Being in the garage door and garage door opener business, we hear a lot of stories from customers about old doors and openers that practically wake the neighbors with their noise every time the opener starts. Parents of newborns have told us of their frustrations with loud openers, especially after having just gotten their cranky baby to sleep (though parents of teenagers who break curfew don’t seem to have a problem with loud openers).

In nearly all the stories we’ve heard, the homeowners have an old opener that needs to be replaced. If your opener is more than 15 years old, it’s probably one that can be heard every time the remote button is pushed, causing a loud start at the beginning of the opening cycle; a shuttering, rattling sound as the opener moves the door up and down; and, a jolting stop when the opening cycle is complete. These noises, you’re no doubt aware, can often be heard in rooms surrounding the garage, too.

The sad truth is that garage doors do break over time just like automobiles and others devices that make our life easier throughout the day. However there are some do it yourself tips that you can use to prolong the life of the door and prevent a service technician to come to your house for repairs.