening carefully. You should perform the "swing
test" first before you go off buying a whole new door.
Start off by making sure that your surroundings is
quiet. Then, you should stand on the side of the door
in which you remember that the squeak was loudest.
When you’re in position already, swing the door in a
gentle manner, covering its complete arc. Do this
action repeatedly and try to vary the speed while
doing so.
While swinging the door, you should take note of some
factors. Try to note exactly where the squeak comes
from. Then try to note when it is loudest. See whether
it is loudest when you swing the door fast or slow.
Then lastly, find out why exactly the squeak is
happening. Finding out why is a very crucial factor,
since this dictates what remedy you should use.
Two General Remedies
Once you’ve determined where the squeaks are, you can
do two general remedies. First, tighten all the screws
in the hinges. Then, get a flat-headed screwdriver.
Carefully tap its blade in between the hinge body and
the hinge-pin head to separate them.
After doing this, get a 3-in-1 sewing machine oil and
squeeze in a few drops of it into the small space
between the pin-head and the hinge body. If you don’t
have sewing-machine oil, you can also use a WD-40, and
spray some into the same space.
By applying some lubricant in the space, you enable
the lubricant to seep in into the remaining length of
the pin, which is inside the hinge body. Thus, you
give the best lubrication coverage that you can give
for the hinge.
Doing this would generally resolve your squeaking
problems-if you were accurate on determining the
source, that is. However, if you pinpointed the wrong
source, then most probably your squeak would still be
there.
All Hope Is Not Lost
If you pinpointed the wrong source of the squeak,
don’t worry then! By this point in time, you have
determined that the hinges are not the problem. Then,
most probably it’s a wood on wood kind of squeak
problem.
To solve this kind of squeak, you would have to do the
squeak test again. After which, you have to release
the bind, since the problem may be the hinge binding
on the wood. While performing the swing test, heed on
how the door’s hinge-side settles into the door-jamb.
Also, take note of how it makes a final contact with
your door-stop.
This is when stop, look and listen wouldn’t be enough,
since you would have to make use of touch. If you feel
that it has springy feel, when the door is
approximately in the closed position, odds are very
good that it is hinge-bound. This can be the cause of
the squeak since the door is forced to rub with the
jamb material. To repair this kind of problem, you
need to remove your door by removing the screws on the
hinges’ jamb side and leaving the hinges intact with
the door itself. Then, you need to chisel out some
hinge recesses towards the direction of the hinge
barrel. Then, reinstall the door and perform the swing
test again.
If this doesn’t solve your problem, try chiseling out
more recess. It can be a trial and error process.
However, it can be fixed.
Dan and Deanna "Marketing Unscrambled"
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