Squeaky doors and foggy windows

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Two little household issues I can't seem to solve. Maybe the geniuses at CP can help!

No matter what I try the interior doors in my house seem to squeak. It's only a few years old, and during the builder follow-ups they always 'adjusted' them to stop the squeaking. But it always comes back. Nothing I've tried works for long. Do doors always require periodic maintenance or do I need to do somethign to stop this?

Since installing a new humidifier I seem to get a lot of condensation on the windows. Basically if it's cold outside it doesn't matter how low I set the humidifier it fogs the windows - unless I have the blinds out of the way. Seems to defeat the purpose of having a humidifier if I have it shut off half the winter. Is that just the way it works, or is this a humidifier problem, a funky side effect of my blinds (the honeycomb top-down bottom-up kind), or a sign I have crappy windows or something?

[Shin Pad]

Do you feel any draft by the windows? If you do feel a draft, that might explain the condensation. Usually, you'll get a draft at any operable windows.

As for the doors squeaking - have you tried lubricating the hinges? Graphite works the best - you won't have any squeaky hinges.

[4X4]

Just be careful with the WD-40. Too much, and you've got a few drops on the carpet below that will smell for days. I recommend that you take the WD-40 out to the garage and start spraying, then add a lit flame. A few beers beforehand, and you'll really enjoy this little "home improvement" exercise.

Once the can is empty, clean up any black marks on the garage walls, then bust out the graphite to lube the hinges on the squeaky doors.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by fotze

WD-40 always seems to work on the squeeks for me.

(Emphasis mine)

The problem with using WD-40 is it isn't a permanent lubricant. (Insert Fotze comment here.) It works great for things like rusted bolts because it strips as much away as possible, including any small amount of lubricant thta is remaining.

Once you start using WD-40, you will always have to use it every so often.

You might want to check a hardware store for the old style oil in a tin can.

[Reaper]

For door hinges without corrosion petroleum jelly on the bolt before insertion should help ease the squeaking.

(holy crap, I'm "Innuendo Man" today)

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Thanka for the comments. I've been using jig a loo ...stuff...on the doors. Is that graphite?

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

Two little household issues I can't seem to solve. Maybe the geniuses at CP can help!

No matter what I try the interior doors in my house seem to squeak. It's only a few years old, and during the builder follow-ups they always 'adjusted' them to stop the squeaking. But it always comes back. Nothing I've tried works for long. Do doors always require periodic maintenance or do I need to do somethign to stop this?

Since installing a new humidifier I seem to get a lot of condensation on the windows. Basically if it's cold outside it doesn't matter how low I set the humidifier it fogs the windows - unless I have the blinds out of the way. Seems to defeat the purpose of having a humidifier if I have it shut off half the winter. Is that just the way it works, or is this a humidifier problem, a funky side effect of my blinds (the honeycomb top-down bottom-up kind), or a sign I have crappy windows or something?

Don't know about the squeeky hinges (always thought WD40 works), but for the condensation on the glass, you did mention it was a newer house, and supposedly newer houses ALL have this problem. Apparently new houses still have a lot of moisture in the wood and whatnot, which make up the houses' structure, and so it takes a few years to get the enormous amount of condensation from accumulating every winter. At least that's what Greenpark told us years back. It's better to get your builder to check it out to make sure this is the problem (it's not really a problem though), or it could be something else.