Is Your Garage Door Noisy? 4 Easy Fixes and Reasons Why It Is So Loud
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- In this video I show you how to lubricate, maintain, and get rid of the noise and squeaking from your garage door! It won't take more than 10-15 minutes to do and you really only have to do it once a year.
Items I used and mentioned in the video:
Blaster Silicone Garage Door Lubricant: amzn.to/3eJ4SXg
Blaster White Lithium Grease: amzn.to/3mNssq0
Shop Towels: amzn.to/3zguGmQ
6 Foot Step Ladder: amzn.to/3Hs39BT
Dewalt Socket Set: amzn.to/3JASbMn
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Blessings,
Adam
How To Home assumes no liability for damage or injury. How To Home highly recommends using proper safety procedures and professionals when needed. Our content is for entertainment purposes only. No information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not How To Home. How To Home will not be held liable for any negligent or accidental damage or injury resulting from equipment, tools, electrical, fire, electronics or any items contained in this video. Attempt projects and repairs at your own risk.
I made the mistake of using WD-40 on our squeaky garage door. And told my wife that there was nothing more that could be done… It was just going to continue to squeak and that was all we could do. And then she took it upon herself to find your video on TH-cam. I followed all your directions using silicone lubricant and it’s a miracle! Your video was very concise and well thought out. Very much appreciate this video. Thanks!
As a "garage door guy" with 20 years of experience this video is pretty informative. There are a couple of things I do differently:
- use light motor oil to lubricate the hinges, rollers, and springs. It's extremely long-lasting and a single drop of oil will spread evenly along a surface without any "overspray"
- on that opener, I wouldn't oil or grease the rail because the traveler is plastic and I've found that over time some lubricants can weaken the plastic.
One thing people never think about is releasing the door from the opener traveler and running the door by hand. Over time the torsion springs can relax and make the door seem heavy causing the opener to work harder moving the door up and down or even triggering the force limits that will stop the opener from completing its cycle. I will never suggest a homeowner attempt to adjust the springs as they are under extreme tension and will cause serious injuries if mishandled.
Overall good information from the video.
Appreciate the feedback!
Thank you. Great info.
My opener traveler is at its loudest (72db) when closing the garage door due to lots of metal clanging against each other. When opening the garage, it’s much quieter with 63db being the peak. When I press the button to close, it’s like the opener traveler is surprised and all it’s metal parts are visibly hitting each other, looks kind of like an ocean ripple/wave. It’s at that same point it reaches the 72db then it’s 63db all the way down.
I’m thinking about adding rubber washers to the pull pin, but any other suggestions are most welcome. Hopefully I described all of the above well enough.
i ahve a quesiton, is it normal for a 5 year old garage door / house to have water seeep in? seeps to happen when the wind pushes rain agianst the door
@@randomrazr typical rain, typical wind - no water should enter. Heavy rain / wind... well... every seal has limits.
Check garage floor is level (side to side) at the seal area and you have a good slope (1/2" per foot) away from the door seal so water can drain away. If those concrete issues are good, the bottom door seal (or side seals) may need replaced.
Replacing the seals are not too difficult or expensive.
Wow what a difference! 20 years I have hated the garage door on this house. 15min of tightening and lubrication and it is so much better. some screws were just a 1/4 turn...some were full turns!
Wow that is quite a bit. I bet it is quite a bit quieter. Glad to hear it was helpful. Thanks for the feedback Tom!
I followed these simple, perfect instructions and my 3.5 year old door sounds brand new. Thank you!!!!
Silicone works great for me - I've used it since the 60s when my dad introduced me to it. Thank you for your exceptional videos with relevant and useful content.
What sort of silicone plz. Tk y
I have watched a couple of videos on quieting garage doors, and this is by far the best one.
my garage door makes lots of noisy in cold weather. This is best video I've found so far,(for grandma) I am going to try it step by step tomorrow. thanks you.
installed a new opener a few months ago. Door was still very noisy afterward, so I applied Break Free CLP to all hings, rollers, etc. Works like a charm, door is now very quiet when in operation.
