Haunted houses may be fun to visit…but no one wants to live in one. If spooky issues like flickering lights and creaky doors are making your home feel more creepy than cozy, the good news is that there’s a simple fix to many of these common problems. In this guide, we share how to tackle your scariest home repairs—with a little help from Frost King.
1. Creaky Doors:
Creaky doors can send a shiver down your spine—especially the slow creak of a door in the middle of the night. Luckily, silencing these spooky sounds is a simple fix.
The Fix:
Spray a little WD-40 on the hinges, then open and close the door a few times to work the lubricant into the hinge. If you don’t have a can of WD-40 on hand, a bar of soap or a little cooking oil or petroleum jelly can also do the trick: just rub it into the hinges. If the creak persists, try tightening the screws on the hinges.
2. Spider Infestation
Creepy-crawly spiders love to take up residence indoors, especially once the weather gets colder. Finding a spider in the corner of your bathroom or cobwebs in the kitchen is never fun, but there are simple ways to keep these invaders out.
The Fix:
Add a door sweep to all exterior doors to block gaps where spiders and other insects can enter. Not sure how? This video shows you how it’s done.
Seal cracks and gaps in your windows, walls, and baseboards with weatherseal or caulk. And spiders dislike certain scents, so spraying a mixture of water and essential oils like peppermint or eucalyptus near doors and windows can act as a natural repellent.
3. Drafty Rooms
Drafts and cold spots don’t just make your home sweet home uncomfortable—they can lead to scary heating bills. Here’s how to say boo to drafts.
The Fix:
Start by checking doors and windows for torn or missing weatherstripping and replace with rubber foam weatherseal:
If you have an older home with single pane windows, you may want to install window kits to give windows an extra layer of insulation. And don’t forget to check for air leaks around electrical outlets and light switches—if you feel a chill, add foam outlet and switch sealers to block drafts.
4. Flickering Lights
Flickering lights can give off serious haunted house vibes, but the cause is often a simple electrical issue you can handle yourself.
The Fix:
Intermittent flickering can be caused by something as simple as a loose bulb. Start by tightening the lightbulb, and if that doesn’t solve the flickering, switch out the bulb for a new one. Still flickering? There may be an issue with the light switch or the wiring, in which case it’s best to call an electrician.
5. Running Toilet
A constantly running toilet isn’t just annoying, it can waste a scary amount of water each day.
The Fix:
In most cases, a running toilet is caused by a faulty flapper—the rubber valve that seals the water in the tank. To fix it, open the toilet tank and check if the flapper is sealing properly. If it looks worn out or is not closing completely, you’ll need to replace it with a new flapper which can be found at the hardware store.
6. Squeaky Floors
Squeaky floors are another unsettling noise that can make your home feel haunted—especially at night.
The Fix:
If the squeak is coming from a wooden floor, sprinkle baby powder, baking soda, or powdered graphite between the floorboards where the noise is loudest. This helps to reduce friction between the boards. For carpeted floors, the squeak might be coming from loose subflooring; locate the squeaky spot and drive a trim screw through the carpet and into the subfloor to secure it.
7. Strange Noises from the Walls
Are scratching or scurrying sounds coming from your walls? While these noises may sound like something straight out of a horror movie, they’re probably caused by rodents or other pests.
The Fix:
First, try to identify where pests are entering your home. Look for gaps or holes in the exterior of your house, especially around pipes and vents, and seal them with steel wool or caulk. Set traps or use bait stations to eliminate any rodents that have already made their way inside and if the problem persists, call a professional exterminator.
8. Leaky Faucets
The constant drip of a leaky faucet can give off serious Tell Tale Heart vibes—not to mention that over time, it can drive up your water bill and cause damage to your sink.
The Fix:
Worn-out washer or seals are the most common cause of leaky faucets. To stop the dripping, first turn off the water supply under the sink. Disassemble the faucet handle and replace the rubber washer or O-ring, then reassemble the faucet.
