Among the more inconvenient and annoying problems that can develop in garage doors in Rancho Cordova, CA is squeaks or other annoying noises. These issues happen with general wear and tear over the course of time, and can be a result of worn-out rollers, loose hardware, a lack of (or damaged) anti-vibration pads or parts that desperately need to be lubricated.
Fortunately, unlike some other garage door problems (particularly those involving the springs), these are all simple issues that do not jeopardize your safety in any way if you wish to make the repairs yourself. Here are some tips for some basic garage door maintenance that will prevent your doors from squeaking with use:
- Tighten all the parts: The first step you should take is to check the hardware on the door and the track, and make sure it’s all sufficiently tightened. You can use a deep socket to ratchet all the nuts on snugly, but not overly tight—if you get too tight, you run the risk of having the carriage bolt heads push through the skin of the garage door, or of stripping the lag screw holes.
- Check rollers and hinges: After you’ve gone through your hardware inspections, the next step is to check all the rollers and hinges to see if they’ve worn down. There are a lot of garage door track rollers that have unsealed bearings that will self-destruct over the course of time after years of wear and tear and exposure to dirt and debris. In some cases, this wear becomes so significant that the rollers start to vibrate and wobble while the door is in operation. If you’re dealing with worn-out rollers, you should replace them with nylon rollers that have sealed bearings. These rollers are quieter and do not require frequent lubrication.
- Replace rollers: Be sure to replace your track rollers one at a time, and if the door uses torsion springs, DO NOT attempt to replace the rollers on the bottom brackets, as those are under spring tension and it’s very dangerous to attempt this job if you don’t have professional training.
- Replace hinges: Worn-out hinges aren’t as common an issue as worn-out rollers in garage doors, but if they are an issue, you’ll notice them making a lot of noise, causing the door to bind and wear out the joints located on the door sections. It’s normal to have a little bit of play at each hinge, but there shouldn’t be any holes where the hinge pin is supposed to mate with the bracket. If you notice metal filings around the hinge pin, this is a sign of wear, and you should look for replacement hardware.
- Opener chain: Check the garage door opener chain. If it’s loose, it’ll make loud slapping sounds and cause some jerky movements. Tighten the chain if that’s an issue.
- Lubricate: Finally, spray all hinges, roller bearings and springs with a lubricant designed specifically for garage doors.
For more information about how to fix unwanted noises in your garage doors in Rancho Cordova, CA, contact Action Door Service today.