Garage Door Rattling? Try These Quick Fixes
Posted on: 9 November 2017
When you open and close your garage door, does it sound like a rattlesnake has made its way into your home? Your garage door should not be shaking and rattling during operation. Luckily, you can usually fix a noisy, rattling garage door on your own without having to call the repairman. Here's how.
Tighten the Screws
It's possible that one loose screw or bolt is to blame for all the noise. Reach for your wrench or ratchet, and tighten each one of the screws and bolts on your garage door. Even if this does not end up fixing the problem, it's an important maintenance task to complete every year or two since these screws tend to work themselves loose as the door operates. Just be careful not to over-tighten the screws. You want them snug, but not so tight that you have to strain to loosen them again.
Insert a Vibration Pad
Another possibility is that the garage door opener itself is bouncing against the rafter to which it is mounted, causing the rattling noise. You can install a thin, rubber pad between the opener and the rafter to silence the vibrations. Purchase a small rubber pad at your hardware store. There are some made specifically for this purpose, but you can also just buy a generic rubber pad that's about 1/8 inches thick.
To tackle this project, start by turning off the power to your garage door opener. Then, loosen the screws holding the opener to the rafter just enough to enable you to slide the rubber in between the opener and rafter. Tighten the screws, and restore power to the opener. With any luck, it will be a lot quieter when you use it again.
Apply Lubrication
You should definitely try this fix even if you also complete the projects above. If just one area of your garage door is lacking lubrication, it could be getting "stuck" on that area, causing it to bang and rattle around. Choose a silicon-based lubricant, and apply it to the entire garage door track. Also lubricate each of the metal hinges between the panels on the garage door. These are a common source of creakiness. Open and close the door a few times to work the lubricant into the joints.
If these fixes do not stop the rattling, reach out to a garage door repair company in your area, such as blue house specialties. The springs may need to be adjusted, and this needs to be handed by a pro for safety reasons.
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