Foreign noises can be alarming, and normally, the first thing we set out to do is to remove the offending noise or the noisemaker itself. Squeaky doors fit into this category and many of us have a home equipped and at the ready with solutions like WD-40. But is there a positive side to having squeaky doors?

The answer to that question is yes. The familiar squeaks and squeals those hinges make can serve as some of the best alarm systems you’ll come across. Here are some basic examples:

• Knowing if… someone is entering your front door or any main door of your home.
• Knowing exactly… who is sneaking from their room and down to the kitchen in the middle of the night.
• Knowing… the precise time your teenager makes it home from the party.
• Being alerted… when your sleepwalking child begins to move about.
• Hearing someone… enter your dorm room.

If you sleep even a smidgen lighter than King Tut, you can be awakened, even slightly, by the sound of a squeaky door. You may need to train your ears and brain to recognize the sounds at first. All it takes is listening carefully to the various sounds around you (walk around and swing each door) and allowing yourself to become comfortable with those sounds. Even a bit of irritation from each noise, as opposed to agitation, can be enough to trigger alarm bells in your sleepy head in the case of a potential bad event.

Of course, not every door needs to be so loud that it greets the neighbors when opened. Closet, laundry room, pantry and similar doors probably won’t serve much purpose as squeakers.

Don’t want squeaky doors? Check out my post on fixing squeaky doors when there’s no WD-40 handy.