What's Causing Your Garage Doors To Rattle And Bang
Garage doors are bound to make some noise when opening and closing, but if you've started hearing rattling and banging sounds, there's something in part of your garage door system that needs attention. Most causes for this problem aren't serious and can involve replacing individual components or making sure that existing components are lubricated and aligned properly.
Problems with Tracks or Rollers
If you have a garage door system that moves the door up and down a set of tracks, any issues with the alignment of the tracks themselves or the rollers that move within them could cause the sounds you're hearing. The problem arises when misaligned tracks or wheels that aren't lubricated cause more resistance, which means that the door's movements will be jerky rather than smooth and quiet.
First, try to lubricate your garage door rollers. The caveat here is that you only need to do this if the rollers have exposed ball bearings, so make sure what kind you're using before you start to use any lubricant. Next, make sure that you're either using a specialty spray or a white lithium or silicone-based lubricant rather than any oil or grease you may have lying around. Grease the ball bearings, and take care not to get too much inside the track as this can make the track slippery and cause dust to stick.
If this doesn't work, or if your tracks are also visibly misaligned, call a garage door technician to have the tracks realigned for you. While they're there, they can see if the misalignment has caused any damage to the door or rollers that may also need to be corrected to completely fix the problem.
Opener Gear is Worn or Stripped
Most garage door openers use a gear to move the chain that pulls the door up and down. If your opener has a metal drive and worm gear, it may go a long time without getting worn down, but many garage door openers use plastic gears that can wear out more quickly. If your drive gear is starting to wear down, it may occasionally lose its grip on the chain, causing the door to suddenly fall a short way before stopping. This could be causing the banging noise you hear.
To see if this is the problem, you can open up the garage door opener and look inside to look at the gear that drives the chain. If it is visibly worn or damaged in any way, it will need to be replaced. The good news is that these gears can be replaced without having to replace any other part of your garage door opener, and this can often even be done without having to unmount the opener. Call a professional to have this gear replaced. During this process, the door's limit settings may need to be readjusted or fine-tuned to help avoid any potential damage or injury.
Springs Are Failing or Broken
Each garage door has at least one spring that carries most of the weight when it's opening and closing. A typical garage door weighs is very heavy, so a properly functioning spring is necessary for a garage door opener's operation.
It's not always easy to see if a spring is failing unless it's visibly broken, but if you've started ruling out other options, your spring is a likely candidate. Springs hold a lot of tension even when worn, and are dangerous to try to replace on your own as a result. A technician can replace your spring and make sure the door and opener get back in working order.
To learn more about garage door repair, contact a company in your area like Edelen Door.
