How To Fix A Squeaky Garage Door

Checking on your garage door is not something that immediately comes to the mind of a homeowner. In many cases, if the item is working properly in a home, the homeowner will assume that it is doing its job. Unfortunately, everything in your home will need maintenance at some point in its material life. Garage doors are so heavy and rely on a variety of moving metal parts. As those parts get old, they begin to struggle. Keep in mind that dust, dirt, and debris have full access to your garage door. The garage door keeps natural elements out of your garage and protects your cars and the interior of your home. When garage door parts start to break down and get old, they squeak. How to fix a squeaky garage door? Simply, maintaining your garage door parts with cleanings and lubrication allows them to last longer.

In some cases, the parts just get old and break down. At that time, it is important to hire a professional to swap out old parts with new and improved parts. Let’s take a look below at what we might need to accomplish this project.

Why Does It Squeak

Due to the nature of your garage door, it is the busiest item in your entire home. The average amount of times that your garage door can open and close in a year is about 1,500. That is a lot of wear and tear on any moveable item. Especially since the garage door is very heavy and works on a pulley system. With that being said, parts can break down or grind down over time. This causes the metal in your door parts to squeak as the metal rubs against the other metal pieces and then you have noisy garage doors. Let’s take a look at how you can fix the squeaky garage door parts.

How Do I Stop The Squeak

Well, one could assume that it’s easy to stop a squeaky garage door. However, when you are dealing with metal parts and pieces, anything is possible. Let’s explore the most likely areas that you will need to complete to fix the squeaky garage door.

Clean – use a damp cloth to wipe down all parts and pieces of the garage door from the inside of the garage. Hinges, track, wheels, springs, and other parts and pieces can collect dust, dirt, and debris. This can cause the door to slowly wear down, so if you don’t clean the door as you would clean any other areas of your home, squeaking can occur.
Tighten – oftentimes nuts and bolts can get loose over time. This would be a great time to tighten up those nuts and bolts and see if that is the metal rubbing and causing the squeaky noises.
Replace – rollers, tension springs, and hinges are often the first to break down. If you aren’t handy with nuts and bolts, or understand how the tension of a garage door works, it is best to call on a professional. Anytime you begin replacing parts, you risk the chance of severe injury to yourself.
Lubricate – using a garage door lubricant on your wheels, springs, joints, track and any other moveable part associated with a garage door is key. The majority of the time, this simple maintenance tip can save you from a squeaky garage door. Most homeowners can handle this one on their one.
Check – look at your garage door opener. In some cases, the garage door is squeaky because parts are loose on your garage door opener. Keep in mind that your garage door and garage door opener work in tandem. When one item has loose nuts and bolts or worn down parts, they can effectively create problems for each other. A proper inspection of both the garage door and garage door opener is key.

Garage door spring that needs cleaning and possible replacement.

What Do I Need

Anytime you are faced with a project, there inevitably are parts and pieces needed to complete the project. Not only will you need materials, but also equipment to assist with the cleaning or replacement of materials. Let’s take a look at the most important items.

How Much Does It Cost

Fixing a squeaky garage door can mean a few different things. Simply lubricating the springs, chain, and wheels on the door might solve your problem. In those cases, lubrication for garage doors typically costs about $7 a can. However, the bigger projects of replacing springs and chains, or hinges can cost you $200 to $400 depending on the parts and labor charges in your area. In many cases, updating all of your working parts on a garage door will run you about $900.

Other Recommended Maintenance

While you are looking into how to fix a squeaky garage door. Consider reading up on how to bypass your garage door sensors. When your garage door starts to act up, this also could be a contributing factor to the squeaking. This is a great time to study up all you can regarding your home’s garage door and garage door opener.

Another area of a garage that homeowners do not necessarily consider is the drywall in a garage. There are many garages built that have no drywall. Not only is it a good idea to install drywall to created additional insulation in your garage. It also creates an additional noise barrier. So, if you are experiencing a squeaky garage and you do not have drywall, this could pose a very frustrating problem for you as a homeowner.

Lastly, do not forget about natural elements. What do you do if you have a heavy rainstorm and you do not have gutters on your home? In many cases, the overflow of the water runoff comes down to your foundation and splatters on your garage doors. You might also notice the pooling of water in front of your garage door if the slope of your driveway is not properly done. So, understanding what to do with roof runoff when you don’t have gutters is an important piece to keeping your garage doors longevity at a maximum.

When Do I Call A Professional

When you are dealing with a garage door, it is very important to call on a professional. There are so many moving parts to a garage door, that if you aren’t an expert, you could end up causing more problems for yourself. Keep in mind, that cleaning the garage door parts and adding more lubrication are great first steps to solving your squeaky problem. However, if these two steps do nothing to change the issue, you can reach out to a professional garage door contractor to replace the various parts of your garage door.

This would also be a great time to call on your local home inspection team. If parts of your garage door are starting to wear down, it is a great idea to get a full home inspection. When parts begin to break down on one item, it is feasible that other areas of your home might need some attention. Getting a home inspection can save you time and money as you are made aware of other potential projects regarding your garage or other areas of your home.

Conclusion

Cleaning the parts of your garage door can be as simple as it is to spray window cleaner on your windows and clean them. However, that does not mean every homeowner is all in for home maintenance. Calling on your local professional garage door contractor to service your garage door is key. The garage door itself typically lasts 15 to 30 years depending on maintenance. Once you have determined that your garage door requires additional maintenance, you should call on your local home inspection team. Not only will you get a great reference from a reputable professional garage door contractor, but they can assess other areas of your garage and home that might need more maintenance. Call on Colorado Inspection Team to take a look at your garage door and garage during a home inspection in Castlerock, CO, and the Front Range areas.