How to Lubricate a Garage Door: 10 Steps
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A well-maintained garage door ensures smooth operation, reduces noise, and extends its lifespan. One of the essential maintenance tasks is lubricating your garage door. Here’s a simple 10-step guide on how to lubricate a garage door.
1. Gather materials: To lubricate your garage door, you’ll need a clean cloth, garage door lubricant (preferably silicone-based), and a step ladder.
2. Disconnect power: Before starting, ensure that the garage door opener is unplugged or disengaged to avoid accidental activation while working on it.
3. Clean the tracks: Use your clean cloth to remove dirt, dust, and debris from the garage door tracks. This will help prevent grime buildup that could impact the door’s performance.
4. Lubricate the tracks: Apply a small amount of lubricant on the tracks, focusing on the top half of each track. Do not over-lubricate, as this may lead to drip issues.
5. Lubricate the rollers: Rollers come in several materials, including steel and nylon. Apply lubricant on steel rollers but avoid nylon rollers. It is crucial to lubricate the roller bearings (the small round protrusion on each side of the roller).
6. Lubricate the hinges: Apply a small amount of lubricant to every hinge, especially where two parts move against each other during operation.
7. Lubricate the springs: Apply lubricant to torsion springs (located horizontally above the closed garage door) or extension springs (found alongside horizontal tracks). Be thorough but cautious to avoid injury.
8. Lubricate the bearings and bearing plates: Apply lubricant to any visible bearings or bearing plates – these are found at each end of torsion springs or at the end of extension springs near pulley assemblies.
9. Lubricate the lock: Apply lubricant inside the keyhole and on the moving parts of the lock mechanism. This reduces sticking when attempting to unlock the door manually.
10. Reconnect power: Plug in or reengage the garage door opener and test the door for smooth operation. If needed, wipe away any excess lubricant to avoid build-up.