The hinges need to be cleaned of rust in order to get rid of sqeaking

By Godwin Ayesiga

Whether low or high, squeaking noise every time you open a window or door is downright irritating. Although the monotony of noisy door hinges is torturous, rectifying the problem is unbelievably simple and within a short space of time your door can be operating effectively and silently.

Joseph Musoke, a carpenter at Smart Furniture in Ntinda, says tackling a squeaky window or door hinge problem is a matter of cleaning and lubricating the hinge.

However, some people do not use the right lubricants making the squeaky noise to persist.

There are a number of products like silicon spray, penetrating oil on the market that you can use to eliminate the squeaking noise from the hinges.

Start by identifying the squeaky hinge. Musoke says one then needs to find out the type of the hinge before embarking on cleaning.

Some hinges have removable pins (that joins the two flaps of the hinge) while others do not. If the hinge has a removable pin, rectifying the squeaky noise in much simpler.

Tap out the hinge pin while the door is closed to ensure that the door does not fall off. Most hinges with removable pins are open at the bottom, so you can gently hammer a nail underneath the hinge pin to push it up.

Stubborn pins can be removed by using a few drops or spray of household penetrating oil. The oil will loosen the rust and any other substance that are binding the pin in the hinge.

You then place the hinge pin loosely on the top of the hinge, and sprinkle silicon spray or penetrating oil on the pin so that the lubricant drips into the hinge. Penetrating oils are part solvents, which work on rust and dirt.

Make sure your floor is covered to avoid staining it. Then tap the hinge pin partially in to engage the hinge, and again sprinkle a little lubricant on it.

Finish the job by tapping the pin into its usual position using a small hammer. Test for squeaking noise by opening and closing the door several times. If there is still some squeaking, you can apply more lubricant to the ridge where the hinge sides rub together.

Another simple way is to take the hinge pin out, and give it a thorough rub with wire wool or steel wool. This will remove any dirt or rust which might be causing the squeaking.

Then rub it with a bar of soap, plumber’s grease or vaseline. Replace the pin into the hinge and open and close the door a couple of times to allow for the soap, vaseline or plumber’s grease to spread through the mechanism.

When properly lubricated, the door should open and close smoothly without making any noise.