Spent 4 hours trying to fix a squeaky door hinge that just needed WD-40

I was determined to adjust the strike plate on my bedroom door because it squeaked every time I opened it, so I grabbed a screwdriver and spent an afternoon filing down the hole. After three attempts with different tools and a lot of cussing, I realized I never actually lubed the hinge itself. Anyone else ever overthink a simple fix and make it way harder than it should be?

2 comments

2 Comments

wade_young863d ago

Respectfully, I see it a bit different. 4 hours on a squeaky door is a lot, but sometimes the strike plate does need adjusting if the door is rubbing. Filing it down might actually fix a real problem with the latch not catching right. WD-40 on the hinge is the quick fix, but if the door is out of alignment you just mask the real issue. I had a door that squeaked for years until I finally realized the hinges were loose and the whole frame was shifting. Lube helps in the short term, but taking the time to fix the actual fit feels better in the long run. Sounds like you learned a good lesson either way, and next time you will know to grab the WD first.

palmer.ryan2d ago

Gotta push back on that a little. If the door is actually misaligned and the latch is grinding against the strike plate, a little WD-40 is just gonna make it a quiet grind. It's like putting a bandaid on a broken leg, you still gotta fix the bone eventually, and four hours of filing might save you from dealing with a door that suddenly won't close next winter when the wood swells.