How to fix a creaky door

A bit of oil or tightening your hinge screws will normally do the trick.

Table of Contents Show

The cause: squeaking door hinges
What sort of oil, and how to apply it
Aligning door frames
7 Steps to Fixing a Squeaky Door

Is there a more heinous assault to the ears than a squeaking door? It’s one of those niggling issues around the home that people often complain about, and rarely fix.

Nobody's ever died from a squeaky door, but when fixing it's such an easy thing to do, why wouldn't you? If your door is squeaking, creaking, or emitting some other miscellaneous sound, chances are you'll be able to fix it yourself in a matter of seconds.

The cause: squeaking door hinges

Door hinges are prone to squeaking if the pin in the hinge bends out of shape, or if the screws in the hinge are not sufficiently tight. Ensuring against the latter is as simple as checking the screws with a screwdriver to see if they have come loose, and tightening them accordingly.

Tightening the screws will often fix the problem. If it doesn't though, a drop of the right kind of oil may well do the trick. Applying any type of oil or lubricant to the hinges will reduce friction and should result in a quieter sound, or may even eliminate the squeak completely regardless of what's causing it.

What sort of oil, and how to apply it

There are many types of oils and lubricants to choose from in the fight against squeaking. While penetrating oils such as WD-40 and other general purpose machine oils have a reputation as the most potent antidote to the problem, there are many competent alternatives which can be reliably used to good effect. Even cooking oils will do the job satisfactorily; door hinges don't require any parrticularly fine grade of oil.

Lubricants should be sprayed, dropped or rubbed carefully directly on to the hinge - just put a few drops on and move the door back and forth several times to work the oil into the hinge.

If you've put sufficient oil on and the problem persists, the hinge pin may need to be removed and sprayed individually before it's reinserted into the door - not all hinges will allow you to do this, of course, and in order to remove the pin you'll probably have to unscrew the door from its hinges (this is normally a two-person job).

Aligning door frames

While lubrication will almost certainly stop the squeaking in the short-term, the problem's likely to come back if the door isn't perfectly aligned within its frame. The consequence of an imperfectly aligned door and frame will be an imperfect distribution of weight, which puts stress on the door's hinges. Having the bottom hinge out of position means the upper hinge will be forced to bear most of the load.

This sort of imbalance may only be possible to correct by detaching the door from the frame, then re-aligning it to make the hinges parallel. If you suspect your door's not correctly aligned, it may be a good idea to get a builder to come and re-set it for you.

Difficulty

Flex your DIY muscles.

Time to complete

TOOLS

Wrench
Steel wool
Screwdriver
Hammer

SUPPLIES

Olive oil
Petroleum jelly
Store-bought silicone spray
Household cleaner

When it comes to the plethora of home projects you probably have on your plate, a squeaky door can seem like small potatoes. However, over time, this noise is enough to drive you batty. On the bright side, there are many simple tricks for fixing squeaky hinges and doors, and often, you can use items that you already have at home.

7 Steps to Fixing a Squeaky Door

When attempting to solve the squeaky door conundrum, there are several things you can try. Read on to see a few methods to fix a squeaky door before going out to the store and buying your supplies.

Photo: Iriana Shiyan / Adobe Stock

Making sure the hinges are secure and tightened is important to keep the door secure—and, in turn, potentially eliminating that infuriating squeak. To do this, tighten the screws on each hinge, using a wrench if you need to.
You can also tighten the hinges with a screwdriver, depending on the type. Turn the screwdriver until the screw feels secure against the hinge, and then try opening and closing it again to see if that banishes the squeaking sound.
A squeaky door is often the result of the friction of metal on metal in your door hinges. Friction within the hinges tends to occur when there is an accumulation of dirt, dust, or debris or simply a lack of lubrication between the hinge surface and the hinge pin.
Silicone spray can be an instant fix for a squeaky door, and as a bonus, it is safe to use on a variety of surfaces. You’ll find these sprays in virtually every hardware store.
To implement this fix, simply remove the door’s hinge pin by using a hammer to tap the pin upwards until the pin’s head is lodged upward. Next, apply the silicone spray on the hinge, and give the hinge pin a spray before putting it back using the hammer.
Bar soaps often are full of fats and oils that work as fantastic lubrication for squeaky hinges. Plus, this method is an affordable fix that you likely already have in your bathroom. Rub your bar soap fully into the hinges until well-lubricated. When you rub the soap in, open and close the door to more thoroughly work the soap into the hinges.
Note: Avoid soaps containing glycerin since these can attract moisture to the hinge, potentially causing rust.
Due to its oily properties, petroleum jelly can act as a lubricant to fix squeaky doors. Plus, it clings and secures itself well to the hinge, so there’s usually not a residual mess.
Rub the outside of the hinge with a small amount of petroleum jelly. Or, if that doesn’t work, you can try a more in-depth job. First, remove the hinge pin. Place an object like a book underneath it to keep the door in place, and then tap out the hinge using a hammer and a chisel or similar tool. Tap upwards until it loosens. Then, coat the hinge pin with the jelly before placing it back in the hinge.
Another common kitchen ingredient, olive oil, is a great hack for fixing your squeaking hinges. You can use a pipette to make the job easier and avoid having a big mess to clean up. Better yet, if your oil is already in a spray can, you can also use that to make things even easier.
Simply apply a few drops of olive oil to the hinges, and you should lubricate the squeaks away.
If your door continues squeaking even after you’ve tried the tactics above, your hinge pins may be too gunked up to work properly. Sometimes, lubricant cannot save the hinge pins from excess rust and dust.
In this case, lubrication alone won't solve the issue; you’ll first have to clean the hinge pins. For this, all you need is a household cleaner and steel wool.
Remove the hinge pins and use a steel wool pad and cleaner to scrub them clean. Afterward, lubricate the hinges with one of your household or store-bought remedies. Finally, place the hinges back in the door and use a hammer to tap them back into place.
If nothing works and your door continues to squeak, it’s time to call in the big guns. Purchasing new hinges can improve your door’s functionality and eliminate your frustrations.
Installing new door hinges is a doable DIY job, and you’ll need the following materials:
- Doorstops
- New hinges
- Tape measure
- Screwdriver/drill
It can be helpful, especially if you’re doing this as a one-person project, to use doorstops to keep the door steady as you replace your hinges.
First, you’ll need to measure your current hinges to determine what size you’ll need. When the hinge is open, measure with your tape measure from the top to the bottom of the hinge. You’ll also need to pick a finish, which is a personal preference—popular finishes include bronze, nickel, and brass.
Using a screwdriver or drill, unscrew all the screws on one door hinge and screw in the new hinge. To do this without the door coming off of its frame, repeat this process for each hinge one at a time.
If you have any questions or concerns about the installation, you can contact a local door repair company or a local handyperson who can help ensure you’re getting the right hinges and even install them for you. The cost for new hinges is $3 each on average, although luxury models will increase the cost.

If squeaky wooden floorboards and creaky door hinges are preventing you from raiding your refrigerator after midnight in secret, you might already have everything you need in your kitchen to fix that problem.

Applying some sort of lubricating oil on the door hinge usually fixes the door squeak right away. You can use olive oil, butter, paraffin candles, WD-40 spray, petroleum jelly, or simply a bar of bath soap.

While this only applies to wooden floorboards that don't have carpet on top, you can also try fixing the squeak on your floor by dusting cornstarch in-between the floor boards to prevent the friction that causes the creak.

Click on image to enlarge.

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