What are these noises coming from my garage door?

A little while back, your garage door started making funny noises. It worries you, but not a lot. In any case, it still seems to be opening normally when you push the button on your remote.

The rational side of your brain tells you, however, that you should take care of it before it stops working completely, and one of these mornings, your car will stay stuck in your garage.

But how do you go about explaining the various strange noises over the telephone to a garage door specialist, so that you can learn if it’s really serious? What’s clear to you is that the louder and stronger the noise, the greater the risk that soon, everything will stop working.

Boom, clunk, thump!

Do you hear a loud thump or clunk when the door opens and closes? If you have an electric garage door opener, it is very possible that while lifting and lowering your garage door, it is having difficulty and makes these noises. It is quite often related to the fact that one of the torsion springs (installed over the door of your double door) has broken and needs to be replaced. By the way, it is extremely rare for both torsion springs on a 16-foot (4.9‑meter) door to break at the same time

If you have a single door, let’s say 9 feet (2.7 meters) wide and with a torsion spring, your door opener may be able to lift the door in an emergency, but this situation is not without risk.

To confirm this, look closely over the door when it is closed to see if one of the springs is broken in two pieces. If this is the situation, contact a garage door specialist without delay to have the broken spring changed.

Clink, clink, clink!

This is a mid-level noise but is produced continuously when the door opens and closes. There may be different causes, but in the most frequent cases, it comes from the coils of the springs rubbing against each other. As garages are generally cool and humid, this causes rust to appear on the springs, and over time, when the springs are dry, this rubbing produces such a noise.

Another source of this type of noise is when one or more rollers is defective and is ready to fall off.

Squeak, squeak, squeak!

This is a sharper sound, and is heard constantly when the door open and closes. The main cause if usually not enough lubrication to the exterior frame weather stripping and the weatherstripping between the garage door sections. These parts are made of PVC, which, over time, dries out and can stick together.

Grind, grind, grind!

A more constant, metallic and medium-level noise is frequently related to the chain or belt of the electric garage door opener. It seems like the opener is forcing unnecessarily and that the gear pinions are skipping a link. The chain or belt is too loose and there needs to be an adjustment made.

Is it serious, Doctor?

Yes and no. A broken spring is serious. You must get someone there to repair it within 24 hours. On the other hand, noises from the rubbing of the bottom weatherstripping on the exterior frame weatherstripping are much less serious.

Nevertheless, don’t contemplate repairing your door yourself, especially changing a broken spring. The whole lifting mechanism is under high tension corresponding to the total weight of the door.

You can, however, eliminate many sources of noise by lubricating specific parts of your garage door:

• Metal parts: apply a small amount of petroleum-based oil to the rollers, hinges and springs.
• PVC parts: apply a silicone-based lubricant to the weatherstripping at the bottom, between the sections, and around the exterior frame.

You can find these lubricant at any garage door specialist’s in your area. If you realize that your garage door hasn’t been inspected or adjusted in a long time, contact a technician specialized in garage doors and garage door openers.

Should I have a proper tune-up done to my garage door?

YES! It is advised to have it done every 18 months if your garage door is over five years old. Contact us at 607-687-5126. We are well established in our area and not afraid to guarantee our work. Our residential maintenance program includes a 26-point checklist, adjustments and lubrication of the major components of your garage door. If you’d like, we can even email you a quotation.

You can also come and meet us at our showroom. As well, feel free to use our Design Centre to choose the style of door that best suits you. You can also view our image gallery to get many ideas.