Garage door scraping or rubbing sound
This is almost always a the door is rubbing the track or the frame. Repair costs $130 to $350 and takes 45 to 90 minutes. Safe to operate: Yes, but book it.
Check this first — it may cost you nothing
Find the scrape mark. Fresh bright metal on the track or frame tells you exactly where the door is touching.
Why this happens
Scraping is metal on metal where it should not be. Either a roller has come out of alignment, the track has shifted, or the door is sitting off-centre in the opening.
Scraping is the door dragging against a bent track section or a roller riding the track edge instead of its groove.
Less likely, but possible
- Track brackets working loose and letting the track drift inward
- A bent track from an impact
- The door out of square after a section was replaced
What happens if I ignore it?
Rubbing wears the track and the door edge, and adds load the opener overcomes on every cycle. Left long enough the roller escapes the track.
The repair: off-track repair
Garage door off-track repair costs $150 to $350 when the track is straight and the panels are undamaged. Forcing the door back by hand is what turns a straightforward repair into a panel replacement.
Read the full off-track repair guide →Get a tech dispatched
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