Why Is My Garage Door So Loud? How to Fix a Noisy Garage Door

Why is your garage door so loud? Common culprits include lack of lubrication, loose hardware, or worn parts. Learn how to fix a noisy garage door with simple DIY steps like lubricating moving parts and tightening bolts. This guide offers expert advice to silence those annoying squeaks and rattles.

By: Sean Donnelly | Published: May 8, 2025

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Garage doors have plenty of moving parts and get lots of use day-to-day. Given this, as well as environmental factors like temperature fluctuations and moisture, noisy operation is a common issue due to worn parts or hardware. We’ve broken down some typical sources for this along with some easy fixes. 

Feel free to contact one of our top recommended professionals for a consultation for repairs or maintenance if you don’t feel comfortable with DIY home upkeep.

Why Is My Garage Door So Loud? Common Causes of Garage Door Noise

Other than a usually-gentle hum from your motor, garage door openers should make fairly little noise. Regular maintenance and cleaning can help to mitigate or eliminate most other noise if your opener and all associated parts are new. 

New or louder-than-usual sounds from your opener could either indicate a problem or a need for a cleaning. In many cases, increased noise levels can be fixed with a diagnostic check followed by cleaning or a DIY repair. Replacing garage door rollers, lubricating your door components and other similar tasks are common fixes. 

Some other common noises, like loud pops or banging sounds could signify broken or damaged springs. We recommend professional care for any spring replacement or maintenance due to the safety concerns involved.

Identifying Different Garage Door Noises and What They Mean

Diagnosing the source of excess noises in your garage doors is usually an easy task. We’ve outlined the most common noise types and sources here:

Many high-pitched noises are due to a lack of lubrication on moving parts. Rollers, hinges, lift chains and dirty tracks could all be sources for this. If you hear prolonged squealing as your door is in operation, it is more than likely coming from your rollers or tracks. You’ll have to check each individual roller and hinge to determine their proper operation.

Grinding could indicate that your door and tracks are out of alignment, or that your rollers are frozen in place. Rust can build up in ball bearings or on the roller pin and prevent rotation when opening or closing your door. Aside from increased noise, this will accelerate the wearing process on your rollers and tracks. 

A key component of any garage door inspection is tightening of screws and hardware. Rattling can mean anything from loose hinges and springs, to a defective motor or slipping chain. If you’ve tightened all hardware and still notice that your garage door is vibrating when raising or lowering, you may have an opener motor issue. In this case, you should see one of our top pros for a consultation.

Spring issues will have a few obvious signs. For one, if your garage door opener strains to lift your door, it could signify a tension problem. You’ll have to replace, tighten or wind your springs. If you hear a loud bang during operation, this could mean that one of your springs has snapped. 

When springs break, you should lower your garage door and disconnect it from the opener motor by pulling your release cord. Your next step should be to call a local licensed professional to assist you.

DIY Solutions for Quieting Your Garage Door

Routine maintenance and some inexpensive fixes and upgrades can keep your doors in excellent operation for far longer.

Lubricating your garage door is an essential task that you’ll have to handle as a homeowner. A white lithium or silicone-based spray is ideal for garage door applications. Contrary to popular belief, using WD-40 is not recommended as a lubricant. 

Avoid applying lubricant to your tracks. Doing so can attract dirt and cause rust buildup. A thin layer of lubricant on the following components is recommended every four to six months:

  • Rollers
  • Springs
  • Locking mechanisms
  • Garage opener rail

Loose screws can lead to rattling and long-term damage to your tracks and opener. You can handle tightening of all ceiling mounting brackets, hinges and rollers. However, loose springs and garage door opener components will often require professional attention. The following tools are required:

  • Stepladder
  • Screwdriver
  • Socket wrench

Only tighten screws and bolts until they are secure and not moving during operation. Over-tightening can strip some screws or screw heads and make it difficult to attempt future repairs.

