Door Parts Area

Owning one's own house is great, especially if you are handy, because you never have to look very far to find something else that needs fixing. One common problem that irritates every person in the house until it's fixed is a squeaky door. Because it is not a critical enough problem to call for a serviceman; it's the type of thing you want to be able to fix yourself.

Initially you must determine where the squeak is coming from, given that you need that information before you can fix it. Do not even look at replacing the door itself - do the swing evaluation first. Swing the door back and forth as you listen closely to pinpoint the source. Usually, you can hear the loudest place where the noise is coming from, and by that, figure out what the cause is. If you listen closely, as you are swinging the door at various speeds, you should be able to determine the exact cause of the squeak.

One common cause of door squeaks is the need for lubrication of the hinges. So, tighten up all of the screws, and then get a flat screwdriver to loosen-up the hinge pins, and pour some sewing machine oil, or WD-40 onto the hinge. Let the oil run into the hinge, and move the door back and forth a few times. You will know immediately whether this was the problem. If it still creaks, there is another likely place to look. Occasionally the squeak can be caused by wood rubbing against other wood. Now this may happen if the door is swollen due to high humidity. To prevent this, basically move the door stop so it doesn't impact the door itself. All that you need to accomplish this is a block of wood and a hammer. Simply position the block of wood along side the door stop just where it's squealing and knock it over a bit.

Keep doing this until eventually the door shuts effortlessly. The main problem in doing this, is that you will probably break the paint, and needs to be repainted. Another possible trouble is when the hinge is rubbing against the door jam, which might be caused by the hinges being cut in too deeply, or maybe not cut in deeply enough. You may need to take the hinges off, and cut them in more deeply, or find a shim to put behind the hinge. By means of this trial and error process you will be able to quickly and easily repair any door squeak.

If it is not a simple fix, the whole door might call for replacing. It is really an easy process with pre-hung doors. You just need to make sure your doors match and don't leave out a thorough job of re-painting. Keep in mind, it's always a job well done if you do it yourself.