Wow! Thank you! I had a garage door on a rental that wouldn’t close all the way and sounded like it was on its last leg BUT now it’s gliding to and fro. What a girl can do with a little help from you. Many thanks!!!
Lithium specialist WD-40, not regular WD-40, worked beautifully. Reduced noise considerably. What used to rattle and grind now has a great smooth and significantly quieter sound. This video is what led me to find the right kind of lubricant and where to apply it. Like getting a new garage door for under $10. Thank you.
Very informative and very useful for anyone with a garage door. WD-40 stands for Water Displacer 40 this the 40th formula they tried. Never use it on a lock, I always use dry graphite powder.
it worked great on a wet distributor cap.
@@MrWhatis That is the kind of thing it's made for not as a lubricant
But what if it's an underwater lock? Like the little one on the treasure chest for the fish. They can't get the graphite powder to quit dissolving. I told them lithium, they will get back to me.
don’t use graphite on a lock, use ptfe spray. ask your locksmith if in doubt.
Well done! A drop of almost 10dB translates to one half perceived volume. That's significant!!
Thank you, this was so helpful and concise! I especially loved you naming each part of the garage door while lubricating it - I feel educated.
Thanks. I never thought it would be necessary to lubricate the torsion spring. I was experiencing a fairly loud squeak as the door was opening that I could not identify or isolate, but it turns out that lubricating the spring solved the problem. thanks again.
This is a really good video reminder of something most of us take for granted. We love the door going up and down until that day it doesn't, so this should extend the life until replacement.
Good tips that I plan on applying this weekend.
By far, the noisiest items on my garage door, which you did not mention, are the spools that winds the lifting wire on each end of the door. The bearings on these spools need to be lubricated as well, every month or so. A squirt of silicone grease does the trick. Thanks for the video.
Spools as in the sprockets? Like the wheels that turn the belt?
@@LongHuynh-hc2fm No. On each end of the door, at the top of the rail, there are two spools that wind the cables attached to the bottom of the door. They are driven by tension in the coil spring to make the door easier to lift.
@@walejoe42 Also, the other (bottom) end of the cable where it attaches to the bottom of the door. That loop on the end where it attaches was making a LOT of noise on my door at the very top of the travel.
For about 10 years now my go to for garage doors is 400-HD National Door Lube. It just works my door hinges are quite and most importantly the tension spring seems to last much longer.
Thanks a lot for the info!
I've been doing garage door repair repairs for 45 years, and I've owned my own business for 35 years. If you want to listen to these guys. That have no idea what they're doing and don't do it for a living by all means go ahead. I love all the money I make off of these youtube's. We use WD40 and you need to do it. Once every 6 months If you use the garage door spray, it'll build a film up and collect dust and dirt and grind parts down. It's just like a car. You wouldn't leave your oil in your car for very long. It has to be continuously maintained anything with metal tomato..
WD40 evaporates. That’s why you’re doing it every 6 months. And the dirt buildup is from WD40, which everyone sees when they use it on door hinges, the black stuff. The worst lubricant is grease, which you should have said is not suitable. Grease will attract dirt and harden up. And oil in a car? Not a good comparison. Synthetics can last a year of use at 12,000 miles.
Well done video. Compressed with no silliness, but complete. Good job.
Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback!
Your video was a great reminder. I would like to one more tip - if you have the old aluminum guide wheels, replace them with, nylon wheels. There are only a couple bucks each x 10 and you will have yourself a nice quiet door.
Great tip! Thanks a lot for the feedback!
Omg!
Tried your method, and I don’t need db measurement tool, the noise reduction it is THAT obvious!
I did not get wd40, but certainly white lithium with the long spout though.
THANK YOU
Really glad to hear it was so helpful! The noise reduction is great! Thanks a lot for the feedback!
Hey there. Thanks for this video and the step by step process. I am a new homeowner and really grateful for the information. Thanks a bunch.
