Common Causes of a Noisy Garage Door (and How to Fix Them)

When you’re dealing with a loud garage door, you’re also dealing with the issue causing the noise. Your garage door should make your life easier and more pleasant, so it’s important to address any unusual sounds as quickly as possible to keep your door in top working condition.

We’ve laid out some common problems and solutions to help you figure out what causes your garage door to make noise.

1. Improper Installation

If you hear loud grinding, rattling or squealing when you open and close your garage door, it may be improperly installed. Slapping sounds can indicate a loose chain, while vibrating, rumbling and rattling may mean that the nuts or bolts are loose.

Improper installation can cause several other garage door issues. The door might open slowly and springs or other parts may already be damaged.

Common Causes

Response delays and alignment issues can indicate that the pulley system or other parts are installed incorrectly. Issues with improper installation often result from:

• Using improper equipment.
• Using lower-quality springs or system parts.
• Human error.

Solutions:

If your previous installers installed your garage door incorrectly, you will need it reinstalled to fix the issues. Request an installation service from Door Pros for a reliable experience with a high-quality door.

2. Worn Rollers

As the rollers wear, they can cause your door to move out of alignment or slip off of the tracks, causing a squeaking, screeching or vibrating sound. Depending on the type of rollers you have, you may need to lubricate or replace them:

• Plastic: You need to replace plastic rollers about every two years, as they work without ball bearings and tend to wear down quickly.
• Steel: Steel rollers last longer than plastic ones, though they are more susceptible to rust and corrosion.
• Nylon: Nylon rollers last just as long as steel rollers and make less noise.

Common Causes

Depending on how long you’ve had your rollers, they may be reaching the end of their life. Your rollers experience wear and tear every time you open and close your garage door — the more you use the door, the sooner your rollers will wear down.

Solutions

The number of ball bearings in your rollers will affect how long they last. In some cases, you will need to replace your rollers to ensure your door stays aligned. However, you can try to fix your rollers first by lubricating them.

If there’s any rust build-up, lubrication will help remove it. It’s best to lubricate steel or nylon rollers about twice a year. If your rollers use unsealed ball bearings, apply the lubrication directly on the bearings.

If you find that you do need to replace your rollers, we recommend contacting a professional at Door Pros to ensure proper installation and maintain your door’s alignment.

3. Poor Lubrication

Ensuring that all parts are adequately lubricated will keep your garage door running smoothly. Lubrication helps prevent rust and corrosion that can lead to squeaking, grinding, clinking and rattling sounds.

Common Causes

The sounds of an improperly lubricated garage door usually indicate that you need to lubricate more often or that some areas were only partially covered. If you can rule out both of those possibilities, you may want to switch to a different lubricant. Using a higher-quality brand or a different kind of spray or grease may help your lubrication last longer.

Solutions

It’s best to lubricate your door with a silicone spray or white lithium grease every six months to ensure your door stays up and running. Be sure to turn off the power supply, then vacuum and wipe down the tracks — a clean surface will help the lubricant spread evenly.

Areas to lubricate include:

• The rollers and hinges.
• Springs and bearing plates.
• The armbar and top rail.
• The door’s lock.

Open your door after lubricating to help ensure all moving parts are covered. While this squeaky garage door fix could answer all your problems, you should contact a professional at Door Pros if you notice any parts that need repair.

4. Off-Balance Door

It can be easy to tell when your door is off-balance. Scraping sounds indicate that your door is scraping against your house. Banging noises mean the door is off the track and popping sounds indicate snapped springs.

Other common signs of an off-balance door include:

• An uneven appearance.
• Closing after being manually opened.
• Not opening at all.
• A slow response time.

Common Causes

There are many reasons a garage door can become off balance.

• Springs: Loose or aging springs can cause one side of the door to move slower than the other, disrupting its balance. Broken torsion springs can cause a garage door to fall quickly and off-track.
• Drive: Depending on your system, your belt drive or chain drive may also be causing the problem. Chain drives can lift doors shakily and belt drives sometimes slip in extreme temperatures.
• Weight: If you’ve added weight to your door after installing it, the door may now be too heavy and off-balance.
• Impact: If you’ve accidentally backed into your door, there is a good chance the impact disrupted its balance.

Solutions

You can test an off-balance door at home by cutting the power supply, lifting the door and slowly releasing it. If your door slips from its position or slams shut, you need to call a professional.

An off-balance door can cause serious injury. Snapped extension or torsion springs can result in shooting projectiles or your door slamming shut. For professional spring replacement or another form of door repair, you can trust Door Pros to deliver quick and safe results.

5. Opener

Your garage door opener is one of the most essential parts of your system. A quick and reliable opener will help you stick to your schedule and safely enter or exit your home. Openers can last upwards of 10 to 15 years and we can sometimes forget how convenient they make our lives.

Sounds of straining, grinding or buzzing can indicate that your opener is failing.

Common Causes

Noises from your garage door opener are most often signals that its motor is dying. The motor could be overheating or simply too old to respond promptly. You will likely encounter these issues more frequently if you have an older opener.

Common indications that you need a new opener include:

• Failing to open the door.
• Excessive noise.
• Slow movement.

Solutions

Upgrading your technology can quickly fix your opener issues. Newer models now offer remote operation, keypads, backup batteries and additional security. Door Pros has multiple garage door opener options available to give you a long-lasting and safe experience.

Get Same Day Service With Door Pros

At Door Pros, we’re committed to going above and beyond in customer service. Our highly qualified team members always hold a positive attitude that will make fixing your door a happy and easy experience.

Our locations serving San Mateo, San Rafael, Sacramento, San Francisco, Carmel and surrounding areas are ready to help with whatever needs you may have. Our around-the-clock availability and same-day service make us a great team you can count on. If you want to know why your garage door is noisy and how to fix it, request an estimate with us.