Why Your Garage Door Is Noisy & How To Silence It
“Dad’s home!” I’m sure we have all been, or lived, in a home where a garage door opening could be heard, and sometimes even felt, from any room in the house. It becomes your home’s alert system for incoming parents, siblings, and children. However, if you are anything like us, it can be extremely annoying and disruptive to have a garage door that bangs, squeaks, and shrieks. Moreover, these noises may be the sign of a serious issue. That noise that you view as part of your home’s character may be potentially dangerous. Let’s explore the most common causes of noisy garage doors and how to quiet them – all while preventing damage or injury.
Loose Nuts and Bolts
While loose nuts and bolts seems innocent, ignoring them can lead to future failures in your system. Luckily, the fix is easy, quick, and simple. Check all nuts and bolts throughout your garage door system, especially on door and tracks, and tighten any you deem loose. Tip – avoid overtightening.
Dry Moving Parts
It’s not news that garage doors are made up of many moving parts. And what do moving parts need? Lubricant. When most people think of lubricant, they instantly think of WD-40. While WD-40 helps parts move more freely, it isn’t true lubricant. Get yourself some silicone spray or white lithium grease when lubricating your garage door parts. Once you have your lubricant in hand, here’s what you need to do with it:- Spray the top of the springs and let the lubricant run down to the base of the springs.
- Spray the inside of each track and around the rollers.
- Spray any metal chains.
- Spray all panel hinges.
Worn Out Insulation Strip
While the primary issue of a worn out insulation strip is the free flow of cold air and water, a loud bang on the closing of your door is a close second. Lucky for you, these insulation strips can easily be replaced yourself. Simply remove the worn out insulation, slide the new roll of rubber insulations through the tracks, and relish in the silence. Tip: make sure to purchase a strip long enough to extend at least an inch off each side of the door. Insulation strips shrink over time.
Broken Spring
Not only is this one of the most common causes for a noisy garage door, it is also the most dangerous. If your garage door is hitting the ground harder than normal, and your insulation strip is in good condition, it is likely that your spring is broken or failing. Whether this is your first time reading one of our blogs or not, we can’t stress enough how important it is to contact us immediately if dealing with a broken spring.
Garage Door Opener
Not as common as the others, but we see plenty of garage door openers causing raucous. If you determine that the noise is coming from your opener, contact a technician to come check it out. We will be able to determine whether or not the garage door opener is truly faulty, or if some other issue with your garage door is leading to an issue with the opener.Now that we have explored the causes of your garage door’s “character building” exercises, it’s time to silence them.