Glad you liked it. Thanks for the feedback!
Great tips. My garage door is way quieter. I would not have thought about lubricating the springs.
@@simonjohn6156where can we buy them? And are they universal in fit?
Man I was at this issue alllll morning…. You just solved it in seconds. Thank you a lot
Learn something new everyday!!! Thank You!!!
Thanks for the tips. I’ve used your videos for cleaning/lubing garage doors, the cool swimming noodle trick and cleaning my a/c unit. Just have not gotten up the nerve to install a soft start. Have learned a lot from you! Thank you!
When wiping out the roller tracks, WEAR GLOVES because these stamped steel parts often have razor sharp edges that can cause a *very* nasty slice in your fingers.
Thanks. Hopefully not personal experience.
Wynn's Slick and shine is the bomb! It's clear and not as messy. Been using it in house hinges for ever.
I will have to check it out. Thanks Bill!
Thanks! If it wasn't quite so late, I'd go get on this right away!
You are welcome! Hope you have gotten this taken care of by now. Thanks for the feedback Bob!
Thank you for this video! My garage was so noisy it would make all sorts of creaking noise, I could hear it opening and closing from 50 feet away, it was very irritating. I followed your directions and now standing 10 feet away I can hardly hear it opening or closing. Great video!
This worked perfectly to fix our screeching garage door. Thank you!! (It’s been driving me nuts!)
Excellent! Really glad to have been a part of helping you regain your sanity! Thanks a lot for the feedback!
You are very correct about the WD40 as I have found that it is not only a degreaser, but tends to remove all the oils so a steel pin will rust up in a matter of days
I clean the rails with alcohol as it leaves no residue to pick up arial dust and grime. Bicycle chain lube works as well as anything for the rollers, chain, and spindles. It has silicone in it and I happen to have a lot of it around.
Thanks. This was helpful. Someone suggested WD40 and I sort of thought maybe that is not the right thing to do. I am glad I watched your video.
Some good suggestions here. Especially like the use of the sound meter to measure results. Thanks for the video.
I have been a door installer for 45 years. I like the super slippery slick stuff. Also should lubricant the springs and bearings
I've been using white lithium grease for years on my garage door. Just used silicone garage door lubricant and it is so much quieter. If quieter is a word. Lol. Definitely go with silicone.
I agree. Also I find the silicone does not attract as much dirt. Thanks for the feedback!
Thanks for the video. One thing I note that helps us on the rail to the motor to use actual white garage grease. The sprayer works but won't last that long. You can use the thick grease and lay it along the rail and inside the belt. That lasts a lot longer and performs a lot better. For the hinges, I still use the silicon spray. Ideally, I would like to use thick grease on them too but it's not easily accessible.
You are the man! I used the spray and it is only good for a week. I eventually switched to grease to make it last.
Hey thank you I always oil everything except the spring that's on the bar over the door, now I oiled it and I'm good now.
Great video, Straight and to the point.
Glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback Joe!
Gonna try this today, thanks for posting!
You are very welcome! Good luck! Thanks a lot for the feedback!
great tips! made a real difference on my garage door thanks!!
Thank you very informative!
The biggest improvements to mine were...
(1) Tighten up the track & bolts holding it (once per year, they do become loose after time).
(2) Swap out any failing hinges, especially the ones holding the rollers at the side (again, they may wear/loosen/rust over time).
(3) Replace the standard all metal rollers with good quality polyurethane ball bearing rollers (also greatly improves the noise the door makes).
(4) Regular application of lubricant to the hinges/rollers (at least 2x per year).
...too many people do not perform #4 and it is the biggest factor in failures.
Where can we buy rollers?
Very educational with words and picture very helpful great how to vedio
Very helpful. One of my doors is incredibly loud. I use it 10 times per year max, so I haven’t bothered with it. Now I know how to do it all. Great video. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the feedback!
