There are many things that can cause a squeaky door and we will walk you through both how to identify the cause and let you know what can be done to address the noise. While this article is specific to finding the source of a squeaky door, we have a full list of considerations about DIY here.
Below will be the steps you should take to identify where the squeak is coming from and what to do in each given case.
Check and make sure the door is opening evenly
First you’ll want to manually release the door which you can learn how to do with this quick guide on how to open your garage door manually.
This is very important to point out to determine how severe the issue may be. Should there be a squeaking noise associated with an uneven door, please call us ASAP for a repair. This may be a result of the supporting brackets or springs and they may be about to break which can launch projectiles which can be very dangerous.
Check the track
Check to make sure the rollers can travel freely up and down without hesitation and the door can sit flush along the ground. There might be a few things that could stop this from happening whether it be a bent track or something inside the track causing it to not roll as it should.
Check the rollers
Most common cause of intense squeaking is old or damaged rollers. We addressed these in our “common issues” blog and if you need more information, it’s worth a read. Typically these can last between 2-20 years depending on the material.
Plastic Rollers are typically the #1 suspect, however any type of roller can have issues. Plastic rollers tend to only last a couple years and can wear unevenly, crack, and eventually break into pieces. Steel rollers also grind, metal on metal, towards the end of their life cycles. Some steel rollers come equipped with ball bearings which last a little longer than not having bearings, but at the end they can stick together making the door feel stuck/not open evenly. Nylon rollers can last between 1-2 decades and towards the end, it’s a gradual decline. As long as the track is even and not bent, they should wear out relatively at the same time and just become increasingly more difficult to open and close, but not necessarily squeaking.
When manually raising your door up and down, you should be able to identify which type of rollers you have, and which roller(s) in particular are to blame. Please give us a call and have this information handy and we can get these replaced for you!
Check the drums
The drums located above the left and right side of the door can be the source of the squeaking. “Cable Chatter” is the term used when the drums aren’t properly installed or are worn down, which will make a grinding and or squeaking noise.
The end bearings connected to the drum can also be the source of the squeaking. These may need to be lubricated, which typically a simple white lithium grease silicone spray will do the trick (as long as they’re not broken). Really any “garage door lubricant” will suffice.
Check the hinges
Another source of the squeak may be the hinges. Similar to the bearings, these need to be lubricated. Typically these have a lifespan of 10-15 years, so if you’re close to this duration, you may need to have these replaced.
Check the motor
Lastly, there could be an issue with the rail and trolley that’s causing the noise. Both the rail and trolley require lubrication to function properly. We highly advise giving us a call to ensure the proper motor components are lubricated as you could potentially damage the motor if not done properly.
There are a couple other components inside the motor that could be having issues and if you notice the squeak is not the rail or trolley, give us a call before opening up the motor yourself. Many motors covers can be difficult to close back up and have many screws, wires, etc. that may or may not need to be addressed.
Overall, a squeaky garage door might not seem like that big of a deal since it’s only a “noise” to you but it could mean that there is a larger issue at hand, so don’t just ignore the noise, get it fixed today.