Stop Oiling Your Garage Door Track: Here’s Why – Jalopnik

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While remote garage door buttons may not be the feature you use most in your car, garage doors are widely used by people who have garages. Novice DIYers and new homeowners may instinctively reach for some grease when they hear strange noises coming from their garage door. The reflex is based on the idea that if something makes noises that sound like grinding or screeching, it probably needs to be lubricated.

The problem isn’t the desire to muffle the screams coming from the garage door tracks. It is really necessary to apply some lubrication. The problem is where the grease is applied, even if the do-it-yourselfer’s intentions are pure.

To the untrained eye or ear, it may seem like the whining sounds are coming from contact between the rollers attached to the garage door and the tracks they ride on. Because it is a heavy-duty joint that carries the weight of the entire garage door, people often turn to a heavy, sticky grease to help the rollers slide more smoothly.

Although applying grease to the track may muffle the sounds of pain a little, this will not last. In fact, it will only cause more problems later. Garage door rollers are designed to roll along the tracks and not slide. If they slide, they may need to be replaced or the door is not adjusted properly. Grease, and the dirt it attracts, hinders the rolling of the rollers, causing tension in the system. Not to mention the mess it makes on the garage floor or on your clothes as you brush past the door along the track.

If someone, or you, has already applied grease to the garage door tracks, you should clean them off before continuing. Be sure to collect used cleaning fluids and old grease so you can dispose of them properly.

You will want to wear old clothes and gloves that are suitable for use with grease and any degreasers you will be using. If the applied grease is thick and crusty, try starting with a plastic putty knife, wooden popsicle sticks, or tongue depressors to scrape it off. Once the large chunks are gone, an old cleaning brush or toothbrush can help get into the curves and tight spots.

The remaining grease will require cleaning cloths and a good degreaser for final cleaning; the people Overhead door recommend disc brake cleaner. Whatever degreaser you use, follow the label instructions and make sure the garage is well ventilated to the outside.

When you hear the first groan from your garage door, don’t immediately reach for the grease. Instead, grab some cleaning supplies. The doorways in which the rollers travel must be clean, free of dust, dirt and certainly no grease. Use a vacuum cleaner or rags to clean the tracks and then turn your attention to the other moving parts of the garage door, removing any built-up gunk from hinges, latches and rollers.

Once the moving parts of the door are clean, it’s time to apply some lubricant. People may have used whale oil before modern lubricants were developed, but now there are specialized products made just for garage doors. Garage door lubricants from Blaster And 3-in-one There are two examples available on Amazon for less than $8 each.

Whatever lubricant you use, do not apply it to the roller conveyors. Apply lubricant to the metal parts of the door lock, the roller bearings (not the outside of the rollers) and the hinges. The garage door support and drive mechanisms can also get a little TLC after cleaning. Apply lubricant sparingly to the bearing plates of torsion bar systems or to tension spring type pulley bearings. The drive chain and any cables and cable drums, if present, can also benefit from the application of a lubricant. However, avoid drive belt systems and nylon bearings.