I always use white lithium spray lube. Also, not all doors have a torsion spring. Mine has extension springs and a cable sheave so it is important to also lubricate the sheave bearing on both sides of the door.
I was told from a garage door guy that do not use lithium spray, 3-IN-ONE is good to go.
I have tried all three lubes mentioned. Started with WD-40, Silicone, then white lithium spray grease. Lithium works best and is recommended by my garage door repair guy. My doors are quieter and have run smoother during operation since they were applied.
Doing door service for many years. For torsion springs I like gear or rear oil. Do not oil threaded area of cast spring winding and anchor cones. Gear oil drops on hinge pivoting spots. Gear oil on roller bearings. No grease in track. I won't use silicone sprays. Quickest way to get kicked out of a body shop. It can ruin paint jobs. Also not good for your lungs. When I use a spray lubricate, I prefer a Teflon based spray.
Teflon isnt any better, and might be worse, on your lungs. Ok for paint though.
@@HypocritesExposdat least it dries and nothing sticks to it
FYI, if you intend to do spray painting in your garage, stay away from silicone. The fumes will stay airborne and will cause fish eyes even several days after application.
What are fish eyes?
@@Frankie5Angels150 it’s like how oil and water don’t mix. So when you paint there will be spots in it where the silicone will break through the paint like you’re painting over a hole
Great tips. Thank you! 💪🙂👍
It was mentioned in the video but warrants emphasis. Be careful not to overtighten the sheet metal screws holding the hinges to the door sections.
It was mentioned.
Thank you. Excellent video. Would have thought to lubricate the rails but see not advised. Know about the wd40 already because of my squeaky office chair lol. A degreaser it is. Use grease instead. Good tip on the silicone. Thanks again.
You are very welcome! Glad have been able to help. Thanks for the feedback!
My 2 car door had a recent disaster. My door mechanism is different from yours. Has 2 springs on either side. One of the steel angle iron that holds at the end of the track cracked letting the tract drop in a cockeyed way. With great effort I was able to raise the door and repair the bracket with a new steel angle. The door went up and down as it should but on the side that had been repaired it left a 5-inch space off floor. The problem was the hinges that are located on the door edge (not the hinges in your video). I loosened the bolts, pushed the door down to the floor and then tightened the bolts. The door now goes flat to the floor. Apparently, the door when collapsing skewed the hinge alignment. I lubed same as you. I discovered an installation error from many years ago. The new door was 2-3 inches Less in width than the old door. The vertical track that is bolted to the garage wall was not directly in line above with the edge of the door. Therefore, the primary wheel that the cable runs in that pulls the door up was off about 2-3 inches probably putting a strain on the entire mechanism. I removed the bolts holding the track to the wall, moved the track 2 inches over so the cable was now vertical into the pully wheel. Hope that's clear, Jim
Thank you Sir. I really needed this info to motivate me for much needed and overdue garage door service! Also, thank you for the silicone spray tip. WD-40 is my favorite for many things, but I have come to realize that it will degrease/remove existing lubricants, as it displaces water too.
You are very welcome! Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback Russ!
WD40 is a rust remover but somewhere along the way it started being universally used as a lubricant. it will work but is not the best product for lubrication.
Just a bit of trivia, the "WD" in WD-40 stands for Water Displacement.
It's origin is a fascinating story, developed by a self-trained chemist for the purpose of keeping ice from forming on rockets.
Thank you for this video it was exactly what I was looking for and needed👍
You are very welcome! Really glad to hear you liked it! Thanks a lot for the feedback!
Thanks for you informative "have-to-do-clip"!
I thought I had lubed everything that could be lubed. Still had a horrendous screeching going on. I finally figured out that it was the torsion spring. White lithium grease spray did the magical trick.
People either forget or just don’t realize that WD40 is water displacement formula number 40. As you noted it was never envisioned to be used as a lubricate, not even the bedroom door! Great vid, this is my once of year service on all 4 garage doors.
Glad you liked it. Thanks a lot for the input!
