The key to opening a door quietly is taking your time getting into position and “sizing up” the door, then opening it with a single quick motion.
Don’t release the latch after this test—keep your hand steady and move right on to completely unlatching the door.
Your best option with a squeaky latch is to get the process over with quickly—and the same is true for opening the door!
Don’t lift or push forcefully, though, or you may press the door against the frame and cause a scraping sound when you open it.
For a door that opens away from you, take a short step forward as you push the door open. For a door that opens towards you, take a short step back and to the side so you can pull the door open without hitting your body. Move fast, but stay under control! Use a smooth, steady motion, not a jerking motion.
Maintain a firm grip on the door handle or knob. Don’t let the latching mechanism move and make any noise that might ruin your quiet door opening!
Close the door smoothly and slowly for the last few inches/centimeters, continuing to keep the latch disengaged. Slowly engage the latch (by releasing the button on the handle or twisting the knob) once the door is fully closed.
Putting both hands on the handle gives you better control. If the handle is too small for both your hands, wrap one hand over the other so you still get 2-handed control.
If the door is sliding smoothly and quietly, move immediately to opening the door up without pausing. Don’t worry about lifting up on the handle—this is only needed if the door is catching along the bottom track.
Don’t plan on lifting the handle any more than about 1 cm (0. 39 in), and probably less.
Don’t inch the door open slowly or fling it open quickly. Maintain full control throughout. Speed up only if the door is still squeaking.
The average person can comfortably slip through a standard-size sliding patio door that’s only open halfway.
To complete the task, slow down the momentum of the sliding door with your hands and gently nestle it back into its fully closed position.
Instead of spraying the lubricant directly on the door materials, you can also spray it onto a clean cloth and wipe it onto the metal components. If the door still makes noise when you open or close it, move on to other possible solutions.
The screws in the top hinge tend to loosen up over time. To get them extra tight, lift up on the door handle or knob while you tighten them. You may need a friend to help you do this. If you need to replace any of the screws that go into the door jamb, try using 3 in (7. 6 cm) screws that will dig deep into the framing material.
Top hinges take a lot more punishment than bottom hinges, and often get bent out of shape in the process. Swapping hinge locations may solve your noisy door problem. If the top hinge is noticeably bent out of shape, take it to a hardware store and find a matching replacement. In fact, at this point, you may want to replace all the door hinges.
Remove the screws and pull out all components of the current latching mechanism. Bring these with you to a home improvement store so you can get a new set that will fit your door. Follow the installation instructions that come with the new latch set. If you’re not confident in your DIY abilities, consider hiring a pro.
