How to stop a door hinge from squeaking?

16 years ago

Seems like it would be simple enough...but not in my case. Top hinge to bedroom hollow core door squeaks. I've tried different types of lube (WD-40, silicone, penetrating oil that I use on my garage door). These all quiet the squeak down for a few days, but it comes back. I figured maybe it was a slightly bent pin, so I removed the pin, turned it around 90Âº and reinstalled it. This worked for a few days, then the squeak came back. I removed the pin again, turned it around 180Âº and reinstalled it. Again, quiet for a few days and then the squeak returned. Figuring I narrowed it down to the pin, I swapped pins from another door (same style hinge), both doors were quiet...for about a week. Then the squeak came back in the same hinge with a different pin. So what do I have to do to quiet this door down? Do I have to replace the hinge just to make the squeak go away or is there something left that I haven't done yet?

Thanks!!!

Featured Answer

sofaspud

16 years ago

If nothing works, remove the door entirely and put up a curtain. ;-)

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Comments (11)

bobismyuncle
16 years ago
I pull the pin and use Vaseline. You might also lube the points where the knuckles overlap.
brickeyee
16 years ago
WD-40 and silicone spray are not good lubricants for metal on metal contact.

WD-40 is paraffin in a solvent, and silicone spray has no weight bearing lubricant properties.

Graphite or oil are better lubricants.
A thin film of grease (white lithium has little odor) works well.

An oil like 3 in 1 has lower odor than detergent oils for car enines.

Vaseline is not a good metal on metal pressure lubricant either.
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snoonyb
16 years ago
Coat the pin with faucet lub.
macv
16 years ago
Super Lube makes a pencil sized applicator for a high viscosity synthetic oil that contains PTFE (Teflon).

Super Lube also makes PTFE in a spray that dries immediately leaving a dry coating.

Here is a link that might be useful: super lube
joed
16 years ago
Use some real oil. None of thise things you used are oil. They are all oil removers.
macv
16 years ago
If you are only lubricating the pin you need to take the door off its hinges and lubricate the bearing surfaces.

The WD in WD40 stands for Water Displacement which is it's main purpose rather than lubrication.
californiaplaya
Original Author
16 years ago
Wow! When did stopping a squeaking door (hinge) become so complicated that the door needs to be removed? Used to be you just spray a bit of lube on and the squeak goes away...for a long time, not a couple of days as mine seems to do.
So obviously this thread proves there are a lot of ways to stop a squeak. I went with the first one, a little Vaseline. This worked for now. I'll see how long it lasts and if it doesn't I'll go down this this great list we've compiled here. I'll post back how this works out.

Thanks!!!
trancegemini_wa
16 years ago
you could try sewing machine oil, that's what I use for squeaky doors and it has always worked to stop it. it comes with a long thin nozzle so you can get it into the hinges and move the door back and forth to work it in.
energy_rater_la
16 years ago
maybe there is a ghostie in that hinge!
lol!
there are many lubricants.
3 in 1 was always my choice
until I found the white lithium spray.
best of luck with your squeak.
kudzu9
16 years ago
I once had a squeaky hinge that had nothing to do with the mechanism. The door trim was installed tight to the hinge barrel and the door would squeak when it was humid: the trim expanded a hair so that the moving part of the hinge rubbed on the trim. I had to remove the door and the hinge so I could pare away a small bit of the edge of the trim.