How to Fix a Noisy Garage Door
Having a garage is a great benefit to owning a home, but when that garage door becomes noisy, it can quickly become a bothersome issue. A noisy garage door can irritate everyone in its vicinity, including your neighbors. Fortunately, we have some advice on how to make a garage door quieter.
Never attempt to quiet your garage door if your door is difficult to move, opens very quickly or the rollers derail from their tracks. If any of the above conditions are present, stop using the garage door and contact a Clopay® Dealer immediately to avoid the risk of serious injury or death.
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The following are methods to quiet your garage door:
1. TIGHTEN THE NUTS AND BOLTS
You may hear increased garage door noise due to loose or missing track bolts and screws on the door and track supports, which causes the door to rattle in its rails. Using a wrench and socket set to retighten these bolts and screws can potentially quiet the garage door almost completely.
Take care not to overtighten this hardware, as you risk stripping the lag screw holes or pulling the carriage bolt heads through the garage door. It is essential to take safety precautions before working on your garage door. Adjust the track bolts and lag screws with a friend or family member, and disconnect your garage door opener to ensure it remains closed while you work.
Never modify, repair or remove springs or parts to which springs are connected, including wood blocks, cables, fasteners, steel brackets, bolts or additional parts of the counterbalance system. Note that high spring tension can lead to severe injury or death. Any fixes of the springs or counterbalance system should only be made by a Clopay Dealer or trained door systems technician.
2. Lubricate or Replace the Rollers
If your garage door is squeaking overly loud when you open or close it, the rollers might be the cause of the issue. Understanding how to lubricate your noisy garage door can help. Consistently lubricating your garage door's moving parts with Clopay Pro Lube Synthetic Garage Door Lubricant or a similar synthetic lubricant can help eliminate garage door noises.
These parts include the steel roller shaft on the hinge, the hinges, the lift cables at the bottom bracket button, bearings on the spring system and the full length of the springs. Continue to lubricate once every two months even if your garage door isn't noisy anymore. Preventive maintenance is key. Do not lubricate the nylon portion of the rollers or other plastic garage door components, such as the EZ-Set Spring, as petroleum degrades these materials.
If lubricating does not quiet the garage door, it's time to call a Clopay Dealer or trained door systems technician to inspect and repair the garage door. Don't put off replacing your door's rollers if the technician recommends it — functioning rollers are critical for garage door performance. If you do decide to replace your rollers, nylon rollers are recommended over metal rollers. You may pay more, but you won't need to worry about periodically lubricating them.
It is essential to take safety precautions before working on your garage door. Disconnect your garage door opener to ensure no one operates it while you are working, and complete the job with a friend or family member. You may also want to wear gloves to keep your hands clean from the non-petroleum lubricant.
Care & Maintenance Tip: Lubricating Noisy Wheel Rollers
3. Lubricate or Replace the Springs
Your garage door may have torsion springs and extension springs. You'll find the torsion springs above the door after you have closed it and the extension springs by the tracks on the sides of the door. Springs help the door move fluidly, and old or worn springs can cause significant operational problems.
A broken spring will definitely make for a noisy garage door — if the garage door works at all. If this is the case, never adjust, repair or remove springs or parts to which springs are connected. High spring tension can cause serious injury or death. Adjustments or repairs of the springs or counterbalance system should only be made by a Clopay Dealer or trained door systems technician.
Call a Clopay Dealer or trained door systems technician if the spring looks worn out or if the door has been opened and closed more than 10,000 times since the last spring replacement. If the springs are operating properly and are not worn, try lubricating them following the steps in method two listed above. Use Clopay Pro Lube Synthetic Garage Door Lubricant or find a similar synthetic-based lubricant to reduce the garage door noise. Be careful not to over-lubricate, as the lubricant can drip onto the door surface when the door is operating.
4. Lubricate or Replace the Hinges
As you now realize , your garage door has many parts that will eventually wear out. If you’re trying to figure out how to fix a noisy garage door, you'll want to look at all of them. As with the other parts, check the hinges to see if they are broken, worn or have dust or metal filings around the hinge area. If any of the above conditions are present, contact a Clopay Dealer or trained door systems technician to repair or replace the hinges.
