Garage doors, like other appliances, require care, and lubricating your garage door is one item that should never be overlooked. Lubrication between moving parts lowers friction, assures optimum performance, and makes your door quieter. If you hear a grinding noise or your garage door mechanism isn’t moving smoothly, it’s possible your garage doors need to be lubricated.
Where should you lubricate?
Several components of your garage door require lubrication in order to function properly. The following are the most crucial areas to lubricate:
Tracks
Begin by wiping down the tracks with a cloth to remove any debris that may be interfering with your door’s smooth slide. You don’t need to grease the tracks, but keeping them clean is critical to the smooth operation of your door.
Springs
Spray the torsion springs in your garage door that lift the garage door up and down every day. Again, you only want to lubricate them enough to have them move better without pouring a lot of lubrication out.
Hinges
Steel hinges should be lubricated at their pivot points, but not the plastic ones. Plastic does not require lubrication, and in fact, it can cause the hinges to fail over time.
Rollers
If your garage door rollers feature nylon wheels that make contact with the track, oil only the bearings and avoid getting lubricant on the nylon. Although all-metal rollers don’t necessitate as much care, make sure to wipe away any extra oil to avoid it leaking on the garage floor or your car.
Locks
If your key sticks or the lock is difficult to open and close, lubricate it as well. Make sure to lubricate both the tumbler and the other working parts.
Selecting the Right Lubricant
There’s always a debate about which garage door lubricants are safe to use and which should be avoided. Don’t use WD-40 for the lubrication of your door. While the material helps metal parts move, it is not a lubricant. For all of your door’s moving parts, we recommend applying silicone spray or white lithium grease. Aerosols are particularly useful for lubricating small, difficult-to-reach locations.
If you use the correct lubricants, your garage door might sing a different tune the next time you open it after a long day at work.
To keep your garage door running smoothly, VP Commercial Garage Doors supplies expert garage door lubricant. Contact us at (847) 380-6448 or vpcommercialgaragedoors@gmail.com