Noisy garage doors can quickly become quite the headache – quite literally! This issue is usually caused by loosened hardware or worn out rollers. In reality, it’s usually a simple fix so here are some steps that all of you DIYers can take to repair your noisy garage door.
Note: Be sure to follow the safety tips shown in our other post Tips for Garage Door and Door Opener Safety, Repair and Replacement.
Inspect and Tighten Bolts
Start by performing an inspection of all nuts and bolts, tightening them if they are loose. You might also discover that you will need to replace worn parts. Then spray all of these components with lubricant.
Start by tightening all of the door and track hardware using a deep socket. Just make sure that you don’t over-tighten them. That will pull the bolts right through the skin of the door, causing damage.
Check for Worn Rollers and Hinges
Most garage door tracks have unsealed bearings that can deteriorate over time. The more dusty the environment, the faster they will wear. It can become so bad that it actually starts to wobble and will make noise. If your rollers happen to be worn, then you should replace them with nylon rollers. These rollers contain sealed bearings that will prevent this from happening in the future. However, keep in mind that nylon rollers are more expensive.
If your garage door happens to use torsion springs that are mounted above the door, then you should not attempt to replace rollers in the bottom brackets. Those are under a lot of tension and can lead to serious injury if you unbolt them. This is an area where you must bring in a professional.
Worn hinges are far less common than rollers but they can make a lot of noise and cause the doors to bind and wear out the joints at different sections. Some wiggle room at a hinge is normal but if they are sloppy loose, then they will make a lot of noise. If you happen to see an oblong hole where the tubular hinge used to be then you will need to replace it.
Inspect the Chain
After replacing the worn out components, you will need to check the chain that is used to open the door. A loose opener causes the door opener to make loud snapping noises and will cause it to jerk. You can usually tighten the chain in order to fix this issue. Then you can lubricate the track drive opener so that it has no resistance.
Lubricate Hinges, Bearings, and Springs
The next step is to spray the hinges, bearing, and springs with a lube like Prime Flo. Make sure that you get the lube into all of the bearings and other pivot points. Lubricant that is designed for garage doors will penetrate deep and dries to form a grease surface that will detract dirt and dust. This should be done every six months in order to decrease the wear on the door but if you start hearing weird noises coming from the door, then you need to lube is as soon as possible.
If you follow all of these tips and your garage door still makes noise, then you might have a serious problem. Don’t hesitate to bring in a professional.
