Common Causes of Garage Door Noise
If your garage door is making a specific type of noise consistently, it probably requires maintenance or repairs. Grinding and screeching sounds are not only annoying to listen to but indicate an underlying issue that needs to be addressed.
Your garage door will not function smoothly if you don’t take measures to maintain it. The right fixes can help prevent noise and other problems.
It is not advisable to try repairing your garage door yourself because doors are heavy and pressurized. Most repairs need to be carried out by a professional.
This article explains the most common causes of garage door noise, how to get rid of it, and how to prevent noises in the future.
Worn-out or loose parts
If you’re always hearing rattling, the hinges and rollers might have come loose. If they start to shake, they will need replacing or tightening. Indications of deteriorating hinges and rollers are grinding, or high-pitched squeaking sounds.
If the chain is loose, the rollers will push up against the track. You’ll hear a loud slapping noise, and the door will not open smoothly.
Nuts and bolts may be small, but when they come loose, they make quite a noise. The bolts vibrate, and the door rattles when in operation.
Bent tracks
Improper lubrication
Installation problems
- You often hear grinding, squealing, or rattling
- The door does not open and close properly
- The door gets stuck halfway.
Improper balance
When the door springs are unbalanced, they exert too little or too much tension to support the door’s weight. Then, the door itself loses balance and stops raising and lowering properly. The opener then sustains additional strain. This is a dangerous problem because a spring or a cable can snap.
Typical signs of an unbalanced door:
- The door takes very long to open and close.
- It looks uneven when you open or close it.
- The garage door is stuck shut.
- Strange sounds like rattling, banging, scraping, or squeaking.
Soundproofing
Best fixes
Rollers that create a shriek but seem to be working correctly probably need lubrication. An expert technician can recommend the best lubricants during maintenance. Only some lubricants are suitable – some can degrade nylon and plastic rollers, and if you have sealed ball bearings, they might be unnecessary. Metal rollers cost less than nylon rollers, but they are louder. Nylon rollers are also easier to maintain because the material self-glides, doing away with the need for lubricant. Have a professional measure and order the parts needed, as they might not be the standard size.
Most garage doors use torsion and extension springs to make lifting and lowering easier. The header, which is above the closed door, is attached to torsion springs. There are extension springs above the upper track and on both sides of the door. The springs at the top of the door are usually to blame for the noise. They need to be lubricated regularly. Have a technician remove, repair, or adjust the springs and anything else, like steel brackets, wood blocks, bolts, fasteners, or cables. Do not attempt it yourself.
Most garage doors open and close thousands of times a year. Eventually, even durable parts fall victim to amortization. Hinges are no exception to the rule. They last the longest of all parts, but they are not eternal. They can make a terrible noise in the process of deteriorating.
A technician can check if they are broken, worn out, or covered with shavings. Early signs of amortization are particles around the pins. They might be broken if you see an oblong hole where the tubular and bracket hinge pin connect. A professional can check the hinges and repair or replace them.
Most common problems with garage door rollers
As mentioned, a grinding noise when opening or closing the door could be due to damaged rollers. Rollers can also bind up and slide in the track, leading to friction and unpleasant noise. Malfunctioning rollers need either repairing or replacing.
Most common problems with torsion springs
Damaged torsion springs can lead to a popping sound when the door opens. With time, the spring coil locks, hindering smooth operation. Lubricating with motor oil can be an easy fix.
A loose torsion spring can cause the door to fall to the ground when you try to close it. Contact a technician to repair or replace faulty springs, which operate under extreme pressure.
Preventing garage door noise
Adding rubber to some garage door components can soften noise by absorbing vibrations. Your garage door technician can place a rubber pad between the ceiling mount and the garage door opener to prevent rattling. They might replace metal washers with rubber ones if the nuts and bolts clatter upon coming loose.
There should be rubber strips along the bottom of your garage door. These are placed to keep harsh weather and insects out and insulate the garage when the door is closed. Rubber can also keep the door from hitting the concrete by cushioning the bottom.
Rollers must be lubricated regularly, as they are under high tension, which can cause friction. There is a lot of pressure on a garage door’s hardware, which moves it up and down. In the absence of sufficient lubrication, the parts start grinding against each other, causing excess vibrations. To keep the noise from coming back, you need to lubricate regularly. This will prolong your garage door’s life cycle by stopping friction.
Generally, it’s optimal to lubricate the hinges, bearings, and rollers once a year or a bit more often. Lubricating the frame will help it slide easier.
10W-30 motor oil is one type of lubricant that is safe for metal. You can also look for white lithium grease or silicone sprays.
Basic maintenance saves time and money
Proper maintenance is crucial to a garage door’s correct and safe operation. Hire a professional to perform regular repairs and tune-ups a few times a year to keep pesky door noise at bay.
Here in Chicago we use our garages to store the car, tools, bicycles, lawnmowers and just about anything else. Garages can also be a great place to work on personal projects however, they can also be dangerous places to be if your garage door is not secure.
