Nothing seems more irritating than the rattling and grating sound from your garage door when you operate them. People often overlook these unusual sounds as they think it isn’t that critical. Contrary to what people believe, any kind of unusual and unpleasant noise from your garage door when it’s in operation can indicate an underlying problem. Perhaps, the rollers are worn, or the moving parts of your door are too dry to operate properly.
Rust on these parts makes it super challenging for them to function normally, which is why experts recommend that you lubricate the garage doors once or twice a year to keep them in tip-top condition. In this post, we have shared a step-by-step guide to help you understand the process of lubricating garage doors. Keep reading.
Choose the Perfect Lubricant
A spray lubricant is easy to use and allows you to oil the entire door in one attempt. Try silicone or lithium lubricant. While selecting a lubricant, keep in mind that WD-40 is not used for oiling a garage door and should never be used on the door’s surface. It’s known for breaking down rust, so it’s more of a cleaner than a lubricant. Likewise, do not use engine oil or grease, as these products collect dust and dirt on the surface, which may eventually damage your garage door.
Steps for Lubricating Your Garage Door
1. Clean the Tracks
Before starting work on the garage doors, close them. The tracks connect the rollers (wheels that pull the doors up and down) to the garage doors. These tracks must be in good condition to ensure smooth movement of the roller. Note that you don’t have to lubricate the tracks, but clean them. Use a cotton cloth to wipe any dirt and dust on the tracks.
Use a chemical-based cleaning solution to loosen the stubborn solid debris that’s accumulated on these tracks. If you notice any grime that’s too hard to be removed with a regular cleaning detergent, you should try an automotive brake cleaner. You can also use a vacuum cleaner with a hose attached to it to give your garage door a smooth finish.
Tip: You must keep the tracks clean to extend the life of the rollers and other moving parts. Inspect the tracks every month and use a cleaning solution to remove dirt.
2. Lubricate the Rollers
Next to the hinges, there are a set of circular rollers that put your garage doors in motion as you open them. These rollers are responsible for moving the doors up and down. If you hear unusual sounds from the garage doors while they are in motion, lubricate the rollers.
Use a hose for proper application. You can connect the lubricant spray to a thin hose to ensure that the solution lubricates the rollers properly. Note that the lubricant shouldn’t touch the nylon rollers. If you have these rollers, spray them carefully so that only the bearings are lubricated. The same goes for metal rollers. Just make sure you don’t spray too much lubricant.
3. Move on to the Hinges
Like rollers, hinges can cause a lot of noise when they are left unlubricated for a long time. You can use the same hose attachment to apply lubrication to these hinges. For hinges, you are going to need to lift the door until it reaches the top, giving you smooth and easy access to the hinges. You may need a friend for this. Your friend can lift the door while you spray lubricant.
Tip: Hinges made of plastic do not need lubrication.
4. Lubricate Springs
Located on the top of the garage doors, springs featuring a bearing plate on both sides must be lubricated periodically to ensure the smooth operation of your garage doors. For proper lubrication, wipe the springs and the bearing plates with grease and try to move the doors up and down to spread them across the springs. While lubricating the springs, take a close look at them. See if they are damaged or worn in any way. Lubrication won’t work if the springs or the bearing plates are loose. You need to replace them. That calls for professional help.
5. Lubricate the Top Rail
The top rail has the chain and is another crucial component of your garage door. You may need a ladder to reach the railing. If you haven’t seen it before, it runs parallel to your ceiling. You can look at the chain to get there. The chain runs along the railing to operate the garage door. While you are lubricating it, find the arm bar and lubricate that too. It attaches your top rail to the garage door.
6. Lubricate the Locks
Last but not least, lubricate your garage doors to ensure smooth locking and unlocking mechanism. Make sure the locks can accumulate rust over time. Spray lubricant into the keyhole too.
Important Tips
- Each garage door is built differently and has a varied set of components that might open and close the door. You can find the information regarding your garage door in the user manual. Read it thoroughly before lubricating the doors, as the manual shows you which parts must be lubricated and which shouldn’t.
- Hire a professional for lubrication if you haven’t done it before.
7. Test The Door
Once you are done, turn on the power and operate the garage door. Open and close the door a couple of times to ensure that the lubricant has spread evenly across all moving parts. While operating the doors, notice whether they are closing and opening smoothly. Stand close to the door and listen to the sound it produces while in motion. The moving parts of your garage doors need lubrication twice a year and more often, depending on the weather in your area and how frequently you use the doors. If lubrication doesn’t solve the issue, it is time to contact a professional technician to look into the matter. Perhaps, the moving parts of the garage doors are worn and need replacement, or there’s some other problem with the door.