It’s 9pm and the little ones are sound asleep until – BOOM! Your husband, coming home late from work, has activated the garage door opener system and it sounds like a construction crew has set up shop in your living room. You’re not alone. 1 in 3 people complain about the noise their garage door makes while in operation. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to reduce the noise of your garage doors and opener systems that are both practical and affordable. So if your garage door is squeaky, noisy, or making loud noises when opening or closing, keep reading for 6 quick tips on how to make your garage door quieter.
1. Insulate Your Garage Door
Garage door insulation is mostly used to control the temperature of your garage or adjoining rooms, but insulating your garage door can actually help silence the door while it’s in operation. Most garage doors are made from steel, and while steel is a durable material that is easy to maintain, it also carries vibrations, resulting in more noise while the garage door is opening and closing. We recommend upgrading your garage door with double-layer polystyrene insulatation, which works great and fits most budgets.
2. Tighten Bolts, Nuts & Screws
Over time the hardware on your garage doors will begin to loosen with repeated use. This can cause unpleasent rattling sounds while moving your garage door up or down. Our recommendation is to service your garage door annually to ensure all of the hardware is tightened.
3. Lubricate Your Garage Door
One of the main causes of garage doors making loud noises is lack of lubrication on moving parts. At Top Notch Garage Door, we offer annual service packages which include lubricating the moving parts of your garage door including hinges, rollers, bearing plates, springs, locks, and tracks, as well as tightening all loose hardware and checking for any additional problems.
4. Invest in a Quiet Garage Door Opener System
While automatic garage door openers make life easier, the noise they create can be frustrating or downright unacceptable in some cases. Fortunately, there are options when it comes to selecting an opener system that not only fits your operating needs, but offers a more serene experience when opening and closing your garage door. We recommend investing in either a DC belt drive opener system or a side-mount jack shaft opener system to decrease the noise and increase your peace.
5. Upgrade to Quieter Nylon Rollers
When your garage door rollers are moving within the track, the noise can be loud and abrasive. Most garage doors are sold with standard plastic rollers unless otherwise specified by the customer. We recommend upgrading to ball-bearing nylon rollers, which increase the life cycle of your garage door while providing smooth and quiet operation of your garage doors.
6. Replace Extension Springs with Torsion Springs
By default, the spring system that comes standard with most garage doors will be an extension spring system unless otherwise specified by the customer. Oftentimes, homeowners want to replace this system with a torsion spring system. This is what’s known as torsion conversion. Torsion springs are quieter and more durable, extending the life cycle of your garage door while providing reduction of volume while in operation. We recommend contacting a licensed garage door professional for any type of work done on your springs as they are dangerous and in the event of an accident can cause serious injury or death.
In summary, it is entirely possible to make your garage door quieter without draining your wallet. The recommendations above are affordable and practical ways to not only quieten the operation of your garage doors, but to prolong the life of your garage door as well.
We're Here To Help
At Top Notch Garage Door, we specialize in installation and repair of all types of garage doors and garage door opener systems. If you would like to speak with one of our award-winning service professionals, feel free to give us a call at 770-235-8189.