Today with advancement of technology with compact sizes of automated units for different functionality we need a quality of garage door opener, however to avoid some undesired impacts such as garage door noise, here you will get to know few tips to follow if your garage door is noisy. This is a common problem that every garage owner will face at some point and this is most of the time caused by either loose hardware or worn rollers that need to be lubricated. Below are few tips that you can follow to reduce the noise from your garage door.
Tip 1: Regular Maintenance is Key
One of the easiest ways to reduce the noise levels is to carry out regular routine maintenance of garage door. This can involve a simple procedure such as door tune-up help to make your door less noisy. The rollers, for instance, needs to be lubricated on a regular basis. If there are any adjustments that need to be carried out on the drums, springs, and end bearings, always hire a trained professional. This is to avoid interfering with the nuts and bolts and even cause injuries due to the high tension.
The door hinges should remain tight and in case of any loose ends, the professional should be able to help in fixing them. During the routine maintenance process, check all the bolts and nuts to ensure they are properly tightened. You should then check the door hinges to ensure that they are fitting to the door and that they have no cracks or tears. Then you should check the door rollers and you must ensure that the rollers are rolling along with the door during motion. Sliding of the rollers may be one of the reasons for a noisy door.
You then need to lubricate the bearings, springs, hinges, and metal rollers with a proper garage door lubricant. All the metallic parts that move with the door have to be lubricated to minimize friction during movements. If your door uses a worm drive, also known as the screw drive, then some grease needs to be applied directly to the screws running across the rail center of the opener. If the door is using a chain drive system instead, you should make sure that the chain isn’t rubbing against the rail and is not sagging when the door is opened.
You should always consult the owner’s manual to know if there are any parts that can be adjusted. If you are not sure about any of the adjustments, always consult a trained professional.This maintenance procedure should be carried out at least once per year as one of the needs of garage door safety tips. It will help in preventing any problems and identifying prematurely worn out parts. All the worn-out parts need to be replaced before they escalate the noise issue. If you have carried out this procedure and still find some excessive noise originating from the door, then you may have to consider upgrading to a quieter door option.
Tip 2: Change the Old Garage Rollers
If your door is using metal rollers or rubber rollers, then it may be time to consider replacing them with a more superior option like nylon rollers. These rollers are quieter and cause minimum strain on the door during operation. The worn garage rollers will not only generate excessive noise but will also vibrations in the door during motion. Therefore, you should replace these rollers with nylon steel rollers. These rollers actually decrease the noise levels and also ensure that the door moves smoothly along the track. This is one of the easiest ways to make your door less noisy. You need to inspect the garage door rollers regularly to ensure that they are working properly.
Metal rollers tend to move along the metal tracks and this may be the cause of the loud noises. Nylon rollers, on the other hand, tend to be quieter and doesn’t require any lubrication. In terms of maintenance, metal rollers require more attention than the nylon rollers. There may be a small difference in price between these rollers but the convenience of getting a less noisy door is worth spending a few more dollars. A standard five section door may require dozens of rollers and it is good to replace all of them at once. You can change the rollers yourself but if you are not the handiest DIY person, then you should call in a specialist.
Tip 3: Upgrade to a Quieter Opener
A garage door opener that uses a belt drive system is much quieter than the one that uses a screw-drive and chain system. It is only the wood overlay door and heavy wood options that may not work with the belt drive system. For those doors that support the belt drive option, you should consider the option to upgrade them. The belt drive system is an affordable and effective option that can reduce the noise levels in your garage door. The reliability of this system lies in its solid rail. When choosing a belt drive opener, be careful not to choose the big box consumer type model. This model usually comes with three sections.
The multiple sections that come with the big box version can easily cause excessive rail flexing and can cause more noise during use. Despite being a belt drive, such an option would make your door louder and even shorten the opener’s lifetime. You should, therefore, choose a professional belt drive opener that comes with a great warranty period and a solid rail to achieve the best results. Even though the professional unit costs about $100 more than the big box version, it is worth your investment. Such an investment will reduce the noise levels and give you improved opener experience. You will also be able to operate your door with fewer problems.
Tip 4: Enhance the noise insulation features
Most garage doors come with an insulation strip located at the bottom end of the door. The reason for increased noise levels in your door may be a result of this strip missing or being worn out. A missing strip will expose your garage to wet and cold conditions as it will leave some gap between the door and the surface. You will also experience loud banging on the door whenever you close it. If the strip is just worn out, you will need to buy a new roll of rubber insulation to replace the old one. At least 16 feet of the roll should be sufficient to cover the entire door.
To be able to replace the rubber roll, you have to pull out the old roll and then slide on the new rubber along the door tracks. Just be careful not to cut the roll too early because if it’s too short, it will affect the insulation capabilities. It is fine to have a long strip as it can be adjusted at a later stage. You should remember that the rubber roll usually shrinks over time. The extra inches will accommodate the shrinkage and ensure that the rubber naturally fits your door width. You can also add a noise insulation level by installing noise insulators. These insulators can be installed between the slotted metal brace and the motor block. These insulation features will help in buffering the vibration between the neighboring parts.