I have 8 garage doors
WD-40 is FISH OIL....intended to displace water/moisture from electronic assemblies. It has very limited lubricating capability...then dries out with exposure to air.
Amsoil mp heavy duty. Basically a spray wax that dries so its not tacky. Really quiets the door down. Spray on every moving partn pin, and roller
From about 80 down to 70 doesn't seem like much .... but the way the decibel scale works is that an increase in 10 points equates to being 10 times louder. In other words, the work on the door in this case, since the level went down by 10, made the door 10 times quieter. That's significant.
Appreciate the breakdown. I did not know that. Thank you!
Also noticed he was talking during the first reading, NOT THE SECOND.
@@7700778737 I was not talking during the First reading either. That is a voice over. You can see the video cuts to the first reading but the audio doesn't from when I am talking during the scene prior. If I was talking during the first reading you would also hear the garage door in the audio.
That's called a "logarithmic" scale. And "Decibel" was named in honor of Alexander Graham Bell.
*2 times, not 10
Great vid. Thanks for making it. I will have to try this with my kids.
You are very welcome. Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback!
Now I know how to do it right. I'm going to Lowes to pick up a can that stuff that you used . My bedroom is above the garage and that stuff should cut down that loud noise the garage door makes. Thanks a whole lot for that great tip. Take care brother. 😊👍
Excellent presentation.
Thank you kindly!
I never thought to lube up the torsion spring above the door. To me, as a lifelong tech, all the rest was self-evident, but that spring escaped my attention.
For those that do have a chain drive, I would recommend a Teflon based lube. You may have to go to a bike shop to find it.
CRC Power Lube if you can bring the chain down to the ground.
There's also Muc Off for a non-spray version, which might be perfect for this.
Blaster is amazing auto engine and transmission mechanics. It's like Bible 4 them must have.
Pneumatic oil works for me. Also works great on your squeaky house door hinges, just remove the pins one at a time and oil them.
I prefer silicone over grease anywhere that dust and dirt can collect.
And, in addition to being a bit of a de-greaser, WD-40 also evaporates rather quickly, so it isn't very good at long term lubricating. It might work on a rusty or stuck bolt, but as a lubricant, after a short time, there's no lube left.
Great tips, I had new doors installed a couple of years ago and started to get noisy. I did all these things and it's like butter now.
Love to hear it! Glad it was able to help you get that door quiet again. Thanks a lot for the feedback Brian!
@@HowToHomeDIY Thank you and you're welcome
Biggest change in noise was replacing the old chain driven garage opener with a quiet belt driven opener with a low noise motor. Then I noticed the track noise. Second noisest item was the metal rollers. Replaced them with nylon ones. Much better. Then all that lube advice with Lithium lube and fixing track alignment and roller hanging points for smoother rolling. The majority of the remaining noise is joint slop which I had reduced by making the track and rollers smoother.
I have used motorcycle chain lube. It goes on like your garage door lube and I suspect it’s a similar effective product.
Simple yet effective
Yup, 10-15 minutes a year to keep everything well oiled and clean. Thanks for the feedback.
I lube our doors once every year or two, once is probably best. I use chain lube as they tend to stick better and not run or drip off over time. But any lube is better than nothing. I just figured I was the only one ever doing it since every other door I hear is squeaks like it's falling apart.
White lithium grease can build up over time and collect moisture. My garages are in MN and have large temperature changes, so keep that in mind.
And it traps grit and other debris.
Lithium spray. Couple times a year. Belt driven. Just the spring
Very through video, I missed some of these steps. Thank you for sharing!
Blaster Silicone Spray 100% effective. Nylon ball-bearing rollers will cut down the noise, but the ultimate noise suppressor i've found is the Liftmaster 8500W side mount shaft opener. the loudest noise it makes now is when the auto lock engages, TING.
Lots of Lubricant is a must!!
Yes carb cleaner works great
Great video with excellent tips. Thanks!
Outstanding video!
Really glad to hear you liked it! Thanks a lot for the feedback!
