Have you got a noisy door that creaks, squeaks or bangs when you close it? We’ve got some quick and easy steps to take that should make your doors much quieter whenever you open or close them.
Maybe your door just loves to slam when the slightest breeze passes by. We'll also give you some tips on how to stop your door from slamming.
What causes a door to be noisy when you open or close it?
Before we get into how you can make a door quieter when you close it, we need to understand why closing a door can make such a racket in the first place. It all starts with friction.
For example, how close your door is to the door frame can be the source of the squeaking. If a door is fitted too close to the frame, the friction from the wood rubbing against wood will make a noise.
But the main culprit behind that unwanted squeakiness is the hinges that hold the door in place.
Most likely, you’ve got metal hinges that attach the door to the frame. When the metal isn’t lubricated then there’s too much friction between the metal joints and you will most definitely hear that high pitched sound that wakes everybody up in the night.
So, now that we’ve identified why your door is making so much noise, take a look at how to reduce door closing noise.
How to make a squeaky door quieter
If you soundproof a door it will block noise from the next room. If it's the door itself that is making the noise then here are some easy ways to make your door quieter:
- Lubricate Hinges
Hinges are the most common cause of door squeakiness. Fortunately, fixing that little problem is really simple. You can treat the hinges with a lubricant by removing the hinges from the door and then spraying some lubricant onto the joints.
Cooking oil can be used to accomplish this task, but it would be better to buy a lubricant made for door hinges. Upkeep Door Hinge Oil is a good lubricant to use, but you can also find a lubricating oil in your local hardware stores. This is the same approach we recommend for making your garage door quieter.
- Clean your door pins
Door pins are found in the hinges, but they can specifically contribute to noise if they are dirty. When the pins are dirty, they won’t function properly and can be one of the contributors to the noise your door makes when you close or open it.
You’ll want to use steel wool to clean the pins because it’s the best product to use to clean the pins. Put the pins in a sink and use the wool (which should be available at a hardware store) to scrub the pins. If you want to use a cleaning detergent as well, you can do that. After that you can use a lubricant and oil the pins. Once that’s done you can put the pins back where they belong, and your squeaky door should be squeaky no more.
- Use wax on door pins
This step is for if applying oil to the hinges and pin didn’t work. Using wax might seem a bit strange, but it works. You can use paraffin candles to wax the pins, so you don’t have to use anything extravagant. Paraffin candles are quite common so you can find them at a local store or a craft shop. Ensure that are actually made of paraffin wax.
Here are a few other options for lubricating your door hinges:
Here’s a step-by-step guide to waxing your door pins:
- Melt the wax on a stove or in a microwave
On a stove – Heat the wax until it melts completely. Using a gas stove can be unsafe because overheated wax forms vapors which are flammable, so it’s better to use an electric stove. If you don’t have an electric stove, use a microwave.
In a microwave – Melt the wax from 1:30-2 minutes a time to make sure the wax melts evenly. If you want to be extra sure that the wax is melted properly, you can use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the wax (the melting point of paraffin wax is around 140 degrees Celsius/284 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Place the door pins in the melted wax
Once you have the door pins removed, you can apply hot wax onto the pins. Make sure you coat the whole pin and that it’s coated evenly for the most effective results. Wait for the wax to cool before you put the pins back in the hinge. If you put the pins back before the wax is cooled, it can cause the wax to drip. It may take 5-10 minutes for the wax to cool.
- Put the pins back in the hinge
For this step, you’ll need to make sure that the door is no longer squeaking because if it is still making a noise, you’ll need to apply another layer of wax onto the pins. Move the door backwards and forwards to see whether the door is still squeaking.
- Apply wax to the hinge pins again (if step 3 did not work)
Unfortunately, one coat of paraffin wax is not always enough to stop your door from being noisy. You can keep reapplying the wax until the sound is gone. Don’t worry about wiping off the excess wax, because it’s a lot thinner than oil, which is why you don’t have to wipe off any excess wax after each application.
How to stop a door from slamming
A door slamming won't just disturb you but your neighbors will hear it too. Here are some easy ways to stop a door slamming:
- Buy a doorstop
This is really one of the simpler solutions to a slamming door. A doorstop or anti door slamming device will keep your door in place and will stop it from moving. Not sure where to buy a doorstop? You can find one in any homeware store or check out these options.
- Use a door closer
A door closer is really for making sure that a door doesn't stay open. The soft close operation is a great way to stop a door from slamming closed. Check out this one.
- Try using felt pads
Felt pads are generally used to prevent home décor from scratching furniture or a surface. The pads are placed under the décor. Interestingly, these felt pads can be used to stop your door from slamming in the wind.
Placing the felt pads along the edge of the doorframe, at the top and bottom, will give the door enough cushioning, that when it does close, it will do it slowly and not slam. The Felt Furniture Pads X-PROTECTOR 133 PCS Premium Furniture Pads are a best seller on Amazon and the pack gives you various sizes to choose from, so you can decide which sizes you want to use for your doorframe.
This is a great solution to stopping a door from slamming, but if you want your door to stay open even when the wind is pushing it shut, then you should probably try a different solution.
- Check the hinges
We’ve discussed that a door's hinges can be the source of that squeaky noise, but many don’t know that it can be the reason behind a door slamming shut.
If the hinges are worn or weren’t properly installed, then your door might have an imbalance. This might be the most logical cause of the problem if you live in an area where there’s rarely any wind, but your doors still slam on a regular basis.
You can see whether this is the case, by opening your door so that it’s at a 90-degree angle. Place a level against the latch or bolt of the door to see if it does in fact have an imbalance.
If you realize that the hinge is the problem and the hinges are still in tip top shape, you can tighten the screws, and this should sort out the issue. On the other hand, if the hinges are worn, you will need to replace them.
- Use weather stripping
Weather stripping can be your best friend when it comes to keeping your door from slamming. It works similarly to the felt pads but is slightly different.
The weather stripping also provides your door with soft cushioning that will prevent it from making a lot of noise when it closes. This is because weather stripping is a shock absorber, so if your door does slam shut, the foam absorbs the shock and the noise.
Using weather stripping is also a very simple process. All you need to do is cut a piece of weather stripping that’s long enough to fit the full length of your doorframe and then put it in place by pressing it into the doorframe.
Amazon offers you a great choice of different weather stripping options, but this High Density Foam Tape Waterproof Sealing Strip has great reviews and most importantly, is budget friendly.
Conclusion:
We've covered the reasons why a door makes that squeaking sound and what you can do to make your door close quietly. For those of us who hate it when our door slams, we also took a look at what we can do to stop a door slamming.
These are all good ideas but you’ll probably need to use a few of these tips together to reduce the door noise effectively. We have no doubt that you’ll be able to successfully quieten that noisy door of yours.