When your garage door is grinding, squeaky, rattling, or just being unusually loud, it tells you something is wrong. A noisy garage door means it’s not in tip-top shape, let’s identify the problem and get it fixed!
Poor Lubrication
If your door is squeaking or grinding, especially around the track mechanism, it might be a simple issue of poor lubrication. When a garage door is poorly lubricated, it allows hardware like the rollers and tracks to rub together causing a painful noise. Fortunately, this is a straightforward fix that any homeowner can accomplish.
Nuts & Bolts
A vibrating or rattling noisy garage door may be a sign of loose nuts and bolts. While nuts and bolts are small, they are critical in keeping your garage door in working order. If there aren’t nuts and bolts to keep the big pieces of the door together, it could come tumbling down. If these parts start to detach, they’ll make it known.
Worn Rollers
Probably the most nails-on-a-chalkboard noise a garage door can make is when it has worn rollers. When rollers are out of alignment or off the track, they are likely to make a squeaking, or worse, a screeching noise. If this happens, it is likely your rollers are at the end of their lifecycle. You may be able to get away with just lubricating them to fix the noise but be aware they may need to be replaced soon. The general wear and tear on a garage door can’t be avoided, but you can extend the life of rollers through routine maintenance.
Unbalanced Door
A garage door should open smoothly. If it’s unbalanced, you may hear banging, rattling, or even a scraping noise. Besides the noise, you should visibly see an issue with the door if it is unbalanced, such as:
- Unevenness when it’s open or closed
- Slow to open or close
- Garage is stuck shut
An unbalanced door means there is either too little or too much tension on the springs counterbalancing the door’s weight. This is a hazardous situation that could result in a snapped spring or cable. It is recommended that you do not turn this into a DIY project. If you think this is the reason your garage door is noisy, it is preferred that you reach out to garage door professionals.
Improper Installation
When you have a noisy garage door, one thing to consider is that it has been improperly installed. From a slapping noise indicating a loose chain to rattling nuts and bolts, if a door has been improperly installed, the noises could be the result of several issues.
Improper installation often happens due to:
- Improper equipment
- Garage doors are special exterior doors that need special tools. Without the right equipment, you may not end up with the best results.
- Low quality parts
- If you’re buying your parts from a big box home improvement store, beware that the quality won’t be the same as a professional garage door company’s part.
- Human error
- It happens. Everyone makes mistakes, even when installing garage doors. Hopefully the error can be easily resolved.
Book an Appointment Today
To get down to the root of the problem, contact garage door installation experts like Precision Door. Whether it’s just general maintenance or a complete overhaul, don’t delay in fixing the issue. Use our book now feature and schedule an appointment today!
