One of the easiest ways to maintain your door at home is to lube it about twice a year, or as needed. Lubing your door is quick and simple, but there are a few basic rules you should follow to ensure that your door stays in pristine condition. I’ve laid out 7 rules for you to follow that will make sure that your door keeps operating smoothly, and as quietly as possible!
First though, lets talk about how to know if your door needs to be lubed: Doors should be lubed about every three months, or four times a year! However, the opener rail only needs to be lubed about once a year or so.
If your door is excessively noisy, it might be a sign that it would benefit from being lubed. Of course, there are a few other things that could be the issue, but lubing is a great place to start. Keep an eye out for a future post on How to Fix a Noisy garage door!
As a kid, my dad was religiously
dedicated to the old faithful, WD-40. “You can use this for anything” he told
me. For the most part he was right, except for in respect to garage doors.
WD-40, and products like it are not actually lube. They just degrease , and
remove rust from metal parts making them easier to move and less squeaky.
Degreasing is NOT what you need for your garage door.
Get a silicone based spray lube (you can call or visit us at our home office to
get this) or a white lithium based lube.
The spray silicone lube is the most highly recommended, and as I said you can
go into our office to pick up a can.
- Make sure you have the correct type of lube
2. Wipe down the parts of your door that will need to be lubed
The different parts of your door that will need to be lubed are as follows: Springs or spring, rollers, hinges, end bearing plates, and the opener rail.
Wiping these things off with a damp rag will help the lube to penetrate and eliminate any friction caused by dirt and grime.
3. Springs
Spray a steady stream from one end of your spring to the other. The coils of your springs rub together every time you open and close your door. So lubing the whole springs will make this friction less damaging on the metal.
4. Rollers
Spray a quick stream just behind the roller, at the base of the stem
5. Hinges
Spray each hinge at the stems and the pivot points of the hinges to reduce squeaking.
6. End Bearing Plates
Spray the inside and outside sides of the cable drum by the end bearing plates. This will reduce the amount of noise that comes from the spring shaft spinning.
7. Opener Rail
The opener rail doesn’t need to be lubed as often as the other parts of your door, only about once a year or as needed. Spray the bottom of the rail where the trolley travels.