Your Complete Guide to Garage Door Hardware Lubrication
Spring is officially here, which means it’s time to add lubricating your garage door hardware to your spring-cleaning list! The average American garage door is opened and closed multiple times a day, leading to significant strain on its moving parts, as well as loud and unpleasant noises. Lubricating your garage door parts on a regular basis ensures that your garage continues to operate smoothly and quietly by cleaning corrosion and oxidation off metal. Read on to learn exactly what you need to check this task off your to-do list!
How Often to Lubricate
To keep garage door parts operating smoothly, we recommend applying lubricant once per season (about every three months). If you notice increasing squeaking and grinding noises from your garage door, it’s probably a sign that it’s time to lubricate again. However, if your garage door is still noisy even after properly lubricating the appropriate parts, it could be a sign of a more serious issue. Contact a professional to inspect your garage door if you have any additional questions or doubts.
Preparation
When lubricating your garage door hardware, oil-based lubricants such as WD-40 are not ideal because oil is more susceptible to dirt and dust buildup. The DURA-LIFT Eco-Stream Pro Lube is multi-purpose and can be used on all garage door parts, as well as other tools like machine tools, air valves, and firearms. When you’re applying lubricant, it may be helpful to have a rag handy to wipe up any excess lubricant drips. Finally, make sure you protect anything you don’t want to potentially get grease stains on, such as your clothing or the garage floor.
What to Lubricate
Beyond knowing that it’s important to regularly lubricate your garage door parts, it’s also vital to know what parts you should and should not lubricate. For example, it is safe to lubricate plastic rollers, steel rollers, and nylon rollers with exposed bearings. However, never lubricate nylon rollers with sealed ball bearings, such as the DURA-LIFT® Ultra-Life or Ultra-Life MAX. These rollers do not require any maintenance.
Similarly, you should never lubricate garage door tracks because this can lead to excessive dust collection and hinder the door’s operation. Instead, wipe down tracks with a damp rag and, if necessary, a grease cleaner. See below for a complete list of which hardware can and cannot be lubricated.
How to Lubricate
Use a light touch and careful movements when lubricating garage door hardware, ensuring that an abundance of grease is not dripping off. Immediately wipe away any excess lubricant with the rag so that your door doesn’t become unbalanced. Additionally, ensure that you’re thoroughly lubricating the most critical parts of your garage door hardware. For example, you’ll want to lubricate steel hinges at their pivot points and the ball bearings on rollers where the roller meets the shaft. Once you’ve finished lubricating all parts of your garage door, open and close it several times to ensure that the lubricant is evenly distributed.
With these tips in mind and a regular lubrication schedule, you’re ready to tackle your own loud and squeaky garage door. Shop DURA-LIFT’s premium lubricants here.
