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Short Summary
Main recommendation: Fix a squeaky hinge by checking and straightening the hinge alignment first, rather than relying on lubricant alone, since lubricant wears out and the squeak returns. Tom, the Ask This Old House expert, found that the squeak came from bent hinge barrels on a door with inexpensive, soft-metal hinges, and straightening them stopped the noise.
Key Points
- Lubricant alone was tried and failed: a multi-purpose oil lasted only a couple of weeks, and dry graphite worked better but also wore off after a couple of weeks.
- A squeak can come from misalignment, meaning a hinge is misaligned between the door and jamb or from hinge to hinge, causing the barrels to rub.
- Removing one hinge pin at a time relieves stress on the hinge so you can test which hinge is causing the noise.
- A hinge pin that is not seated all the way down can also be the source of the squeak and should be tapped fully down.
- Cheap hinges use very soft metal, so they bend easily when a pin is driven too hard or the hinge is dropped.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Test lubricants first only as a quick fix: pull the hinge pin up slightly, add a couple of drops of multi-purpose oil to the side of the barrel, let it flow down, then drive the pin back in and work the door back and forth.
- For a longer-lasting lubricant, pull the pin out fully, squeeze dry graphite powder into the hole (you can also puff a little up from the bottom), reinsert and lubricate the pin, drive it down, and move the hinge back and forth to work the graphite in.
- To diagnose, remove one hinge pin at a time. Let the door drop down on the remaining hinges, tap the pin back in loosely, then test the door. If the squeak quiets, the problem is in that hinge; if the pin is not fully seated, tap it all the way down and check again.
- To correct misalignment, remove the pin from the bent hinge and use the pin to tap the barrels over a hair at a time, checking the gap between hinges. Close the door, lift it slightly, reinsert the pin, and test the swing.
- Hinges can be bent by driving the pin too hard with a hammer or by dropping a hinge that is apart, so handle hinges gently during removal and reinstallation.
- The gap between hinge barrels should allow each hinge to move freely without resistance; uneven gaps indicate a bent barrel.
- Inexpensive hinges are made from soft metal, which explains why they bend and squeak; higher-quality hinges are less prone to this.
Bottom Line
A persistent squeak usually means the hinge is misaligned or bent rather than dry, so straightening the barrels and checking the pin seating will fix it more lastingly than repeated lubrication.
