As garage doors wear, they start to make some noise when they open and close. Often, the noise happens because parts wear and the door becomes loose on the track, but with some adjustments and a few parts, you can remove the noise from the door and quiet it down again. 

Rollers and Bearings

Garage doors have rollers that ride in the tracks along the sides of the door. The bearings in the rollers can wear with use, and the rollers loosen up until the door is able to move a little on the track as it opens and closes. The result is a lot of noise as the door vibrates in the track.

Replacing the rollers is the fastest way to fix the problem, and to make the door even quieter, you can use rollers with plastic on the part that rides in the track. The plastic will remove any noise that is a result of the metal-on-metal contact of the roller and the track.

Grease the Tracks

Adding some grease to the tracks where the rollers sit can help quiet the door as well. The tracks do not need a lot of grease — just enough to lubricate the track and allow the rollers to run smoothly up and down the track. 

Over-greasing the tracks can cause dirt and debris to build up in the grease, causing the grease to become sticky and not work the way it is intended to. Keep the coat of grease very thin and reapply it as needed to keep things moving and working correctly. 

Check the Nuts and Bolts

A door that has some loose bolts can move around when it is opening and closing, causing a lot of noise. Take a few minutes to check all the nuts and bolts on the door, the overhead hangers, and the garage door opener, if you have one. 

If you find a loose bolt, tighten it until it is secure, but be careful not to overtighten it because that could strip the bolts. If it is a bolt that is threaded into a door panel, overtightening it could damage the panel. 

Call a Professional

You can have a garage door technician come and perform this maintenance for you. While they are there, the tech can check the drive chain on the door opener, check the lift springs for damage, and install some vibration dampening materials between the mounts and the building for you. 

The technician will inspect the entire system for you and let you know if there are any other issues with the door that need addressing, as well. 

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