Does your commercial garage door seem to be getting louder? Are you finding yourself concerned about whether it is disrupting clients, employees, your business, or surrounding businesses? The noise from your garage door might not just be causing audio problems. It might be a sign of an actual problem with the door. A little noise from your garage door is to be expected, but too much noise could mean there is an underlying problem. So, it is advisable to figure out where the noise is coming from and then deal with not only the sound, but any larger concerns that might arise.
Depending on the details of your commercial garage door, many factors may be contributing to the noise. Sometimes they are caused by easy-to-solve problems that you can identify with a standard inspection. Take a look at the parts of your door – the nuts and bolts, the hinges, belts, and chains. You may be able to quickly see any causes of the noise (or even other problems like corrosion). In particular, here are some details to look out for and how you might fix them.
Friction
Sometimes there is excessive friction between parts of the door. These could be rollers, hinges, springs, tracks, the torsion system – all of which could be scraping together and leading to unpleasant sounds. The best way to deal with this is to apply lubricant to the moving part sof the door and places that come in contact with one another. You also may want to give your commercial door a tune-up, which is easily done by contacting us!
Loose Parts
It could be that loose hardware is rattling as the door operates. This is not only bad for the sound, but it is also bad for the door and can lead to rapid wear and the door having real difficulty operating. You can check this by gently tightening nuts, bolts, and screws – or by calling in a professional to check.
Electric Door Operator
This is the most common source of garage door noise. Older models have withstood years of wear and tear, which can naturally result in noise from the door operator. If you believe your electric door opener is the source of the noise, it is probably best to call a professional to look at why and whether you need a new operator.
Tracks and Rollers
Any damage with the tracks and the rollers can lead to significant noise as the two move against one another. If you think you are having any trouble with these parts, please do contact a professional to have them adjusted or, if necessary, replaced.
Balance
Commercial garage doors are heavy and need to stay in balance to operate well and to operate quietly. When you open the door part of the way, does it stay in the place where you leave it? If it moves up or down, the door might not be properly balanced. If that is the case, do contact a professional. That can cause not only noise problems, but operational problems.
The Chain
If your commercial garage door is operated by a chain, they can definitely become noisy quite easily. Fortunately, it is also pretty easy to fix! Lubricate your chains. If that doesn’t help as much as you would like, it might be time to think about replacing the chain or even upgrading to a different type of door opener.
Lack of Insulation
If you have tried everything else to quiet your door and nothing is working, you might check to see if your door is insulated. There are many advantages to having an insulated commercial garage door. One is that it will help absorb the sounds of door operation. This definitely could help dampen the sound – you just want to make sure that the sound isn’t signaling a more significant problem with the door that is looming in the future.
The best way to prevent your door from becoming too noisy is to provide your door with regular care and preventative maintenance. Perhaps, though, it is simply time for a new door. If you are having trouble with the noise from your commercial garage door, let us discuss options with you. We can help you find the right solution to make your door operate as smoothly – and as quietly – as possible for your business.
