# Noisy garage door: what to lubricate and what to leave alone Updated: 2026-10-24 · https://pros411.com/en/guides/garage-door-repair/garage-door-noisy ## Short answer To quiet a noisy garage door, close it and unplug the opener. Spray a garage door lubricant, silicone or white lithium, on each hinge and on the roller bearings, one short burst each. Wipe the tracks with a rag but do not grease them. Leave the springs and cables alone. Plug the opener back in and run the door a few times to spread it. > Safety first: Springs and cables are under heavy tension: do not touch, tighten or adjust them. Lubricate only with the door closed and the opener unplugged, from a sturdy step ladder. ## How to quiet a noisy garage door ![Cartoon garage door squeaking as it opens, with a can of lubricant on the way](https://pros411.com/img/guias/garage-door-noisy.webp) 1. **Squeaks, rattles and grinding.** Dry hinges and rollers squeak every time the door moves. It gets worse in cold weather and on doors that were never lubricated. 2. **Close the door and unplug the opener.** Work only with the door all the way down and the opener unplugged, so nobody can start it while your hands are on it. 3. **Spray each hinge.** Use a garage door lubricant, silicone or white lithium. Give the pivot of every hinge one short spray and wipe off drips with a rag. 4. **Spray the roller bearings.** Aim at the small bearing in the center of each roller, not at the track. On nylon rollers, spray only the bearing. 5. **Not the tracks, not the springs.** Wipe the tracks clean with a dry rag: grease there collects dirt. Leave the springs and cables alone, they are under heavy tension. 6. **Plug it in and run it a few times.** Open and close the door two or three times to spread the lubricant. Still grinding or banging? Call a technician. ## What each noise means - Squeaking: dry hinges or rollers. Lubricate them. - Rattling: loose hardware or worn rollers. A technician can tighten and replace them. - Grinding or scraping: worn rollers, a bent track or a problem in the opener. - A loud bang, then the door won’t open: likely a broken spring. Stop and call. ## What not to do - Do not grease the tracks. Dirt sticks to it and the rollers start to slide instead of roll. - Do not touch, tighten or adjust the springs, the cables or the brackets at the bottom corners where the cables attach. - Do not spray the belt on a belt-drive opener. It does not need lubricant. ## How often Once or twice a year is enough for most doors, and before winter is a good time. If the door is still loud after that, ask for a tune-up: the technician checks the rollers, the cables, the springs and the balance of the door. ## When to call a garage door technician - It grinds, scrapes or bangs even after lubricating. - Rollers are cracked, wobbly or missing pieces. - The door shakes, jerks or moves unevenly. - A spring or a cable looks rusty, frayed or out of place. Find garage doors in your city: https://pros411.com/en/garage-door-repair ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best lubricant for a garage door? A spray made for garage doors, usually silicone or white lithium. It goes on thin and does not collect much dirt. ### Should I lubricate garage door tracks? No. Wipe them clean with a dry rag. Grease in the tracks collects dirt and keeps the rollers from rolling. ### Can I use WD-40 on my garage door? Plain WD-40 works better as a cleaner than as a lubricant, so it wears off fast. Use a garage door lubricant for the hinges and the rollers. ### Why is my garage door so loud when it opens? Usually dry hinges and rollers, worn rollers or loose hardware. If it grinds or bangs, the problem may be the track, a spring or the opener. ### How often should I lubricate my garage door? About once or twice a year. Do it more often if the garage is very dusty or the door opens many times a day. ### Should I lubricate garage door springs? Leave the springs to a technician. They are under heavy tension, and a tune-up includes checking and lubricating them safely.