Wondering why your garage door is so noisy? There’s a good chance that it needs repair or maintenance. For convenience and safety, you depend on your garage door. You want to avoid disturbing your peaceful morning with screeching and grinding noises frequently pointing to a bigger garage door issue. Your garage door will continue to run quietly and smoothly if you invest a few hours in maintenance each year.
Deciding how to fix a loud garage door will be easier if you know what is causing it. This article will outline typical causes of a noisy garage door, how to address them, and how to maintain your garage door to stop loud noises from occurring again.
What are the common causes of noisy garage doors?
While opening and closing the garage door, some noise is normal, but if you hear something strange like rattling, creaking, or scraping, you’ll know what’s wrong. This particular noise can reveal a lot about the root cause of the noises coming from a garage door.
Rattling
The garage door may rumble or vibrate as you open it if you have loose nuts or bolts along the track. Typically, a wrench and socket can fix this. However excessive tightening can also harm your garage door, so consider hiring a professional.
A rattle may also indicate that the doors are not balanced. A poorly installed garage door could rattle after installation.
Grinding
If your garage door grinds when it opens or closes, your rollers are the first place to check. Worn rollers, particularly metal ones, can produce a grinding noise. If you notice any wear or damage, it is best to have them replaced, even though they might need lubrication.
Bent tracks, a misaligned shaft system, or hinge issues can cause grinding sounds. Look for metal filings in these areas to determine where metal scrapes against metal.
Squeaking
You might need to lubricate if your garage door makes a loud squeaking sound. The hinges, rollers, pulleys, bearings, and springs can all make squeaking noises without adequate lubrication. You can locate the noise source by carefully listening, and then lubricating the noisy area.
If this does not stop the squeaking, look for loose components in your ball bearings and rollers. Additionally, you will notice your doors swaying along the track if anything is loose.
Banging
If it bangs when closing or opening, you may have a broken torsion spring or an out-of-balance garage door. A banging or crashing sound could come from the spring, especially when the door hits the floor. If necessary, inspect the springs and lubricate them. Contact a maintenance specialist immediately for a broken spring repair if you notice any broken or loose springs. The springs are extremely dangerous due to their high tension; do not attempt to repair a problem with them alone.
How to fix a noisy garage door: Step-by-Step Process
You can stop garage door noise by making repairs and performing routine maintenance. DIY garage door repairs can be dangerous because they involve heavy, pressurized doors. Although there are some things you can do at home to keep your garage door in good working order, you will need a professional for some repairs.
1. Locate the source of the noise
Finding the source of a noisy garage door can help you figure out which part or area needs repair. There are several ways to locate the noise:
- Observe: Keep a close eye on the door’s components and the garage door opener system. Check for any audible or visible movements and sounds.
- Track the noise: Try to pinpoint where the noise is coming from. Is it coming from the opener motor, springs, rollers, hinges, or some other part? You can concentrate your inspection and problem-solving efforts by limiting the area.
- Examine the rollers: Since they are a common noise source, start by checking them. Keep an eye out for any wear indicators like cracks, flat spots, or loosened bearings. Lubricating the rollers with a silicone-based garage door lubricant may decrease the noise.
- Check the springs: Garage door springs can also cause noise problems. Look for any damage or excessive rust on the springs. Replace them if they seem worn out or start to creak. Hiring a professional is best if you need experience adjusting or replacing garage door springs.
- Examine the hinges: Look closely at the hinges holding the door sections together. Keep an eye out for any wear or damage signs. If necessary, you can lubricate the hinges and tighten any loose ones to see if the noise diminishes.
- Check the opener system: Remember to check the opener system for any worn or loose parts if it appears that the noise is coming from the opener motor or the chain or belt drive system. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, tighten any slack screws or bolts and lubricate the moving parts.
- Test specific parts: You can try manually opening the door to pinpoint the noise’s origin. Turn off the opener, then raise and lower the door by hand. Focus on the door’s tracks, hinges, or springs if the noise disappears. If the noise doesn’t occur when you open the door manually, the garage door opener system might be the cause.
2. Lubricate moving parts: Chains and Bearings
For the following step, you will require a step ladder. Generally, garage doors have springs at the top. The circular bearing plates are positioned on either side of the springs. Lubricating bearing plates and springs will ensure proper operation.
Spray or thoroughly wipe down these components with the grease to lubricate them. You should grease the garage door and then open it. Distribute the grease evenly by doing this. Whenever you notice bent or damaged springs, replace them. Changing garage door springs can be difficult and dangerous, so it is best to hire an expert.
3. Tighten hardware and replace worn-out parts from the garage door
Garage door contains more than a hundred screws, nuts, and bolts. These attachments may become looser with continued use. The door will vibrate and rattle any loose objects when used, which can be annoying. The process of checking and tightening each one takes only a few minutes. Socket sets and wrenches are all you need.
Your garage door should stop rattling after you secure everything. Try the remaining methods to reduce the volume if you hear loud noises.
