Garage doors make noise for a variety of reasons, such as normal wear and tear. However, some possible garage door noises can indicate a problem or safety issue.
The following list includes common noises associated with the operation of a garage door. Regardless of the problem, let the experts in roller doors inspect and repair it extensively to avoid spending more money later on.
1. Normal Wear and Tear
A garage door opens and closes hundreds to thousands of times throughout its lifespan. Over time, all of this repetitive motion can cause various mechanical parts to wear down and eventually show signs of trouble. These components include the garage door springs, cables, pulleys, hinges, and even the garage door opener itself.
Simply put, with age, the normal movement of a garage door over time will begin to cause some type of noise. However, the sound is typically not an indicator of a serious issue with your garage door aside from normal wear and tear.
2. Safety Devices
Noise can also originate from safety devices on your garage door designed to prevent accidents or minimize potential damage due to abnormal operation. A good example of this is the photoelectric sensors located on the garage door tracks. They are designed to stop the movement of a garage door when they sense an object, such as a person, in the path.
If you’ve recently removed items from around your garage, it’s possible that these safety sensors may not be able to “see” where they need to and make an abnormal-sounding noise. This does not necessarily indicate a serious issue, and you can disable the photoelectric sensors in most cases by simply flipping a switch on your garage door opener.
3. Issues with Torsion Springs
A common source of trouble is the overhead torsion springs that help lift and support a garage door weight. Typically located near the top of the garage door, they are often visible during operation.
Torsion springs have a long lifespan but can suffer from overuse or corrosion over time that may cause the coils to weaken and snap. When this happens, the broken spring will make a loud “pop” sound while flying through the air. The noise is typically a very early warning sign of a serious issue with the torsion springs, and you should get them replaced immediately.
4. Problems with the Tracks
The tracks were designed with a specific slope and curvature to feed the garage door in and out as it moves. A problem with the alignment of these tracks can cause some interesting noises.
One common example is when the bottom of the garage door rests on top of one or both tracks as it moves up and down. This typically causes an almost-grinding noise on the bottom of the garage door.
The cause of this is typically a problem with the tracks on one side of the garage door, and it may require professional repair to eliminate the issue.
5. Garage Door Opener Malfunction
When your opener is used properly, you shouldn’t experience any sort of odd noises from inside or outside your home.
However, if you hear a loud clunk or knocking sound coming from inside the garage as the door is moving up and down, it’s possible that something may be preventing the opener from fully retracting as it closes.
The cause of this noise is typically from the garage door “sticking” on a part of the frame, and the noise typically only lasts a few seconds as the door closes.
This is typically not a serious problem and can be easily corrected by adjusting the garage door opener settings to stop the opener from trying to close on an object that is preventing it.
6. Unruly Garage Door Springs
An issue that occurs frequently with torsion springs is when the spring has slipped out of its pulley system. When this happens, it causes a constant rattling noise on one side of the garage door as it opens and closes.
This usually occurs due to an issue with the hardware on one side of the garage door or on the track itself, so you may have to inspect more than one area to resolve the issue.
The best course of action for this type of problem is to remove the torsion spring and take it to a local hardware store that sells garage door parts. They can find a replacement spring based on your make and model.
7. Problems with Cables
Similar to the issues on tracks, if you hear a knocking or clanking sound coming from the top of your garage door, it might indicate a problem with one or both cables.
This typically occurs when there is too much slack in the cable, which can create an abnormal arc as the garage door opens and closes. It will also typically only last for a few seconds since this problem usually occurs right at the point where the door closes.
Routine Maintenance Is Key
No matter what type of noise your garage door makes, if you’re experiencing a problem with it, it may indicate that there is some kind of issue that needs service attention.
For this reason, we recommend that people who use their garage doors regularly schedule routine service appointments to keep them in peak operating condition.
