Winter turns the heating on, the house dries out, and suddenly every internal door in the house sounds like a haunted mansion. A squeaky door hinge is one of the most common small jobs I see in Swindon homes, and most of the time it's a quick fix you can do yourself. Here's how to do it properly, and how to tell when the squeak is really a warning.

Why hinges squeak

A standard internal door hangs on two or three butt hinges. Each one has a steel pin running through the knuckle. When the grease on that pin dries out or picks up dust, metal rubs on metal, and you get the squeak. Sometimes the squeak comes from something else: a loose screw letting the hinge rock, or a door that has dropped and is now rubbing on the frame.

So before reaching for anything, open and close the door slowly and listen. Is it one hinge or all of them? Does the door catch on the frame or the floor? If it's rubbing, have a look at my guide to sticking doors first, because grease won't fix a door that's dropped.

What you'll need

  • A flat-head screwdriver or a nail punch
  • A small hammer
  • A cloth and some fine wire wool or an old scouring pad
  • A light grease (white lithium grease works well) or, at a pinch, a little petroleum jelly
  • A wedge or a couple of paperbacks to support the door

Step by step: lift, clean, grease

  1. Close the door and wedge it. Close it and slide a wedge or a book under the bottom so the door's weight isn't hanging on the hinges.
  2. Do one hinge at a time. Never take all the pins out at once, or the door will come away in your hands. Internal doors are heavier than they look.
  3. Tap the pin up. Put the screwdriver tip or nail punch under the head of the pin from below and tap gently upwards with the hammer until you can pull the pin out.
  4. Clean the pin. Wipe off old grease and dirt, and rub any rust off with the wire wool.
  5. Grease it lightly. A thin coat along the pin is plenty. Too much and it drips down the door and picks up fluff.
  6. Tap it back in. Push the pin back through the knuckle and tap it home.
  7. Swing the door. Open and close it a few times to work the grease in, then wipe off anything that's squeezed out.
  8. Repeat for the other hinges.

A spray lubricant can quieten a hinge without taking the pin out, but in my experience a light grease on a clean pin typically lasts much longer. Whatever you use, put a cloth underneath. Carpet and lubricant don't mix.

Check the screws while you're there

With the door wedged, try each hinge screw with a screwdriver. Loose screws let the hinge move, and that movement can squeak and drop the door over time.

  • If a screw just needs tightening, tighten it, but don't overdo it.
  • If it spins and won't bite, the hole is worn. A longer screw of the same gauge that reaches fresh timber often sorts it. For a badly worn hole, glue in a small piece of wooden dowel, let it set, trim it flush and re-drill a pilot hole.

When the hinge needs replacing

Some hinges are past saving. Replace the hinge if:

  • The pin is badly worn or the knuckle is cracked
  • The hinge is bent, so the door won't sit square
  • The squeak comes straight back within days, even after cleaning
  • It's rusted through, which you sometimes see on outbuilding and back doors

Replace like for like where you can, same size and same number of screw holes, so the new hinge sits in the existing recess.

Fire doors are different. If the door is a fire door (common between an integral garage and a house, and in flats), don't swap the hinges for any old pair and never take off or disable the door closer. Fire doors need suitable hinges to do their job. If in doubt, ask before changing anything.

uPVC and composite doors use adjustable hinges, not simple pins. They can often be adjusted rather than replaced. That's a job I do a lot, along with replacing locks and hinges, and I've covered a related front door problem in uPVC door handle gone floppy.

When to call me in

If the door has dropped, the screws won't hold, or you've got a whole house of doors that need sorting, it's worth booking a session and getting the lot done in one go. I work in booked 3-hour sessions in Swindon, and full days cover about 30 minutes around Swindon. Small bits like screws and grease from my van stock aren't charged, and bigger items such as new hinges go on the invoice at cost. I'll do my best to get the list done in the time booked.

For more door fixes, read my blog post on a stiff multipoint lock on a cold morning.

Book a session online or message me on WhatsApp on 07729 689420.