Never modify, repair or remove hinges by yourself or with a buddy. Removal of the bottom bracket may cause your garage door to fall, leading to severe injuries or death. Unhinged doors are also more prone to costly damage and time-consuming repairs. Hinge repairs or replacements should only be made by a Clopay Dealer or trained door systems technician.
If your hinges are in good condition, lubricate them with Clopay Pro Lube Synthetic Garage Door Lubricant or a similar synthetic lubricant. It is key to take safety precautions before working on your garage door. Disconnect your garage door opener to ensure no one operates it while you work, and complete the job with a friend or family member. You may also want to wear gloves to keep your hands clean from the lubricant.
As you can see, there are several major components on your garage door that depend on timely maintenance using a safe and effective garage door lubrication product. For these applications, we recommend Clopay's Pro Lube Synthetic Garage Door Lubricant. It is not prone to dripping or running the way conventional oil-based lubricants are, and it’s a great choice for other home and marine applications, too.
CAN YOUR GARAGE DOOR OPENER BE AT FAULT?
If your garage door itself isn't the problem, it may be necessary to learn how to fix a noisy garage door opener. This part of your garage door may be the culprit for all of that noise. Refer to your garage door operator maintenance manual for assistance. If you have a smart garage door opener, you may be able to troubleshoot or get more information about your opener in the app.
Check to see if the chain or belt drive seems loose, as this can cause jerky garage door movements and loud sounds. If the mechanism is loose, you'll need to contact a Clopay Dealer or trained door systems technician to inspect and repair the garage door operator — remember to never adjust, repair or remove the garage door operator or the operator's chain or belt drive on your own or with a partner. Repairs or replacements of garage door operators should always be made by a Clopay Dealer or trained door systems technician.
If the chain or belt drive is in good condition and not loose, lubrication may resolve the noise created by the garage door operator. Make sure to refer to the garage door operator maintenance manual before performing any lubrication. You cannot lubricate a belt-drive garage door opener. If you are lubricating a chain drive system, the manual may indicate a specific type of lubricant.
If your garage door operator is causing the noise and you replace it, we recommend a steel-reinforced rubber belt drive system — they're generally less noisy than the typical chain-drive system. We also suggest using vibration isolators to reduce the garage door noise caused by your garage door operator.
HOW REGULAR MAINTENANCE CHECKS CAN HELP
Hopefully, one of these methods has solved your issue of how to make a garage door quiet. If not, your best approach is to hire a Clopay Dealer or trained door systems technician to inspect your garage door.
A Clopay Dealer or professional garage door technician should be able to identify the problem quickly. Once they resolve the problem, be sure to have your Clopay Dealer or trained garage door technician back each year for a regular maintenance check, and lubricate your parts every few months. Having an expert assess your garage door consistently ensures your investment lasts for years. It’s also less likely you’ll have to deal with any pesky maintenance issues, such as a noisy garage door.
If you have a quality door like the ones we offer at Clopay, regular maintenance should keep your garage door running smoothly for a long time. Like anything you invest in for your home, you need to put in a bit of effort to make sure it works properly. This is even more important for your garage door, as it can create a safety and security issue when broken. Keep your garage door in top working order by making sure to hire a professional to conduct regular maintenance.
Find a Clopay Dealer for Garage Door Services Near You
Would you like to fix a specific issue or learn more about how to care for your garage door? The Clopay website offers plenty of informative articles you can use to educate yourself further about your garage door and its many components. Check out our garage door troubleshooting guide, garage door maintenance guide or another section of our residential garage door buying guide.
Clopay has more design and insulation options for garage doors than anyone in the industry. If it's time to replace your current garage door, browse our product listings to see all of the choices we have to offer — our garage doors complement any home style, taking your house's curb appeal to the next level.
Have any questions about our garage doors? Get in touch with us today for more information or find a Clopay dealer near you to take the next step!