Why Your Garage Door Is Making Those Strange Noises
Every garage door makes noise when it's opening or closing — even if it's in excellent condition and properly maintained, you might still hear humming sounds from the opener or the soft whirring of rollers gliding along the metal tracks. In most cases, homeowners don't pay much attention to these everyday noises. If you hear the same sounds each time the door moves, you'll likely assume everything's fine. Unfortunately, this predictability can make people complacent about their garage door's health until it's too late, requiring an emergency service call to fix a broken opener or address another repair issue. If your garage door starts making a buzzing sound, it might be time to call a professional.
Table of Contents
Common Odd Noises and Their Possible Causes
Even if your garage door works fine, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s in top shape. There are often subtle warning signs that something might be wrong, and these can start as unusual noises you might not expect. Paying attention to these sounds can help you catch potential issues before they escalate into major problems that could cost you more money down the line.
Rattling or Shaking
If your garage door makes rattling or shaking noises, it could signal several underlying problems. Ignoring these noises might worsen the situation by loosening more components, potentially leading to greater damage to the door or its mechanism.
Possible causes include:
- Loose hardware: Over time, nuts, bolts, and screws can loosen due to regular door movements, causing parts to rattle during operation.
- Worn rollers: Damaged or worn rollers on the tracks may produce rattling noises when the door moves.
- Misaligned tracks: Improperly aligned tracks can shake the door during opening and closing, creating rattling sounds.
Grinding or Screeching
Grinding or screeching noises are unsettling sounds you might hear when operating your garage door. Some common causes include:
- Lack of lubrication: Insufficient lubrication on moving parts like hinges, springs, or rollers can cause metal-on-metal contact.
- Worn or damaged rollers: Over time, garage door rollers can wear out or become damaged, causing friction and noisy operation.
- Misaligned tracks: Misaligned tracks can force the rollers to grind against the edges, producing an unpleasant sound.
Popping or Clicking
Popping or clicking noises are another unusual sound you might hear when operating your garage door. While occasional clicking sounds may not raise immediate concerns, persistent or sudden popping noises could indicate potential issues within the garage door system.
Possible causes include:
- Temperature changes: Extreme temperatures can cause metal parts of the garage door to expand or contract.
- Spring tension issues: Incorrectly adjusted garage door springs could produce clicking sounds during operation.
- Loose or worn components: Some clicking noises may arise from loose or worn-out parts within the garage door’s assembly.
Squeaking or Whining
Addressing these high-pitched sounds or strange buzzing noises promptly can prevent further damage and ensure your door operates smoothly and quietly.
- Lack of lubrication: Insufficient lubrication on hinges, springs, or other moving parts can result in squeaking or whining noises.
- Dry or rusty rollers: Dry or rusty rollers can create friction, leading to annoying squeaks during garage door operation.
- Worn-out bearings: Bearings in the garage door’s pulleys or other moving parts might wear out, causing squeaking sounds.
Other Noises
There may also be issues specific to a faulty or broken garage door opener.
- Rattling: Loosening of the chain or support rails.
- Grinding: Inadequate lubrication of a part or parts.
- Straining: Defective motor or inadequate horsepower.
Regardless of the specific noise or how to differentiate them, any abnormal sound indicates the need for a garage door inspection and perhaps repair service.
The Role of Regular Maintenance
While you can inspect your garage door and perform minor fixes like adjusting loose hardware or lubricating the opener, you should leave most other repairs or service to trained professionals like the technicians from Whitby Garage Doors. The weight of a garage door and the degree of tension in its springs and cables can be particularly dangerous for do-it-yourselfers.
Like any other mechanical system, your garage door requires periodic attention and care to ensure optimal performance and longevity. Routine maintenance prevents potential issues while contributing to home security.
- Preventive measure: Regular maintenance prevents unexpected breakdowns and malfunctions. By addressing small problems early on, you can avoid more extensive and costly repairs in the future.
- Safety assurance: A well-maintained garage door is safe. Ensuring all moving parts function correctly reduces the risk of accidents and injuries to you and your family.
- Extended life span: Proper maintenance can significantly extend the life span of your garage door and its components. Well-cared-for doors are less likely to wear out quickly and require premature replacements.
A Garage Door Tuneup Can Prevent Additional and Unnecessary Repair Costs
If you suspect your garage door is struggling to keep up with your needs, schedule an immediate service call with a technician from Whitby Garage Doors. Our team will address any pressing maintenance tasks and perform a complete garage door tuneup to prevent additional or unnecessary service and repair costs.
Our garage door maintenance checklist includes a thorough inspection and essential maintenance for any door and opener repair issues.
Garage Door Inspection/Tuneup
- Panels
- Hardware
- Tracks and rollers
- Springs and cables
- Door weight/balance
Garage Door Opener Inspection/Tuneup
- Motor
- Travel limits
- Drive system
- Support tracking
- Safety/auto-reverse
If your garage door or opener is making a strange buzzing noise or other unusual sounds, it might be time for repair or maintenance. Call the garage door repair experts from Whitby Garage Doors today at 905-441-1512 to book a garage door inspection and tuneup visit as soon as possible.