Garage door creaks and noises can be simple to solve, but they can also be a sign of more serious problems with your garage door. Simple lubrication of the tracks, hinges, and other moving parts can help you determine if it’s a problem of maintenance neglect or something more serious like a chain or belt adjustment or failing motor in the opener.
Garage door lubricants can be purchased at most local hardware stores. Apply according to their instructions. However, if the noises do not decrease you will need to call a professional garage door company.
Noisy garage doors are very common. Most people ignore their garage door until it becomes noisy or doesn’t work properly. Routine, annual maintenance can not only extend the life of these moving parts but help maintain a quieter door.
Dirt and grime can get inside the tracks of your door and not only affect functionality, but they can be a source of noise, especially if the rollers are as dirty or have not been properly lubricated. Loose parts can also be a source of noise. A garage door is made up of many parts. Among them, rollers, hinges, the belt, curved arm door, torsion spring(s), cable drums as well as the pulley and cable. All of these parts need to be cleaned, inspected, lubricated and tightened or adjusted as necessary. Your noise problem could be a simple adjustment or lubrication issue.
Age is another factor. The older the door the more likely it is to be noisier especially if it has not been properly maintained. As technology improves in door, parts and opener R&D as well as manufacturing late model doors are simply quieter. Lighter doors and parts reduce drag and belt driven openers instead of chain driven are substantially quieter.
Torsion springs are very loud if they are not lubricated and properly maintained. The spring(s) are responsible for raising and lowering the door safely within specified weights of down/up force. Since they are located inside the garage and above the door most homeowners never notice them until something goes wrong. NEVER attempt to adjust or repair a spring! The pounds per square inch of bad springs breaking under repair have caused serious injuries and deaths over the years. A garage door torsion spring is nothing for amateurs to mess with.
The average garage door raises and lowers over 5,000 cycles per year. This is a lot of stress on the springs and over time they can experience fatigue through normal operation. Note the color of your springs over time. Steel gray or black is the desired color of a healthy functioning spring. However, if you see any green/brown discolorations, or cracks in the metal it may be time for new springs. A certified and trained garage door professional can determine if you need new spring(s), larger springs, or dual springs, which will allow the door to still open if one of the torsion springs breaks.
Wise homeowners pay attention to their garage door functionality and operation. Clean the tracks and lubricate them along with the rollers and other moving parts with an approved garage door lubricant twice a year.
When your door is operating poorly or noisy after cleaning it’s time to call a professional to perform a complete door and opener operation inspection. Chances are you need some adjustments, but if it’s something more serious your professional garage door company can make recommendations for your specific door size, load and operation.
At Access Garage Door we’ve been repairing and installing residential garage doors for homeowners since 1998. We are a family-owned and operated business serving the Upstate of South Carolina with a proud history and proven track record. If you need a garage door repair, or installation of a new door contact us today! You may not even need a new door and we will tell you if you don’t! But if you need, or want a new door we can do that too.