Similar to the slight rattle you ignore while driving your car, you can get used to small noises or irregularities that signal your garage door is still working properly. Unfortunately, your garage door is often times ignored until it quits functioning altogether, but your car you take in for routine maintenance.
If it has gotten to the point that due to the distinct garage door noise coming from your house, your neighbors know exactly when you are coming, you might want to take a look at these four tips for reducing all that racket.
#1 Lubrication
Your professional garage door installer probably applied a quality lubricant to all the moving parts when your door was initially installed. The initial lubrication most likely didn’t start to wear away before it had been used a good 12 to 15 months. The rain, snow, and wind coming from outside along with all those openings and closing take their toll. You can extend the life of your garage door, however, by simplify lubricating all the moving parts and components regularly and paying particular attention to the metal on metal components.
So, what exactly makes a good garage door lubricant? Glad you asked! It is one that you probably already have hanging around your house, good old‑fashioned motor oil. Surprised? The same motor oil can be used on your garage door components that you are already using in your car, your lawnmower, your snowmobile, or your motorcycle.
Okay. So, what doesn’t make a good garage door lubricant? It may seem strange because it is good for so many things, but WD‑40 is not good for your garage door because it is a degreaser. Also, although it is a very common practice, you do not want to add automobile grease to the tracks because then the roller will slide instead of actually rolling. Take a rag and wipe it off if you have used automobile grease already.
Great! Now you know what kind of lubricant to use and what not to use, you just need to know where to put it! Apply the motor oil to the hinges, rollers and lift springs. Everything in moderation! There is no need to slather it on! Apply the oil to the whole length of the springs, hinges, and rollers with a cloth. It is a good idea to keep another rag handy to wipe the excess when you get to the hinges and rollers, that way nothing drips on your car or other expensive items in your garage. Repeat this process twice a year, both before and after the winter season, for maximum effect.
Take a look at the weatherstripping on the external frame.Is it made of PVC? If so, you will want to use a silicone‑based lubricant to keep it supple. This lubricant doesn’t stain, so it can do double duty on other doors in your house like the patio door because it makes the doors easier to slide.
A quality garage door installer will offer you these 2 types of lubricants for your garage door to keep your door in good order.
#2 Righty Tighty
All the different components of your garage door need to work together properly for the door to do its job which is to open and close on demand. When the garage door starts making a lot of noise, however, things are clearly not doing their job. One of the things you need to check right away is the bolts and the screws. Quickly look to see if anything has come loose and if so, tighten it back up. Pay special attention to the hinge screws because they are the most likely thing to have loosened with use. Also, pay special attention to the bolts on the horizontal tracks, watch for any movement as the door opens and closes, if you see any, tighten the bolts.
#3 How About Them Rollers
The metal rollers are one of the most common sources of noise from the garage door. They can also be an easy source to overlook but don’t. You should check to make sure everything is securely attached, and then check to see if the rollers are working properly within the rail. You can also go ahead and add a little lubrication to the rollers if you have not already done so during step #1.
You may want to consider replacing your metal ones with nylon rollers ff your rollers are the source of the garage door noise. Black nylon rollers without ball bearings and 11‑ball bearing steel rollers covered in white nylon are the two available replacement types, and we recommend the black for single doors and the white for double garage doors.
#4 Could it Be the Opener?
It is time to take a look at your garage door opener if everything else is in good repair. Less than 7 years old, is a fairly new opener, and there is very little maintenance required. You will want to take a look at the chain or belt drive to see if it needs any tightening, however, even if it is brand new. The steps to do this should be found in your maintenance guide, but if you no longer have your guide then download a copy from the manufacturer’s website.
If your garage door opener is over 7 years old but under 15 years old, check to see if any of the bolts need to be tightened and that the chains are on track. If you do not know how old your garage door opener is, you will want to remove the plastic cover that protects the light bulb and look at the motor housing, the manufacturing year is stamped there. If it is over 15 years old and is making a bunch of noise, you probably just want to go ahead and change it out. Safety reasons are the biggest concern on older models, but also, the technology changes a lot in that amount of time. There are a lot of options out there If you are changing out the older system. it may be a good idea to discuss the options with a garage door professional because your specialist will be able to let you know what is right for you like possibly the ½ HP model with the metal‑reinforced rubber belt drive and one‑piece track. if there is a bedroom located directly above the garage door, you may even want to consider rubber noise isolators because they can reduce noise transmission considerably.
Need Help with all the garage door noises you are hearing...
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We are happy to advise you on all of the available options because we know garage doors better than anyone else. We will go over your options while being mindful of your needs and budget. You can even get a quote by email today!
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