Individually inspecting each roller can sometimes be necessary to diagnose noise in your garage door. If your rollers look lopsided or bent, they may require replacement. Additionally, if you have ball bearing rollers, you may need to remove them from your door and tracks and test each one.

Upgrading to nylon ball bearing rollers will be the biggest upgrade if your only goal is noise reduction. Along with being quieter, these offer comparable lifespans to metal rollers.

Insulation is a worthwhile consideration for both interior climate control and noise reduction. Note that insulating a garage door can increase its overall weight, which may require spring or opener adjustments. 

If you go this route, we recommend that you insulate your entire garage; both noise reduction and temperature regulation will be minimized if you only insulate your door. Consider DIY kits for metal or composite doors. Polystyrene foam boards are the most common material found in these pre-made packages, and are priced between $115 and $160 per kit. 

Garage Door Opener Noise Reduction Strategies

Switching to a new opener type is the most obvious way to reduce noise while in operation. Chain drive motors are the most common system used in homes. If you have an attached garage, this could be a concern for you, as this type of opener will transfer the most noise to the rest of your residence. 

If you’ve recently move to a new home, or if your motor is more than a decade old, you may consider replacing it with one of the following options:

In addition, many newer motors are DC powered, which operates more quietly than conventional models. 

Advanced Noise Reduction Techniques

Aside from lubrication, there are several things you can address during your routine inspections which can reduce noise levels. 

If you notice that your door rollers are routinely slipping off the tracks, or that your door is sitting unevenly when raised, you could have an alignment issue. Loosening your ceiling brackets and using a mallet to gently tap your tracks back into line is an easy DIY fix. 

Further rattling during operation could be an indicator of loose hardware. Check your hinges, springs and rollers and tighten all screws to ensure that panels don’t come loose from the tracks or from the rest of the door. If it is just one panel that seems to be causing the problem you may want to consider replacing a single panel on your door.

When to Call a Professional Garage Door Technician

Garage door lubrication and inspection are almost always DIY tasks if you don’t encounter any larger issues with your doors.

Loud banging noises or stalling in your opener’s operation should signify a need for professional assistance. ProLift Garage Door cites an average cost of $75 to $150 per hour for labor, regardless of the repairs needed. Depending on the issue, this could include materials.

Popping or banging noises during operation could mean that your springs are broken or damaged. Due to the many safety issues surrounding spring problems, we always recommend that you get a professional opinion. The amount of tension on your springs and the prevalence of crushing injuries due to spring failure mean that the assurances offered by labor warranties and trained technicians are a must.

Preventative Maintenance for Quieter Operation

New garage doors typically have a lifespan of 15 years or more. Proper maintenance and occasional replacement of wearable parts or hardware can extend this to 30 years in some cases. 

We recommend that you conduct regular inspections of your system and lubricate all moving parts every four to six months to keep noise levels to a minimum. We’ve listed the expected lifespans of some garage door components to show when you can expect regular wear to affect your door.

Door ComponentTypical Lifespan
Garage door openerUp to 15 years
Extension springs10,000 cycles
Torsion springsUp to 20,000 cycles
Tracks10–30 years
Hinges15–25 years
RollersUp to 20 years

Frequently Asked Questions About Noisy Garage Doors

Yes, a noisy garage door can be a sign of failing hardware or an aging door opener. If you begin hearing excessive noise from your door, we recommend conducting a diagnostic check and completing repairs or maintenance as needed.

Lubricating your garage door twice per year is recommended in most temperate regions. If you live anywhere with extreme cold or by a shoreline with high salt content in the air, lubricating every four months should keep your doors operating smoothly.

This depends on the source of your noise. Certain opener types, like jackshaft or direct drive openers, can reduce your noise level, regardless of the condition of other hardware. However, we recommend that you check rollers, tracks and hinges before replacing your opener.

You should use either a white lithium- or silicone-based lubricant for your garage door. White lithium is a preferable option for metal-on-metal contact, while silicone works best for nylon rollers.

garage repair service provider repairing a garage door track

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