Q: There are French doors leading to my patio, and one door that we use all the time has started creaking loudly when we open or close it. It started doing this last summer and then it stopped during winter, and now itβs back again. There is a loud squeaking noise even though Iβve oiled the three hinges. Iβve put graphite powder in the hinges, too, and that helped for a little while but now the squeaking is back again. What should I do?
A:Β You can start by taking out the middle hinge pin to see if the squeaking stops; if it doesnβt, put the pin back and try removing each of the other hinge pins one at a time. Once you isolate the problem, you may have to take a problem hinge off and replace it; or maybe youβll have to replace all three hinges. Another possible fix might be spraying silicone on the hinge pins.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert for 25 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program, heard locally from 8-11 a.m. on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson and KGVY-AM (1080) and -FM (100.7) in Green Valley. Call 888-767-4348.
