If you have a loud garage door, you shouldn’t have to suffer through the noise. With a little bit of work, you can identify the specific source of the noise and remedy it to return your home to peace and quiet. Don’t assume that this type of project will take hours or needs an engineer’s intellectual prowess. Keep on reading to find out how you can perform a quick diagnosis and repair.
Where to Start
A typical garage door has more than 50 moving parts. You will have to pinpoint the part that is creating the noise in order to eliminate the annoying sound. The garage door noise might be stemming from the door’s springs, bearings, rollers or hinges. Bottom line, garage doors generate some serious vibrations when opening and closing. Sometimes, the door’s parts can’t handle the intensity of the vibrations after extensive use. Fixing the problem might be as simple as tightening the garage door’s screws and bolts as well as those on the opener. Even a slightly loose connection can result in the unit rattling or rumbling when the door is opening or closing.
Grease it Up
Once you have tightened the garage door’s screws and bolts, give it a test to see if it operates without those pesky sounds. If it still makes noise, spray lubricant along the door’s moving parts. Give the springs a generous spray so the oil can flow all the way down to their base. Spray the interior of the track and around the metal rollers. The chain assembly should also be lubricated so it can slide around the gears with ease. Don’t forget about the door panels and hinges. Their lack of lubricant just might be responsible for your garage door’s noise pollution. If lubricating these garage door parts eliminates the noise, don’t assume that you will have smooth sailing from here on out. It is prudent to lubricate your garage door at least two times per year to ensure a quiet and smooth motion.
Consider Adding Buffers
Adding small pieces of rubber that serve as buffers to the garage door might reduce the noise or totally eliminate it. Begin by removing the bolts that hold the door to its track. A regular socket wrench will suffice for their removal. Slide a small piece of rubber that is ¼ of an inch in width between the bolt assembly and the door. Tighten up the bolts, brace your garage door’s opener on wooden blocks and a ladder and take off the bolts that hold it against the supporting metal frame. Cut out two rectangular pieces from the same rubber. Make sure the holes are an inch and a half apart. Bolt an end to the frame and another end to the opener so it suspends from the frame via the rubber. This rubber will absorb noisy vibrations to prevent them from reaching the support frame and spreading to your home’s floor.
Check for a Misalignment
It might be necessary to readjust the garage door’s locks, especially if you have tinkered with its gaskets and bolts. Make sure the locking bars are properly aligned. Watch closely to see if the lock bar hits the track, makes noise or fails to catch. As the garage door moves up and down, such a misalignment can result in a grinding noise. If it appears a misalignment exists, locate the garage door’s L-shaped brackets. Remove the screws, tap the guide down or up and tighten the screws and the bolts.
Mind the Rollers
If your garage door has metal rollers, switching them to the nylon variety might solve the issue. Metal rollers have metal tracks that can generate noise, while nylon rollers are comparably quiet. Furthermore, nylon rollers won’t need to be lubricated several times per year like metal rollers. If you decide on a roller replacement be sure to replace them all at once. Keep in mind that the typical five-section garage door has a dozen rollers. Though it is possible to install nylon rollers without professional assistance, having one of our professional garage door aficionados do the job will save you plenty of time and effort.
Garage Door Medics Can Help
Follow the advice set out above and your garage door will operate with little, if any, noise. If you go through all of the steps outlined above and still can’t figure out why your garage door is making noise, give Garage Door Medics a call. We will send out a knowledgeable garage door technician as quickly as possible to perform a comprehensive diagnosis and repair of your garage door.
