Why is my roll up door so noisy?

What the noise tells you

A roll up door is a steel curtain of slats that coils around a barrel above the opening. Springs inside or along the barrel balance its weight, and the curtain ends ride up and down in two side guides. Each of those parts makes its own sound when it wears, so listen for where the noise comes from and when it happens.

What you hear	Where	Likely cause	What to do
Squeal or squeak	Top corners, at the end brackets	A dry or worn barrel bearing	Grease it if it has a fitting; call for service if it still squeals
Scraping or grinding	In the side guides	Grit or grease in the guides, a bent guide, or curtain ends rubbing	Wipe the guides clean and dry; call if a guide is bent
Banging or slapping	Along the curtain as it moves	Loose or missing endlocks or windlocks, or loose guide bolts	Call for service to fasten or replace them
Rubbing or scuffing	At the top, where the curtain coils	The curtain rubbing the hood, the header or the headplate bracket	Call for service; the coil or hood needs setting
Clatter or clank	At the chain hoist or motor drive	A dry roller chain, worn gears or sprockets out of line	Clean and oil the chain; call if the gears are worn
Groaning or straining	The motor or the hand chain	The door is out of balance and too heavy	Stop using it and call for service
Slam at the bottom	The bottom bar hitting the floor	Weak spring tension or a motor limit set too low	Call for service
One loud bang, then a heavy door	Inside the barrel	A broken spring	Do not run the door; call for service

The usual causes, one by one

Dry or worn bearings

The barrel turns on a bearing at each end bracket. A dry bearing squeals every time the door moves, and a worn one grinds or knocks. DASMA's maintenance sheet for building supervisors says to call for service when a bearing looks or sounds worn or damaged. If the bearing has a grease fitting, a pump or two of grease often quiets it. If it has no fitting, or it is still loud after grease, the bearing needs replacing.

Grit, grease or a bent guide

The guides should stay clean and dry. Grease in a guide holds sand and road grit, which then grinds on the curtain ends, and a guide bent by a forklift or a truck pinches the curtain so it scrapes and drags. DASMA says the guide gap should be even from top to bottom and a bent guide should not bind the curtain or the bottom bar. Wiping the guides with a dry rag fixes the first problem. A bent guide needs to be straightened or replaced.

Loose endlocks, windlocks and guide bolts

Endlocks and windlocks are the small pieces on the ends of the slats. They keep the slats from sliding sideways and hold the curtain in its guides. When one comes loose, the curtain slaps and rattles as it runs. DASMA says they should be fastened tight to the slat ends, and that guide fasteners should be secure in every hole or slot. Loose bolts on the guides or wall angles let the whole guide rattle, too.

The curtain rubbing the hood or header

As the curtain coils, it should clear the hood over the barrel and the wall above the opening. DASMA's sheet says the curtain and bottom bar should move freely and not rub the header, and to call for service if the endlocks rub the headplate brackets. Rubbing at the top usually means the coil has grown out of line, the hood has been knocked down, or the brackets have shifted.

A dry chain or worn gears

Doors run by a chain hoist or a motor have a roller chain and sprockets, and some have gears. A dry chain clatters, sprockets out of line make the chain jump and clank, and worn gears grind. DASMA lists cleaning and lubricating the roller chain and gears, checking for broken teeth, and lining up the sprockets as regular care. Our guide on how to lubricate a roll up door covers which parts take oil.

A door out of balance

If the motor groans, strains or slows halfway up, or the hand chain is hard to pull, the springs are no longer carrying the door's weight. DASMA says a door run by hand should take no more than about 35 pounds of pull on the hand chain or 25 pounds on a crank. A door that needs much more has a spring problem, and running it that way wears out the motor and the chain.

What you can safely do

1. Close the door and cut the power. Lower the door fully, then switch off the motor so no one can run it while you work.
2. Wipe the guides clean. Run a dry rag down the inside of both guides and pick out gravel, leaves and tape. Do not grease them.
3. Look for loose parts. Check the guide bolts, the endlocks along the slat ends and the hood. Note anything loose or bent.
4. Oil the chain and grease the bearings. Light oil on the roller chain, and grease at the bearing fittings if there are any.
5. Run the door and listen. Open and close it a few times. If the noise is gone, you are done. If it is not, note where it comes from and when.

Leave the springs, the tension wheel and the barrel alone. DASMA's warning is plain: the counterbalance is under extreme spring tension at all times, only a trained door technician should adjust or repair it, and the tension wheel should never be adjusted by a building's own staff.

Is a noisy roll up door dangerous?

A squeak or a little rattle is wear, not danger. A door that bangs, scrapes hard, slows down or feels heavy is a warning. Those sounds come from parts that can let the curtain bind, come out of a guide or drop. DASMA advises a check by a trained technician at least once a year, and right away after high wind or a hit to the door.

Common questions

Why does my roll up door make so much noise when it opens?

Most often a dry or worn bearing at the barrel, grit in the guides or a dry drive chain. Listen at the top corners for a squeal, in the guides for scraping, and at the hoist or motor for a clatter.

Can I use WD-40 on a noisy roll up door?

Only to clean. WD-40 loosens old grime, but it leaves too thin a film to protect a chain or bearing, so follow it with a real oil or grease. Never spray it, or anything else, into the guides.

Why does my roller door make a popping or banging sound?

A pop as the door moves is usually an endlock catching or a curtain jumping in a bent guide. One loud bang, followed by a door that is suddenly heavy, is often a broken spring. Do not run the door after that. Call for service.

Why is my storage unit door so loud?

Storage unit doors are light and often run open springs on the axle, so dry springs, loose endlocks and dirty guides all carry sound. A light coat of lubricant on the open springs and clean guides often quiets them.

Is this the same as a noisy garage door at home?

No. A home sectional door folds up in panels on rollers and hinges, so its noise has other causes. See how to reduce garage door noise for that door.

How G Brothers helps

G Brothers repairs roll up and rolling steel doors across the Denver metro, from storefronts and warehouses to loading docks, and works on self-storage unit doors regularly. We service every operator brand and type, including hoist and chain hoist operators, and carry stock on the truck for most repairs. When a door is noisy, the technician finds the part making the sound, fixes it, and runs the door through full cycles before leaving. See roll up and rolling steel door repair, storage unit door repair and commercial garage door maintenance, call (720) 421-6489 or request a free estimate.

If the noise came with a door that will not go all the way down, see why a roll up door won't go down.

Sources

• DASMA, TDS 270: Recommended Rolling Door Maintenance Practices for Building Maintenance Supervisors
• DASMA, TDS 269: Rolling Door Performance Evaluation by a Facility Manager or a Building Superintendent