Creaking door hinge - tips o' the trade?

[skotl]

I fitted six new doors a couple of years ago and one of them has an annoying Hammer House of Horror style creeeeeeek whenever I open or close it.

I've oiled the hinges, with both 3-in-1 and graphite several times and it makes no difference. The hinges have removable pins so, of course, I've removed them, oiled and reinserted.

So I guess the problem is that one of the hinges is off vertical?

If so, what tips o' the trade would you have to get them realigned? I know that trying to nudge them is a fool's errand because the screws will just settle back into the original holes. Do I need to fill one set of holes (door or jamb) and re-drill?

Totally superfluous pictures below, cos I know y'all know what doors and hinges look like.

 

[gaz1]

you have wear on your hinges as they should be inline with each other

and that pic clearly shows that is not true

id fit new hinges

if you had of used 3 hinges not in this case it always remove the middle hinge and see what you get

but if your unsure of wear close your door and try wedging it with a a chisel and watch for play at the pin hinge area

 

[Bsmith]

Fit longer or shorter brass hinges, longer otr shorter so the screw holes are in different places. Change the middle one first making sure the pin is paralell with the door edge, then screwdriver / chisel or wedge under bottom outer end of door and change the top hinge, then bottom hinge.

 

[AKN]

If you need to move an existing hinge, use matchsticks to fill the screw holes then drill small pilot holes for the screws in the new hinge position.

 

[Agroshield]

Can you narrow down the creak to the top or bottom hinge? If so, swap them over. Potentially, swap with another hinge off a different door.

 

[Porkypine]

I'd just shove a bit of oil on 'em

 

[Gareth J]

Maybe change the hinges for better ones. https://www.screwfix.com/c/security-ironmongery/door-hinges/cat840980?hingefeaturetype=ball_bearing

Bearing hinges should be a bit smoother

 

[Smallfry]

Only way you will shift the hinge holes is to fill the existing holes with hardwood "matchsticks" and glue. tapped well in, allowed to dry, the pilot drill with a spring loaded hinge drill thingy.

Check door and frame for straightness. I always use three, four inch hinges on internal doors as a matter of course. That door, because of the glass, will be heavy. You could try ball bearing fire door hinges. They are a bit chunkier

 

[tom2207]

ah ,,, you haven't applied a drop of ACF50 to them yet ,,, thats why they are shouting out , they feel neglected

 

[voipio]

If oil on the hinge moving parts doesn't solve the issue, then the cause must be something else. Judging by the image in the first post, the door, or the frame, seem to have a bit of a bow to them, so there is likely to be a twisting movement of hinge against door, or frame, as the door is opened/closed. The axial alignment of both hinges needs to be improved, so that a common straight line passes through both hinge pins. Holding a bit of sewing thread, pulled taut between the hinges, may help to visualise the direction and amount of misalignment and, from that, the amount of packing/fettling required. A quick and dirty fix might be to rub some candle wax on the wood behind the hinges.

 

[skotl]

If oil on the hinge moving parts doesn't solve the issue, then the cause must be something else. Judging by the image in the first post, the door, or the frame, seem to have a bit of a bow to them, so there is likely to be a twisting movement of hinge against door, or frame, as the door is opened/closed. The axial alignment of both hinges needs to be improved, so that a common straight line passes through both hinge pins. Holding a bit of sewing thread, pulled taut between the hinges, may help to visualise the direction and amount of misalignment and, from that, the amount of packing/fettling required. A quick and dirty fix might be to rub some candle wax on the wood behind the hinges.

Sounds like a plan - I'll give it a go!

 

[Nomad]

Swap the hinges so top hinge is at the bottom - it sometimes works.
Loosen one of the hinges (undo all the screws a half turn) - if the noise goes away that hinge is your problem.
Replace the hinges with better quality (some of the cheap ones work ok, others are just nasty), you can find decent quality cheap if you look around (I was using screwfix "Smith & Locke" sets, they also do sets that include matching locks & handles)
Edit: the door has a lot of glass so will be heavy, the current hinges are as basic as you can get. Remove everything, start again using 3 decent hinges, ball bearing types are worth the little extra..

The problem is normally either alignment or worn / poor quality hinges. Hope you find an easy fix.

 

[Welderpaul]

Nasty hinges those. Use decent quality bearing hinges. Its a start from fresh job, but it will solve the problem.
Some of those screws look like fun to get back out.

 

[skotl]

Nasty hinges those. Use decent quality bearing hinges. Its a start from fresh job, but it will solve the problem.
Some of those screws look like fun to get back out.

Yeah - the screws are oversize because of the original holes being knackered.
I think you're (all) correct - remove the hinges, fill in the holes, fit better ones.


Cheers all!

 

[Gareth J]

An alternative to the matchstick hole filling (but probably overkill) is to use a plug cutter kit. If you've already got one. Used this recently to repair a frame that had been really abused. Can even core over broken off screws.

 

[skotl]

An alternative to the matchstick hole filling (but probably overkill) is to use a plug cutter kit. If you've already got one. Used this recently to repair a frame that had been really abused. Can even core over broken off screws.

I have dowel cutters - do you think they may work?

 

[frank horton]

replace with brass hinges.....

 

[Gareth J]

I have dowel cutters - do you think they may work?

Not sure. I don't have any of those. Prob6no need to do anything more than glue wedges/matches in unless it looks a real mess under the hinges.

 

[skotl]

Righto - ball bearing hinges arriving tomorrow, all existing holes plugged with match sticks and glue!

 

[Agroshield]

...all existing holes plugged with match sticks and glue!

The quick-dry version involves lighting the matches.