How to Sand Away a Door Squeak

Fight the friction with a homemade sanding tool and these simple instructions.

Filed under: How To, Doors, Repair

A door made of composite material can't be sanded, so if it's squeaking, the only way to eliminate the friction is by sanding the areas of the doorjamb where the door rubs. To do it, you need to make a sanding tool that uses open-coat sandpaper, which doesn't clog as easily as standard sandpaper. Here's how to silence the squeak:

Materials and Tools:

scissors
open-coat 100-grit sandpaper with adhesive backing
narrow strip of molding (of a size that will fit in the area that needs sanding)

Steps:

1. Cut sandpaper to size, peel off the backing and affix to the strip of molding.

2. Sand the area of the doorjamb where the door is rubbing and causing the squeak. Stop often and check as you go to see if the squeaking has stopped.