What Those Garage Door Noises Actually Mean

Garage doors are not exactly the quietest devices in your home, since opening and closing them can be quite loud. However, there are some garage door noises that are just not normal. If the loud sounds are causing you to park outside instead of in your garage, you should get to the bottom of what is wrong. Here are some noises your home's garage door may be making and what they mean.

Squeals

Do you hear a loud squealing or screeching sound when using the garage door? This can easily make you reach for your ears to cover them, but you should be reaching for a ladder. You need to take a close look at your garage door's tracks to see what is going on up there.

If the rollers on your garage door are not properly aligned, that squealing sound could be from them rubbing against the track. You will need to have the rollers realigned or the track straightened, depending on what is causing the rubbing. You can also investigate for rust on the track, and make sure it is properly lubricated.

Grinding

Is the sound you hear more comparable to grinding? This indicates that the problem is coming from your garage door's opener. The opener's crank shaft is responsible for moving the belt or chain along a belt drive, which forces the garage door to open. If you have a problem with a worn down crankshaft, it could cause a grinding sound that's easy to hear.

This is a part that may be too difficult to repair on your own. Consider having a garage door technician come to your home and inspect the crankshaft and the reset of the opener. It will most likely require replacing the crankshaft with a new one.

Banging

Banging is more likely to occur when the garage door is getting old. In fact, banging can even give you the impression that your door will simply fall apart. The issue is most likely related to tensions springs or cables that have gone bad after years of wear and tear, such as becoming disconnected or loose. The bolts securing hinges can also become loose, causing the garage door panels to rub against each other can create banging when they move.

Fixing this problem may involve swapping out some key parts, but it could also require that you tighten up some loose bolts. When in doubt, hire a professional to help you do it. For more information, contact a company like R & S Erection of Richmond.

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