Things You Need To Know About Lubricating Your Garage Doors
Proper maintenance is vital to ensure that your garage doors continue running smoothly and quietly. If your garage door were getting louder each time you open and close it, lubrication would be a value solution. This doesn't mean that you wait for noise from your garage door to lubricate it. Nonetheless, when lubricating your garage doors, pay careful attention to some of the following significant things:
What Options Do You Have?
You can choose a lubricant from various options. The following are some of the lubricants that you may find suitable.
Grease
Grease is among the most common lubricants you can choose for your garage door. Nonetheless, it is sticky and easily attracts dust and dirt, meaning that it may not work so well with open parts. Therefore, using grease can attract grime to the moving garage door parts, interfering with the operation of your garage door.
Oil-Based Lubricants
Compared to grease, oil-based lubricants will better work their way into door parts. However, being a runny substance, oil-based lubricants can be messy because they may as well easily work their way out of your garage door parts. For this reason, check and clean any drips every day to keep the area clean.
Silicone-Based Lubricants
These types will come as sprays and would be the most effective to lubricate your garage door. Silicone-based lubricants also work well on porous items like plastic parts, and can lubricate various parts such as hinges and locks because it is non-reactive. Most silicone sprays are water resistant, meaning they will protect your metallic parts from moisture. This is important because it will act as a rust retardant as well. Silicone sprays are versatile because they will allow you to lubricate parts, such as locks, where you would otherwise find it difficult to lubricate with grease or liquid lubricants.
How Can You Effectively Lubricate It?
Start by cleaning both the inside and outside of your garage door to clear away any build-up of debris. To do this, dilute a liquid detergent in some warm water and gently clean the door with a sponge.
Here are some important areas to consider when lubricating:
- Springs: For full coverage, consider spray lubricants for your springs.
- Hinges: You need to lubricate at the points where every metal hinge pivots. Nonetheless, if your garage door has plastic hinges, don't lubricate them because the lubrication may degrade the material.
- Locks: Since it may be difficult to reach inside the tight spaces of the locks, consider using spray lubricants.
- Rollers: For rollers, apply the lubricant directly, and stick only to the bearings if the rollers have nylon wheels.
For more information, contact companies like AAA Panels & Garage Doors.