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When a garage door is working well and is in good repair, it should open and close in relative silence. So what if your garage door is making a banging and clanging noise when it opens or closes? Then there is almost certainly something wrong with either the door or the opening mechanism. Here's a look at some common problems that cause garage doors to make banging sounds and how a repair team is likely to fix them.
Loose Rollers
Most garage doors roll down a track when they open and close. The roller, which is like a little wheel that rests inside the track, is usually attached with a screw or two. If this screw becomes loose, then the roller may bang around within the track when the garage door is moving. A garage door repair team can tighten the screw, or, if needed, they can replace the whole roller with one that stays more tightly attached.
Loose Tracks
It's also possible that the tracks themselves have come loose. They may be moving around and banging against the ceiling as your garage door opens and closes. When this is the case, the garage door repair team will need to tighten several screws that hold the tracks in place. They may also apply some adhesive over those screws so that they do not come loose again.
Rusted Panels
If you have a garage door with horizontal steel panels, take a close look at the edges of those panels. Do they appear rusty, pitted, and worn? If so, chances are good that the rusted panels are making the banging noise. The panels have to bend relative to each other as your garage door lifts and descends. The rust may interfere with that, causing the panels to bang against one another. A garage door repair team can remove and replace the most rusted panels. But in some cases, this is a sign that you should have your whole garage door replaced. It's often cheaper to replace the door than to continue having repairs made as the rust spreads in the coming years.
If your garage door is making banging noises, then you probably either have loose rollers, a loose track, or rusty panels. Contact a garage door repair company in your area, such as Plano Overhead Garage Door, and have them take a look. They can give you a quote for repairs or a replacement, and you can go from there.