There are many reasons to want a peaceful home or office. Fortunately, it’s not hard to get rid of pesky sounds like squeaky doors.
The first step is to determine the cause of the noise. You may need to inspect the door and its hinges.
‘’If the squeaking is coming from a hinge, tighten it by turning it in a clockwise direction. If that doesn’t work, you may need to replace the hinge.’’- Soundproofing Guide at Soundproofly.
If the squeaking is coming from a threshold or floorboard, place a piece of felt or carpet underneath it for insulation.
Why Do Doors Squeak?
Doors squeak because the wood swells when it gets wet and shrinks when it dries. Wood has a natural tendency to shrink in dry conditions and expand when wet. The locking mechanism of a door can create a tight seal that resists the expansion of the door in wet conditions, which leads to the squealing noise.
The moisture from rain, snow, or humidity can cause a door to swell and produce an annoying squeaking sound.
How To Stop A Door From Squeaking
We need to first identify the cause of the sound. A squeaky door can be caused by a lack of lubrication, structural issues, lack of a door closer, or misaligned parts.
Learning how to stop a door from squeaking is not as complicated as it seems. You can use one of these methods below to address the issue at hand.
Fix The Wooden Frame
The moisture and temperature changes that affect lumber wood will also affect the size and behavior of our expanded wooden door, but fortunately there are multiple ways that we can combat this. One option is to take proper care of our door by ensuring that it is dry and clean, which will prevent any rot or mold from growing. Another option is to use an air-conditioner to maintain a lower level of humidity in our house, but care should be.
When you notice that the door in your kitchen or entryway is no longer doing its job, it may be tempting to hire professionals to take care of the problem for you. However, this is not always necessary. You can usually resolve this issue yourself by repairing the door frame and re-hanging it. If the wood has grown too fast and pushed out of its frame, it will need to be replaced.
If you notice that your door post has shrunk, it may be because of the doorpost shrinking. This is often due to the frame growing old and more worn down. To measure if your door is out of its original frame or not, simply open the door and try to close it back from outside.
Sand the sealer off your door, starting 10 centimeters from the edge of your door where it meets the door frame. Make sure this width is wider than your door handle and sand until the sealer is removed to allow for a more professional looking finish.
Start by using a pencil to mark the line where the door post hits the door frame. Feel free to mark from top to bottom at different points lengthwise. The reason for this is that wood wrapping isn’t uniform across the length of a board.
You might notice that your pencil either moves closer or farther down the wall as you work. First, unmount the door by placing an 8d nail in between the doorpost. Next, close the door and place the nail vertically, above or below one of the hinges in order to attach it perpendicularly at eye level.
Use a hammer to break out the hinge. If your hinges are screwed on, use a screwdriver to unscrew them first before taking the door off.
It sounds like the size of your doorpost has shrunk, which has caused the door to now be too big for it. To test this out, go outside and close the door. If it is too difficult to close, then you can get a professional at a hardware store to cut pieces of wood and attach them to the doorpost. Remember to unscrew the handle before sawing – straight lines can be drawn by using a ruler/T-square and connecting marks from top to bottom with a pen or pencil.
Place your board tightly against a flat tabletop and do not move it as you saw out the area closer to your connected lines. Once you have sanded down the rest of the board flush along the line, your project will be complete.
Use a paint that is compatible with the type of wood you’re using. You can either go for a different color entirely or just the part that needs touching up. Your door will then fit into place easily.
Lubricate The Hinges
With some doors, the hinge hole is purposely designed to be tight against the hinge pin as a method of preventing unwanted rotation. In either case, it is advised that you lubricate the hinge pin with grease or oil to fix this problem.
You must shut the door and bear that screeching noise one last time. Next, pour a lubricating oil from the top of the hinge, making sure it sinks through the space between the hinge hole and the hinge pin. When done, close and open your door a few times to work in a little more oil before shutting it for good.
Use A Door Closer
If the frequency of usage of your door is high, a door closer may be required. These devices help reduce the noise made by slamming doors shut, and also help reduce any instances of drafts.
Not only will the soft close reduce the likelihood of having to slam your screen door when exiting, it will also maintain the swinging velocity of your door. This means that it is highly recommended to install a door closer when installing a screen door.