4. Inspect and adjust door tracks
A garage door has so many moving parts that it’s simple to overlook something. One of the key parts of your noisy door that you shouldn’t overlook is the opener chain. If you plan to perform this repair, you should take your garage door operator manual with you.
Due to a loose opener chain, your garage door might move abruptly and make metallic noises. The opener chain needs to be tightened if your garage door makes such noises.
Instructions for this are given in the owner’s manual of your garage door. Grease the opener track on track drive door openers to ensure smooth operation.
5. Test the door adjustment
After adjusting a noisy garage door, you can run a few tests to ensure the adjustment is correct. Here is a how-to list to assist you:
Observe the smoothness: Take note of how easily the door closes. It should not jerk or shake as it moves. You might still need to adjust if you experience problems, such as sticking or uneven movement.
Listen to noises: Pay attention to noises caused by opening and closing garage doors. Keep an ear out for any strange noises. The door should ideally open and close quietly, without grinding, squeaking, or scraping noises.
Check the balance: Release the emergency release handle, usually a red cord or handle hanging from the open track. After the door has been disconnected, try lifting it halfway manually. If it doesn’t fall or rise further, it should remain where it is. You might need to adjust the spring tension or get help from a professional if the door doesn’t stay balanced.
Test the reversal mechanism: Place a small object, such as a block of wood or a roll of paper towels, on the ground in the path of the closing door to test the reversal mechanism. Use the garage door opener to shut the door. The door ought to recognize the obstruction and change course on its own. If it doesn’t reverse or reverses too slowly, you might need to change the sensitivity settings or seek professional assistance.
Repeat the tests: Continue the tests, and pay close attention to how noiselessly everything operates this time. Open and close the door using the wall-mounted opener button or remote control.
How to identify different sources of noise
You should be able to locate the noise sources before beginning the repair process. Garage doors may make popping, squeaking, grinding, or other strange noises for several reasons:
- Faulty garage door openers: Belt drives, screws, and chains provide the energy and power for garage door openers. In the absence of regular maintenance, any of these devices might produce noise. For instance, the belt would squeal loudly after becoming loose, or the screw drive could scrape when rubbing against the rack.
- Unbalanced doors or broken torsion springs: Broken torsion springs or unbalanced doors may make loud noises. Your torsion spring may have broken if you hear a loud snap.
- Loose parts: When your garage door squeaks, it is likely because of loose bolts, nuts, and metal components.
- Lack of lubrication: If the components of your garage door are not adequately lubricated, you may hear noises like rattling, squeaking, squealing, grinding, or vibrating. Unbalanced doors, improper installation, and loose nuts and bolts can all result in rattling.
Different lubricants to use for a noisy garage door
A garage door’s weight, which can reach several hundred pounds, puts much strain on the mechanisms that raise and lower it. These components need to be lubricated to prevent friction from being created by the high tension, which would otherwise cause problems.
These components may grind against and stick to one another if the lubrication dries up, increasing vibrations. Greasing everything will stop it from rattling and making other loud noises.
Keeping the bearings lubricated frequently will prevent the noise from recurring. Reduced friction also extends the lifespan of your garage door.
Generally, grease the hinges, rollers, and bearings at least once a year. Lubricating the door frame yearly will ensure a smoother sliding garage door.
Make sure to select a metal-safe lubricant, such as 10W-30 motor oil. Additionally, keep an eye out for silicone sprays and white lithium grease. Maintaining small moving parts is easy with an aerosol spray. Apply the lubricant, then use a cloth to remove any extra.
Importance of garage door maintenance
Garage doors must receive routine maintenance because they are intricate mechanical systems with numerous moving and non-moving parts that will eventually wear out or break. You can also contact the garage door expert in the Washington location – AAA Garage Door Services to inspect your garage doors.
For homeowners and businesses, routine garage door maintenance has several advantages. You can also check our garage door maintenance checklist for a fully comprehensive list of all garage door maintenance steps.
- Eliminates significant mechanical problems: Conducting annual inspections is the best way to find minor issues before they become costly headaches. They’ll assist you in lowering your long-term ownership costs and repair expenses.
- Longevity of your door is maximized: A well-maintained garage door can last for at least 15 and possibly 20 years. You can utilize your door to the fullest extent by performing regular maintenance.
- Allows you to access the manufacturer’s warranty: You can find out which parts are covered by this warranty from a knowledgeable garage door company and have them replaced if necessary before the warranty expires.
- Assures Safety: A broken garage door can be hazardous, particularly if it has broken springs or an auto-reverse system that isn’t working properly. Annual safety inspections can help identify and fix potential safety problems before they lead to accidents.
Conclusion
Although a noisy garage door can be inconvenient, it may also indicate a problem with your door. However, you can quickly fix a noisy garage door using the information in our article.
You can resolve the issue independently by inspecting the tracks and rollers and/or tightening the hardware.
After checking these things, if your garage door is still making noise, hire a professional to fix the springs! AAA Garage Door Services offers comprehensive garage door repairs ranging from garage door installation, replacement, and custom garage door services to garage door opener repair.
