How to Use Lubricant Correctly on Your Garage Door
Posted on: 10 April 2019
If your garage door is making a racket every time you open it up, a little lubrication could be the solution to your garage door's loud operation. Before you grab a can of lubrication, you need to know what type of lubricant to use on your garage door and where to apply the lubrication.
Purchase the Right Lubricant
One of the most common home lubricants is WD-40. However, you should not use WD-40 on your garage door. WD-40 doesn't provide your garage door with the right level of lubrication to protect the moving parts that it is applied to.
The best type of lubricants to use on your garage door is a silicone spray lubricant. Or you can use a white lithium grease as well. Both these types of lubricants provide enough protection for the moving parts on your garage door without attracting dust or gumming up the moving parts on your door.
Know What to Lubricate & Clean
Next, you need to know what parts on the garage door you should apply lubrication to and how to apply the lubricant effectively.
Tracks: Use a rag to wipe off the tracks on your garage door. This will remove any materials that have built up. You don't want to lubricate the tracks; cleaning them is enough.
Springs: The springs are responsible for lifting your garage door open and closed. You want to spray lubricant on the springs. Don't spray so much those that lubricant drips off the springs. Just give them a light spray and try to cover the springs from all angles.
Hinges: What you do with the hinges depends on their material. If the hinges are plastic, do not apply lubrication. Lubricating plastic hinges will cause the hinges to break down. If the hinges are made from metal, you can apply lubrication to the hinges. Apply the lubrication at the pivot points of the hinges.
Rollers: With rollers, you once again need to determine the material they are made from. With all-metal rollers, you can spray the entire roller, covering all sides, and then use a rag to wipe away any excess lubricant. If you have nylon rollers, you need to be a little more careful. Only apply the lubricant to the metal bearings on the nylon wheels, and don't spray the lubricant onto the wheels themselves.
Lock: If your garage door has a lock, a little spray of lubricant on the lock can make it easier to use.
Once you have applied lubricant to all the moving parts on your garage, you should open and close your garage a couple of times in a row. This will help evenly distribute the lubricant over the moving parts. You should clean and lubricate your garage door a few times a year to ensure effective operation, not just when your garage door is making a lot of noise.
If lubricant doesn't help, it may be time to contact a local garage door repair service to come to inspect the door.
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