The squeaks, scraping and grating noises of a garage door can be annoying, so we’re happy to help those who want to make a garage door quieter. We’ve got some simple tips that will go a long way toward getting a softer result from your garage door. We’ll take a closer look at them in this article.
At Overhead Door of Fayetteville, we place the needs of our customers first. You can rest assured that no matter what your issue—a noisy outdated garage or a need to upgrade to a new one—we deliver help and stellar service every step of the way. We invite you to contact us to get started.
How to Make Your Garage Door Quieter: 5 Tips and Tricks
We’ll review several tips and tricks below, but we also want to add a word of caution: Some tasks are best handled by our professionals because they can be dangerous to DIY. (We go into detail about those later in this article)
1. Lubricate Moving Parts
You’ll want to concentrate on rollers, hinges and springs. Remember to use a lubricant specifically for garage doors. (Do NOT use WD-40).
2. Tighten Loose Hardware
The constant motion of a garage door can place a strain on nuts and bolts.
3. Replace Worn Rollers
If you have metal rollers, you may wish to switch to nylon because they are quieter. But this is a task that is best left to the professionals.
4. Install a Rubber Garage Door Seal
These seals can absorb vibrations and sound. Be sure to regularly check your current seal for wear—especially if you want to make your garage door quieter.
5. Insulate the Garage Door
Not only does this improve efficiency, but also reduces street noise.
What Are Common Reasons for a Noisy Garage Door?
There are several potential culprits and finding the right solution depends upon discovering the source. Fortunately, our experienced staff is able to lend their expertise to any situation, providing answers you can trust.
Following are some common causes of noisy garage doors that we’ve seen:
- Insufficient lubrication: This is a common cause of creaking from the metal-on-metal friction of the coils.
- Rust and corrosion: When springs are weakened by rust, they make a lot of scraping and rubbing sounds.
- Springs that are worn out: Springs can lose tension, particularly if they are older and have been subjected to extensive use.
- Broken spring: This is usually preceded by a loud snap or bang.
- Unbalanced door: An unbalanced door will place excessive force on the springs and can cause your garage door to be noisy.
- Loose springs: Any problems with the connecting elements–loose bolts for fittings–can cause rattling noises.
Are There Any DIY Solutions to Make a Garage Door Quieter?
Before we go down this road, we need to make one thing clear: Adjusting or replacing garage door springs by yourself can be dangerous. These springs hold a lot of tension, and working with them puts you at risk of serious injury. For this reason, if you feel there’s an issue with your garage door springs or you think you need them to be replaced, just call one of our pros. We’ll be happy to help.
Replacing cables, pulleys and realigning the garage door track are also tasks that can be risky and better left to the professionals.
Some DIY solutions include:
- Lubricate moving parts
- Tightening loose bolts
- Replacing weather seals
- Adjusting the opener settings (but be sure you do this through the control panel or remove settings. Do NOT adjust internal wiring.)
When in doubt about the safety of a maintenance task, contact us. Remember that it’s always better to leave the work to one of our experienced employees than to place yourself in danger or at risk of serious injury.
Are New Garage Doors Quieter Than Older Ones?
Newer technology has paved the way for better ways to make your garage door quieter, so yes, newer garage doors make less noise thanks to these advances.
These advances include:
- Better opener technology
- Modern rollers
- Improved design
It’s likely that if your garage door is noisy and making scraping sounds, that it needs to be replaced. If that’s the case, we can easily fit your home with a garage door from our extensive inventory, providing one that functions perfectly while being visually appealing. (We invite you to browse through our catalog)
When Should You Contact a Garage Door Repair Company?
We want you to contact us when you hear your garage door consistently making loud noises. We can provide an accurate evaluation that gets us to the heart of the problem. Then, we can easily conduct repairs, saving you time.
We can also handle the more dangerous aspects of repairing your garage door—we mentioned earlier that there are some tasks that you should never attempt.
Are You Ready for a Better Garage Door…and a Better Experience?
At Overhead Door of Fayetteville, we are not only committed to providing the best range of garage doors, but we believe in doing the job right the first time. We’re prepared for minor repairs, full replacements or, if you need one, a brand-new installation.
We know that a noisy garage door can interrupt your routine, and there are several aspects of DIY that can be dangerous. That’s when you’ll discover that it is truly our service that sets us apart. We treat every customer like a neighbor, because, in so many ways, you are.
We invite you to contact us if you’re experiencing a noisy garage door, if you need an inspection or if you believe it’s time for an upgrade.
Key Takeaways:
- Garage door noise is common, but in many cases, it can be reduced or eliminated with a few simple fixes.
- Lubricating moving parts, such as rollers and hinges, is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce noise.
- Switching to nylon rollers and installing rubber seals can significantly decrease vibrations and scraping sounds.
- Loose hardware and worn-out springs are common causes of noisy garage doors and should be regularly inspected.
- DIY maintenance is safe for simple tasks like tightening bolts or replacing weather seals—but spring and cable repairs should always be left to professionals due to the risk of injury.
- New garage doors tend to be much quieter, thanks to advancements in materials, technology, and design.
- If your door is older or making persistent loud noises, it may be time to consider a replacement or professional repair.
- Overhead Door of Fayetteville offers expert repairs, upgrades, and installations—with the customer-first service we’re known for.
Sources:
The Spruce,”Garages,” https://www.thespruce.com/garages-4127947