Shut down those annoying squeals and grinding sounds with these six tips
Does a clanking, squeaking, or rumbling sound make you shudder every time you open your garage door? If so, you're likely not the only one bothered—a loud garage door can irritate your neighbors, wake up family members, and agitate your pets.
But your garage doesn't need to come with an irksome soundtrack. With a little garage door inspection and an annual garage door tune-up, you can quiet the ruckus and enjoy a (nearly) silent garage door experience.
1. Inspect the Nuts, Bolts, and Screws
If you’re rattled by a vibrating sound when you open your garage, you should check the nuts, bolts, and screws. If they’re loose, tighten them with a basic wrench-and-socket set. Give yourself a little time to inspect each one, as a garage door can have more than 100 nuts, bolts, and screws in total. Remember that you need to turn right to tighten loose pieces.
2. Check Your Garage Door Rollers
Also called wheels, garage door rollers guide your overhead garage door as it travels along the horizontal and vertical track system. You'll often hear grinding sounds or high-pitched squeals if you have deteriorated rollers.
You should inspect every roller—your door will have about five or six on each side—by moving it back and forth with your fingers. You can also simply watch the rollers for signs like leaning, wobbling, or hesitating when you open and close the door.
You can lubricate metal rollers, but don't try this if any portion of your rollers is made from nylon or plastic because most lubricants degrade non-metal components. The next step is to replace your rollers if lubrication doesn't do the trick.
Replacing broken garage door rollers is a risky job that is better left to a professional garage door technician. If you have metal rollers, ask your pro about upgrading to nylon rollers for a smoother open and shut experience.
3. Look at Your Hinges
It's not unusual for garage door hinges to wear out. Listen for loud screeches or grinding to determine if the hinges are your problem. You can also inspect your hinges for cracks. If a hinge has seized up, the simplest hack is to spray a little WD-40 on it.
However, you may want to replace a compromised hinge, as they can be dangerous. Never attempt to remove, repair, or adjust hinges on your own. Removing a bracket can cause a garage door to fall in the blink of an eye, which can cause serious injury. A technician specializing in garage door repairs and replacement can help you to safely get back on track with new hinges.
4. Inspect Your Springs
A garage door with broken or unbalanced springs usually won't function correctly, and could also cause your noise problem. Look for an uneven appearance in the door, a slow open or close speed, or a door that sticks shut.
Many garage doors have both torsion springs (above your door when it's closed) and extension springs (next to the tracks). It's fine to look at your springs to see if anything is amiss, but you shouldn't touch a spring. The tension from springs can cause severe injury, so call a pro to handle these repairs.
5. Check the Garage Door Opener
Let’s not forget about your garage door opener. A weak or aging motor may be to blame for that thunderous noise. It's also possible that the metal chain attached to the opener is causing noise by rattling against the rail. A quick chain tightening should take care of the issue.
6. Consider Your Garage’s Acoustics
Your door may be in tip-top shape, but is still loud due to the acoustics of your garage. If your garage door’s noise is disrupting your household’s tranquility, it's worth increasing the insulation in your garage for better soundproofing, so you can enjoy the smooth sound of silence.
