Have you been hearing a popping, hissing, scraping, gnawing, squeaking, rattling, or rubbing sound coming from your garage door recently? If so, there are several potential culprits.
In today’s article, we are highlighting some common garage door issues that cause different distinctive noises to occur. We will also offer solutions on how to fix the problem and make the sound go away.
Broken Torsion Spring
Broken garage door springs can cause your garage door to make a very loud popping sound. A broken torsion spring can spell bad news because it is not serviceable, meaning that the entire spring must be replaced when it breaks.
The reason we are concerned about a broken, noisy torsion spring is that it greatly affects the operation of your door and it can become quite dangerous. Garage doors operate on springs and levers. When the springs, which are loaded with an enormous amount of tension, break, you cannot use your automatic garage door opener to lift the door anymore, and the door will not stay in an open position. In that instance, people often try to manually lift the heavy door, and they end up injuring themselves or others.
Solution
Replace broken torsion springs before they cause more damage and force you to pay more for garage door repair than you already have to. You’ll want to call professional garage door repair services to handle this problem for you. Springs are dangerous, and replacing them involves a certain level of disassembly that would not be safe for the average homeowner to attempt on their own.
If you are having this issue or any other garage door issue, and you’re living in Puget Sound, garage door repair services are right around the corner. Contact Overhead Door Company of Puget Sound today. After being in the business for over 100 years, they’ve seen everything, and they have the best solutions for you! Don’t risk your safety, or the safety of your loved ones just to save a few bucks. The experienced professionals at Overhead Door Company have your back.
Overhead Door Company specializes in everything, including garage door repair services, garage door installation, repairing or replacing garage door openers, and they can even get you a brand new garage door if necessary. As a garage door company, they strive to build relationships and make the process as painless as possible.
Debris in the Tracks
Debris in the tracks can make garage doors emit a scraping or gnawing sound, especially if it gets lodged somewhere solid. This could happen when anything from ice and pebbles to twigs and leaves become stuck somewhere along the way.
Solution
Make sure to inspect the area under your garage doors for any objects that may have fallen and affected how well your garage door closes and opens. If you find an object lodged in the tracks, remove it as soon as possible. another thing you can do is perform routine sweeping in your garage to minimize the amount of debris lying around in your garage.
Broken or Loose Hardware
Tightening loose hardware can make your garage door much quieter. Common causes of noise are loose hinges, rollers, and rails, which all need to remain tight regularly for maximum efficiency.
It could also be the case that your garage door’s hardware is beginning to rust, or perhaps some of the screws are being stripped. This can happen when your door isn’t exactly aligned, so pressure gets put on one side or another, wearing out the hardware quicker.
Solution
There are a few solutions to loose, broken, and noisy hardware.
First, if you find that your garage door’s hinges are too loose, you will need to tighten them with the appropriate screwdriver size; typically an inch-pound torque wrench will do the trick. Check all screws on your garage door (including the ones underneath) to ensure they are properly fastened.
Second, replace bad screws if you’re comfortable doing so.
Third, try some garage door lubricant, especially if it just seems that the hinges are squeaking. The acoustics in a garage can heighten the amount of noise coming from the door, which can be rather annoying sometimes. Often, applying a cheap lubricant is enough to make it go away, and your door should operate more smoothly as well.
If none of these solutions are effective, you may have a more serious problem with your garage door. At that point, it’s suggested that you contact a professional garage door repair company to inspect your door. They will give you suggestions for repair, recommend a new garage door, or provide any other necessary treatment.
Worn Garage Door Rollers
Sometimes, your rollers, the circular pieces of hardware that are responsible for allowing the garage door to roll smoothly up and down the tracks, may emit a grinding sound. They might just need a little touch-up, or it might require garage door service from a professional garage door company.
Solution
Firstly, before you jump right to calling for garage door repair assistance, try lubricating the rollers with a generic lubricant. You can purchase this at any hardware store. Sometimes, they just get a little rough and they need to be oiled up.
If that doesn’t work, their lifespan may be shot, and you’ll have to hire a professional garage door service company to replace one or all of them for you. It’s not recommended that you go out, get the necessary garage door parts, and do this on your own. This type of door repair isn’t like buying new batteries for your garage door opener. This is serious stuff, and there is potential for serious injury.
There’s a Garage Door Repair Solution for You!
Garage door issues are very common, and they usually have obvious causes that can be easily fixed. If you hear any of the noises described above, then hopefully the article above has provided a viable solution for you!
If you’re still struggling to fix the problem, or your garage door is making a different noise than the situations described above, give Overhead Door Company of Puget Sound a call today! Their experienced garage door specialists offer emergency same-day service, and they’ve been fixing and replacing residential garage doors in the greater Puget Sound area for over 100 years!
