Squeaky hinges.
Actually they are talking to you for a reason—-in the only language they know.
Don’t you speak “Hinge?”
There are dozens of these devices in every home, on doors, on windows, on appliances, on cabinets etc, and they all require some amount of maintenance to keep them operating properly and keeping them from squeaking and wearing out.
When hinges squeak what is really happening?
Metal is grinding on metal. When metal grinds on metal little pieces of metal are coming off the hinge and creating additional grit that further grinds away the hinge.
The long and the short of it is that hinges need to be lubricated occasionally. Depending on how much the door is used, the hinges may need to be lubricated more frequently.
One thing that is very common with hinges that have removable pins—-like bedroom doors—-is that when the lubricant goes away, the hinge pin will sometimes work upwards out of the hinge. This leads to acceleration of the wear on the hinge. On this hinge we can see how far the pin has worked its way out of the hinge.
On the inside of the hinge we can see the “wisps” of dust at the seams of the hinge which is very fine metal particles from the deteriorating hinge and/or pin—-a sign that the hinge is under stress from lack of lubrication.
Properly maintained hinges can last pretty much indefinitely—especially solid brass ones—-let them get like this and they will talk to you incessantly—until they wear themselves out.
Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle
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