Most of the calls we get this time of year start the same way: a homeowner notices their garage door is suddenly louder, slower, or jerkier than it was in August. Nothing dramatic happened overnight. What they're hearing is months of summer heat and monsoon dust finally catching up with the hardware, right as cooler nights start changing how the metal and lubricant behave. Late fall is actually the best window to get ahead of it, before the door is working against you every morning.