4 Steps to Achieving a Quiet Garage Door Opener 4 Steps to Achieving a Quiet Garage Door Opener

Proper maintenance and a few simple tips will help you achieve a quiet garage door opener. A noisy garage door can disturb family time, wake children, and just be overall annoying. There are a few things you can do though to help combat this.

1. Check the Hardware

Over time a perfectly functioning garage door opener can become noisy. This doesn't mean there is an issue with the door, it will just require some maintenance. Loose bolts and nuts that have loosened can create a loud rattling. The rattling can cause vibration in the other components which can lead to noise as well. Grab a step ladder and a wrench and start working your way around the different components. If you find a loose bolt or nut, just tighten it back up. It's a good idea to go around the whole mechanism though. This way other loose bolts won't create noise later on. Also check on the brackets along the track, as these are a commonly overlooked part that can create noise. 

2. Apply Oil

You can find garage door oil at any auto parts or home improvement retailer. Some professionals will say that motor oil is okay to use, but you should check first before you do this. If you don't have the manufacture's suggestion, then go with the garage door oil. Applying a light coating of oil along the tracks, pulleys, and drive chain can help reduce noise as well. This will also help you clean away any grime or rust that may have formed. Rust can cause serious damage later, and the oil will help protect from the formation of rust. A track that is dry can become very noisy, and the components can also become dry and create squealing, or metal on metal noises as you operate the garage door opener.

3. Keep It Clean

Dirty hinge rollers, tracks, and other components can create a noisy garage door opener in very little time. Be sure you keep debris, such as dead leaves, out of the garage where they could potentially end up in the tracks. You can use a broom to gently sweep out any large debris, or a shop vacuum to remove excess dirt before it can build up. Take the hinge rollers out and clean and oil them before each winter to keep them working properly and quietly. Any type of degreaser works well for this, but you can also find special degreaser made for garage door components.

4. Have It Serviced

If you had your garage door professionally installed, it probably has a service warranty. Check that to see if it covers regular basic services. This will prevent problems down the road, including excessive noise. Many noise issues, such as expansion springs, should only be handled by a professional. If you don't have a service plan, you can hire a garage installer to do this for relatively little money. You only need to have this done every couple of years, so the expense doesn't seem so outrageous.

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