It would be very helpful to do a before and after on garage door maintenance. As it stands, this video is just a fancy owners manual. 🙏🔑✌️🇮🇱
well, love the back yard woods.
Very good. Thank you!!
You are very welcome! Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback!
Like the 20 year pro note below I found a light oil lubricant for the drive screw , screw rail ,hinges and roller bearings that lasts a long time , handles below freezing to hot southern summer temperature range and does not collect dust . It is motorcycle cable lubricant in an aerosol can with the red spray straw. I buy the big can of Moose cable lube but there are many brands. I like Moose because they suspend the pressure lube component really well so it does not settle in the can and clog the spray nozzle . ( PJ1 cable life clogs) The cable lubes are claimed non harmful to plastics but there is probably some small fraction of oligomers in the oil that would eventually degrade the plastic traveler so I wipe any that collects there off with a little rubbing alcohol . My painted wooden garage door is 35 years old , sun facing 1/2 day , gets used at least 4 times a day and still going strong .
Around 3:00 you tighten the bolts holding the hinges. On your door the hinges are connected to metal vertical. On a door like I have the bolts screw into the door panel itself, which has some thickness to it. Think machine screws (yours) vs wood screws (mine). On such a door I would be very concerned about stripping the threads.
That said, I followed your approach to lubrication, and the improvements were GREAT! Thanks!
It’s been a while since I made this but I believe I mentioned not over tightening them. Glad you got such good results! Thanks a lot for the feedback!
Fluid film great stuff
Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback!
I noticed that WD-40 also attracts dirt which will wear things. Thanks so much for this. You have pointed out some things I did not know.
You are very welcome! Really glad to hear you liked it! Thanks for the feedback Tim!
Thank you for these tips! I am going to do them to my door. 😊
For those that don't know. A 9dB difference is 8x quieter for Max, and 12dB is 16x quieter for average!. That is a big difference!
Yes, huge differences. I reduced the peak loudness by 7dB on the way up and it sounds significantly quieter.
Where you getting those numbers? I have always heard 10 dB is considered twice as loud or quiet.
If you're talking electrical dB, when you double the power, its 3dB louder. Double again then double again and you're using 8x the power to make it 9dB louder. But it's not even twice as loud to the ear
@@pistol4three265 You are right! Thanks for pointing it out. I did not know hearing was logarithmic. Never to old to learn something new 🙂
@@mslarsen2 no problem. Thanks for not taking it the wrong way
One thing I found on my garage door is the aluminum panels originally has some glue glued to the vertical support metal beam, those glue get harden and got separated, I re-glue but before that, drill and add small scews/nuts thru the panel and the beams. I also replace metal screws at top and bottom brackets with bolts and lock nuts, be careful here because brackets are under spring pressure.
Use Acoustic Sound Sealant on non-insulated doors where the stiles (vertical pieces supporting each panel) meet the sheet metal face. This prevents the sound from resonating through the panel as well as removing a common source for noise to occur. You can use it under hinges, but the improvement is often minimal. Change rollers to sealed bearings. Don't use a lubricant that allows for the collection of dust/dirt.
do you have a picture?
@@emilianm4623 Of the stiles? They are on the inside of the door, and usually have hinges attached to them, and they run vertically. Just look at anywhere the door skin meets other metal supports or pieces.
Check new or old nylon rollers for any metal shavings imbedded in them. After drilling/cutting/making modifications to my track/hardware, 2 out of 10 of my rollers picked up some metal shavings and created a shrill squeak that I didn't have before. Oops! 😑... otherwise 3M silicone (paste) keeps everything else quiet.
I cleaned and lubed all those spots and it was still noisy. I tracked it down to the center bearing for the shaft that the springs attach to. A little lube on that center bearing and very quiet now
Im going to be doing this to my garage door
Very helpful video. Thank you 😀👏
Very helpful information. Thanks much.
I love silicone spray - it's cheap and very useful. 🙏👍
Yes it is!
Thanks brozi