Home Repair Tips for a Squeaky Door Hinge

A squeaky door hinge can be annoying, but these devices are easy to maintain and usually provide trouble-free service. Hinges open and close doors of all kinds, shapes, and sizes and are used on everything from jewelry boxes to barn doors. Hinges are an assembly of two opposing mounting plates joined together by a single hinge pin.

Hinges are manufactured with joining barrels and holes drilled through them for attaching to the door jamb and the door. The hinge pin fits into the barrels, connecting the two sections together. Once joined together, the hinges have enough space between each barrel to allow the door to open smoothly. Doors of different sizes and shapes need different numbers and sizes of door hinges.

Hinges are the joining units that attach the door to the door jamb. For the door to open and close smoothly, it’s important that the door’s hinges be set squarely into the door jamb.

Next, tackling a squeaky door hinge problem is a matter of cleaning and lubricating the hinge. If you want the hinge to quit squeaking, you should clean it and add a touch of lubricating oil.

Withdrawing the hing pin is easy. Just tap out the pin from below. Use a small hammer and screwdriver to do the job. After a few good taps, the hinge pin should work loose from the hinge’s barrels. Penetrating oil is a good way to loosen a stuck or binding pin, just don’t use too much of it. Because it is partly a solvent, penetrating oils are useful for dissolving rust and grimy buildup.

Once the pin is removed, you should clean it with soap and water. If you learn that the pin is really gummed-up, give it a mild scrubbing with an abrasive cleaning pad. Replace the hinge pin if it shows any damage or signs of wear such as a groove.

Once cleaned, the pin can be lubricated with a light coat of machine oil. Optionally, sewing machine oil will work as well. Hinges are light mechanisms that don’t require a heavy oil or grease meant for automotive use.

A hygienic swab will work well for extracting dirt and grime from inside the hinge’s barrels. There should be enough oil on the hinge pin to do a satisfactory job of lubrication. You don’t need to add any more oil to the hinge after you re-install the door. Use your oil sparingly. There’s no need to over-lubricate the hinges, as they will work just fine with just a small amount of lubricant.

Return the door to its hinges and replace the hinge pins. Then check the mounting screws for tightness. Be careful to tighten the fixing screws, using a properly sized screwdriver. Be careful not to strip the door or door jamb’s fixing holes of their threads. If the screw won’t tighten down, you will have to improvement the door.

Now swing the door open and closed several times to spread the lubricant inside the hinge’s barrel. If properly finished, the door should not make any further squeaking noises and it should open and close smoothly. There you have it.

This is one of the easiest Do-It-Yourself service jobs. Door hinges are simple devices that just need an occasional cleaning and lubrication to provide decades of silent service. There are more articles like this one waiting for you at PracticalRepairs.com

Kyle Issac is a freelance writer with years of home ownership, property management and home repair article writing experience. His articles are featured at PracticalRepairs.com and are focused on how anyone can make their own Practical Home Repairs. Looking for Home Repair Tips? Whatever your home repair problem is your can discover the best home repair tips at http://www.practicalrepairs.com

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