Having a garage door can be a lifesaver. It protects your car and your home. That is why you should make sure it always works as it should and maintain it so that it lasts a long time without needing to be replaced. However, despite your best intentions, you may suddenly notice that the noises it makes every time you open it or close it is getting more and more bothersome until they truly sound as if the garage door is about to collapse and fall off its tracks. Taking some simple actions may get this noise fixed and calm your irritation.
Step One: Identify the Source of the Noise
Listen carefully to the noise that your garage door is making. It is important to know what is making the noise since different sounds signal different problems. Here are some examples:
Banging or scraping doors – A sign that doors are unbalanced.
Rattling or vibrating sounds – Mean that you have loose nuts and bolts, poor lubrication, or that the doors were improperly installed.
Squeaking sounds – Reflect a problem with hinges or with a loose roller. They may need lubrication.
Rubbing noises – Mean that your tracks may be bent or that they need adjustment.
Slapping sounds – Signal a loose chain.
Popping sounds – A sign that there is a problem with torsion springs.
If your doors make too much noise simply when you open or close them, you may need to add some insulation or soundproofing.
Step Two: Fix the Noise
Depending on the source of the noise, here are some fixes:
Tighten Nuts and Bolts
Tightening the door’s nuts and bolts can have surprising results in quieting the garage door. Using a wrench and socket, start tightening one by one, taking care not to overtighten them since you can strip the lag screw holes or pull the carriage bolt heads through the door. Before starting, it is important to disconnect the garage door opener to make sure nobody will open it while you are in the middle of tightening something.
Never try to adjust, remove, or repair springs or parts connected to springs. Call a technician to do this.
Lubricate Rollers
If the problem lies with the rollers, lubricating them will help reduce the noise. Get into the habit of maintaining all rollers lubricated with a special garage door lubricant every one or two months. Lubricate the steel roller shaft, the hinges, bearings, and lift cables. You may want to wear gloves before applying the lubricant.
If the noise persists after applying the lubricant, it is time to call a garage door technician to find out where the problem lies. You may have to replace the rollers.
Lubricate Springs and Hinges
Torsion and extension springs are located above the door once it has been closed, while extension springs are by the tracks. Lubricate them as well as the hinges and see if that quiets the noise. If lubrication is not enough, you may need to replace some pieces of your garage door.
Your garage door is essential and is used every day. When it stops working or needs maintenance, you should get same-day garage door repair and fix the issue. Your garage door repairman can easily diagnose the problem with the door or the remote control.
