Noisy Garage Door? Here’s How to fix that.
A noisy garage door can be quite a pain, especially if your garage is
attached to the house and you have bedrooms located right above it or next
to it. Whenever the garage door opens or closes, it causes vibrations which
in turn result in the loud distracting noises. To reduce the noises, you
simply have to reduce the vibrations. With just a little maintenance, you
will not have to replace the opener or the entire garage system.
Often the noises from garage doors are usually caused by some loose
hardware, lack of lubrication or worn out rollers, all of which are easy to
deal with.
Tighten the nuts and bolts
The nuts and bolts on your garage door and track loosen with time,
especially if the door is opened and closed multiple times in a day. Most
times, noisy garage doors can be fixed with some tightening. Use a wrench
to tighten any loose nuts and bolts until they are snug. You must, however,
be careful not to overtighten as this may cause damage to the entire
system.
Check your garage door’s balance
An unbalanced garage door may also be a cause for all the noise. If not
taken care of, it may stop functioning entirely. Checking your door’s
balance should be part of the routine maintenance checks (at least once a
month).
To check for balance,
Close the garage door
Pull the emergency release cord to allow for manual operation
Try and lift the door about halfway and then release it. A properly
balanced door should remain open.
Replace the rollers
Worn out metal rollers will often be noisy as the garage door opens and
closes. If your rollers are worn, you should consider replacing them. Nylon
rollers or steel rollers covered in rigid nylon are much quieter and do not
require the frequent lubrication. Although the nylon rollers are a bit more
expensive than the steel ones, the extra money is totally worth it.
Caution: Replacing garage door rollers should only be done by garage door repair
professionals. Do NOT attempt to replace them yourself.
Lubricate all moving parts of the garage door
The moving parts in a garage door need to be properly maintained. This
should also be part of the routine maintenance check. Spray the top of the
springs, the inside of each track and the metal rollers with garage door
lube. Do not forget the hinges and chain if your garage door uses the chain
drive. Lubricating your garage door should be done at least twice a year.
You should also use spray lube rather than oil and grease which collects
dirt and grime and may end up clogging the tracks.
Check the hinges
Just like the rollers, worn out hinges can cause your garage door to be
noisy as it opens and closes. Lubricate the hinges often. However, if you
notice they are broken or cracked, you will have to replace them. Again,
this is a job for professionals only.
If you have done all of the above and your garage door is still noisy,
something else could be the problem. Contact a certified garage door
company to take a look at the door.