At first glance, a garage door looks like one solid piece, but it's actually made up of many moving parts and mechanisms. Different parts may need different greasing compounds and not all of them will require regular lubrication. So why do you need to lubricate your garage door and how often should you lubricate garage door?
Why Do You Need To Lubricate Your Garage Doors?
Lubricants keep moving parts in optimal condition. All new garage doors come lubricated so they function and work perfectly.
As time goes by, the lubrication can wear thin. When you operate your garage door, the lack of lubrication will cause stress and excessive friction to the moving parts as they rub against each other. More friction equals less efficient operation, which also makes the parts wear down faster.
The door's mechanism wears down and soon come to a grinding halt. You'll probably notice a loud, grinding sound or the occasional knocks and stutters, which should tell you that your garage doors need lubrication as soon as possible.
Types Of Lubricant And Grease
Believe it or not, there are different types of lubricants, each with their own uses. A lubricant for a drilling equipment, for example may not be the best for a garage door.
Garage door mechanisms tend to favor light grease. Look for lubricant products that are specially made for garage doors. The problem with heavy grease is that they tend to form a sludge and usually go over to the parts that don't need grease. What's more, the thicker liquid attracts dust and dirt which can interfere with the opening and closing mechanism over time.
Garage Door Lubrication Schedule
Garage door rails don't really need to be lubricated and should work fine if you apply grease once a year.
For the moving parts such as the tracks, the rollers, the springs and hinges, you will need to apply lubrication using light grease once every three months. Doing this extends the lifespan of your garage doors and makes for a smooth and silent operation each and every time -- especially when you want to adjust your garage every now and then.
If you notice your garage door slowing down, making a grinding sound or struggling to open or close, then it could be time for lubrication. It could be easy to forget lubricating your garage doors as we tend to have busy lives, but remembering to do so will do wonders for your garage door mechanism and moving parts.
You can set a schedule to lubricate your garage doors on your smartphone's app, calendar or to-do list so you'll remember. Doing this only takes a few minutes but you can be sure that you'll be able to keep track of maintaining your garage door and keeping it in good shape.
You can also ask a garage door technician for maintenance services. They'll be the one to lubricate your garage door on a regular basis, making it look and operate like the day they were first installed.
Conclusion
How often should you lubricate garage door? Garage door owners should lubricate their doors once every three months for the moving parts such as the rollers, hinges, springs and tracks and when they start noticing hiccups, grinding sounds and stuttering. For the best results you should schedule maintenance services with a qualified garage door technician.
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