Why is my Garage Door shaking when opening and closing?

While the noise and movement can be annoying, a shaky garage door can also lead to long-term damage so at the first sign of this symptom, it is best to immediately get your door inspected. Let's explore the most common reasons a door shakes, as well as what you need to do to get your garage door literally back on track.

Worn or Loose Garage Door Components

Modern automatic garage doors come with a variety of components to make them work, and a fault with any of these can cause a garage door to shake. Hinges on the door itself allow it to bend as it rolls up parallel to the ceiling, but if they are stiff and without sufficient lubrication, they can cause a juddering noise as the hinge stands up to the weight of the rising door.

Next are the rollers, which are wheels, that sit inside the tracks, which are the railings that the door runs along to open and close. Stiff rollers or dirt in the track can cause friction and grinding to occur. Further, if either of these components are coming loose, the weight of the door opening and closing can cause significant additional movement.

Issues with the Garage Door Opener

The garage door opener is a motor with a cog inside that pulls the belt or chain to lift or lower the door in a controlled manner. If the chain doesn’t catch on the internal cog correctly, it can cause the door to slip and shudder during lifting. This can be a result of internal misalignment or internal dirt or debris (other times dust) that is clogging up the cog or chain.

If left unrepaired this can cause further potential problems including the need for an entirely new motor. If caught early, the motor may only need the replacement of a couple of parts to get it working correctly again. Listen to your garage door motor as it operates. Sounds of whirring engines, grinding, or slippage can all be signs that there are issues inside the unit's casing.

Poor Installation or Balance Problems

Sometimes the issue is not the garage door or its opener at all, but problems that occurred during installation. Unbalanced doors and installation errors can certainly be responsible for shaking doors, especially if you are experiencing problems with a new garage door or home build.

You can use a tape measure to check that both sides (where the rollers run and the track begins) are equal. You can also get down to ground level and watch the garage door lower. If both sides touch the ground at exactly the same time, fantastic! If not, then this is a pretty good indicator that poor installation is responsible for your shaking door. This requires an urgent fix, as the combination of shaking and misalignment of weight can cause severe wear and tear far faster than normal, especially when one track is forced to handle more than its share of weight.

While there are DIY troubleshooting tips you can try, we do not recommend them unless you are 100% confident in doing so. Please do not attempt to dismantle, replace, or otherwise fix anything yourself.

Due to the intricate moving parts involved and the door's weight, the risk of injury or causing further damage is too high for most people. It is always best to call in a professional who has the equipment and expertise to get the job done safely.

However, there are some minor things you can do in between servicing visits to help keep your garage door working at its best.

Clean the Garage Door Guides

Keep the guides clean and free of debris and wash the door panels with soapy water to prevent grit, dirt, and other contaminants from clustering around the rollers and spoiling the tracks. Use a cloth and methylated spirits or turps to wipe down grime, and keep your fingers clear of the rollers to prevent injury.

Lubricate Moving Parts

Lightly oiling hinge points with an all-purpose machine oil (like 30W) every 3–6 months helps keep all components moving freely and prevents friction damage and other signs of wear and tear. You can also add oil to the roller "axles" but make sure you wipe away excess oil from the rollers or tracks.

If the basic DIY maintenance above does not help your shaking garage door, it is time to call in the professionals, garage door technicians who can assess the entire system, diagnose the issues, and get your garage door working properly in no time. The importance of calling in professional maintenance for safety reasons must be emphasized!

Moving rollers can crush fingers, sharp edges can cause accidental cuts, a failing roller door can fall quickly and with incredible force, and the internal components of the motor contain an electrical circuit, which can cause severe injury by electric shock if not handled correctly. It is always best to leave these types of jobs to those who have hundreds of hours of experience doing them.

Why does my garage door shake when I open and close it?

Garage door shaking can be a result of worn or loose components, problems with the motor, or poor installation.

How do I stop my garage door from vibrating?

Vibrations are caused by components not moving smoothly together, often caused by misalignment.

How to stop the garage door from jerking when opening?

Making sure your tracks are clear of dirt and that moving components are properly lubricated will help to stop the garage door from jerking.

Why does my garage door keep bouncing open?

This may be a result of your garage door's safety sensors being faulty. Modern garage doors automatically open if they detect they have hit something other than the ground (such as a car or person). If these sensors are reading incorrectly, they may view the ground as a hazard.

What is the life expectancy of a garage door and opener?

The average life span of a modern garage door is between 15 and 20 years, though this depends on the material it is made from and the climate and weather conditions it faces. For the opener/motor, an average life expectancy is 10 to 15 years.

Not all garage door services are created equal, so finding the right one to prolong your garage door's life expectancy is a big deal. You can find a reliable technician by checking their online presence. First, look to see that they are qualified on their website. A good repair service should have experience in a wide range of door types, models, and makes.

Next, make sure they have a good quality warranty on any work they undertake then peruse their customer reviews to see what previous satisfied customers had to say about their experience. With these steps, you can find a trusted garage door repair service like Steel-Line.

So, if your garage door is shaking when it opens and closes, is making strange noises during its operation, or doesn't seem as efficient as it once did, call Steel-Line today. With over 45 years of garage door service experience, Steel-Line is your go-to garage door service provider. Contact our professional team to book your next repair to keep your garage door running exactly as it should be.