Can everyone on your street hear your comings and goings? Every time your garage door operates, it emits an alarming sound that alerts your whole household and, perhaps, even your neighbors to your impending grocery run. “Why is my garage door so loud?”
That question floats around in your mind as you back out of the garage. Action Overhead Door Inc. specializes in Louisville garage door repair. We assess a few common noises and consider the reasons behind them below.
“Why Is My Garage Door So Loud?” Let’s Explore Why.
A malfunctioning garage door can emit piercing shrieks or cringe-inducing grinding sounds. No matter what noise comes from yours, it sounds like nails on a chalkboard to you. Your neighbors, roommates, or family members might feel the same. Let’s find out why your door makes that awful clangor. You might even find a repair solution.
Grinding and Rattling
One noise can have a host of different sources. Persistent rattling or endless grinding, for example, can indicate:
- Hardware issues: Have you ever noticed that old door hinges or machine gears might grind when in use? The same idea applies to garage doors. Rusty or misaligned hardware might still work, but not without excessive noise.
- Frayed cables: A set of cables lifts and lowers your door through each opening and closing cycle. When those cables become frayed in the middle, the metal threads might scratch surrounding materials and make a grinding racket.
- Improper installation: Do you question the quality of your installation service? If so, the installation might be the culprit, as it can cause various components to scrape against each other. Grinding and rattling might rule your movements.
These noises might grate your nerves, but other sounds can surprise or even scare you more.
Shrieking and Vibrating
These teeth-chattering noises might make you want to crawl out of your skin. But what do they mean? Odd vibrations or occasional shrieks might indicate:
- Worn-out rollers: The rollers keep the cables and door on track. Since they stay constantly exposed to the elements and support the door’s heavy weight, they often wear out before many other parts.
- Lubrication issues: Many garage door technicians include routine lubrication in their maintenance services. Unlubricated hardware creates friction when it meets, making the whole door vibrate or emit jarring shrieks.
- Track misalignment: The tracks contain the rollers and cables that move the door up and down. These components can’t move in a straight line if their tracks become dented or warped.
Annual maintenance can typically prevent these problems from developing. But you still might wonder, “Why is my garage door so loud?” since none of these noises describe what you hear. Let’s look at more cacophonous disturbances below.
Scraping and Squeaking
You know those loud noises that make you cover your ears? They often indicate significant disrepair or worn-out parts, such as:
- Touching hardware: If you accidentally bump a vehicle or heavy equipment into your garage door, you might push some metal components too close together. The next time you lift or close your door, they might scrape against each other.
- Old rollers: Rollers come in various materials, from plastic to metal. The lifespan of your rollers depends on what they’re made of. Outdated rollers of any material can make painful scraping noises.
- Garage door opener issues: Failing or malfunctioning garage door openers can make a whole host of awful sounds, including squeaks and scrapes. If you think the noise comes from the opener, practice basic garage door safety and stay away from the door until a technician fixes it.
Smacking or Snapping
When you open or close your garage door, does it smack or snap? These noises might happen once or repeatedly every time your door operates. If you hear these sounds with every use, you probably have an off-balance door in need of simple repairs or basic maintenance.
But hearing a single smack or snap means something broke. In fact, your door might not work at all afterward. Damaged springs or broken cables might cause your garage door troubles.
Popping or Banging
Like smacks and snaps, bangs and pops might happen once or during every opening or closing cycle. Single instances of these startling noises mean hardware failures that can cause injuries or permanent damage if left unaddressed.
When you hear these noises during every use, you might have overstretched or uneven springs on your hands. When one spring pulls more of the load than the other, it leads to door imbalance and puts stress on other components. Your garage door might continue operating for a while, but you will inevitably face new, louder noises or even an operational failure sooner or later.
Professional Repairs and Maintenance Are the Solution
Still asking, “Why is my garage door so loud?” Professional garage door services can resolve most of the above-listed noises. An annual maintenance service typically includes:
- Comprehensive inspections: Every piece of machinery needs thorough inspections. Your garage door technician carefully looks at each moving part and listens for hidden cries for help.
- Component lubrication: Moving parts create lots of friction. That friction raises the temperature and can cause the affected pieces to become warped or chipped. Technicians apply some lube to avoid these issues.
- Cable, spring, and track realignment and balancing: A misaligned garage door is a recipe for disaster. Technicians balance springs and cables and reshape the tracks for smooth, consistent movements.
- Hardware adjustments: Your garage door might simply have a screw loose. That loose hardware can lead to other pieces falling off later.
- Minor part repairs and replacements: If your technician discovers missing nuts, bolts, or stripping, they might replace it for you to prevent future issues between maintenance visits.
- Safety and performance tests: Final performance tests ensure your garage door operates safely until the next repair or maintenance call.
Contact Action Overhead Door Inc. About Fixing Those Obnoxious Noises in Louisville, Kentucky
“Why is my garage door so loud?”Obnoxious noises are among many residential and commercial garage door repair signs. Call Action Overhead Door Inc. at 502-955-7725 for garage door repair services in Louisville, Kentucky.
