Most people don’t think about maintaining their garage doors and this is a huge mistake. Your garage door has moving parts, especially if it’s a rolling one. These parts get dirty and clogged with grime and gunk, which is why your garage door might start to squeak when you open and close it. MassGarage is happy to lubricate your garage door for you but this can also be a DIY project. Here’s how you do it.
Clean the Tracks First
Close your garage door if it’s open and cut the power to it by unplugging it from the power source or cutting the electricity at the fuse box. Take a damp, lint-free cloth and clean all garage door tracks. These are the tracks on which the rollers ride. Make sure you get all the dirt and grime in the tracks. If grime is stuck, grab some automotive brake cleaner at the automotive store and use that to clean it.
Once the tracks are dry, take your household or car vacuum and vacuum up any additional loose dirt and debris. You can use the hose extension to reach the entire track, and this ensures your tracks are completely clean before you lubricate them. Keep in mind you don’t want anything in the track on which your rollers can get stuck. Squeaky clean is your goal. Make those tracks shine!
Lubricate All Moving Parts
Next, head to the hardware store and grab a can of lithium-based grease. Do not use that can of WD-40 you have on the shelf to lubricate your garage door. It’s too oily and the oil will grab onto dirt and grime. Make sure the lubricant you purchase is lithium-based, as this is a clean, anti-gunk lubricant. If you don’t know what to buy, look for garage-door lubricant specifically.
If your garage is hooked to an automatic opener, unhook it. Open your garage door slowly and spray the hinges as they meet where the track bends. One or two squirts of lubricant should do on each hinge. Lubricate the rollers, too, which are attached to the garage door hinges. The can of garage door lubricant has a thin hose that helps you get inside the rollers.
Next, lubricate the springs and bearing plates. These are located on the top of your garage door, so grab your ladder. Finally, lubricate the lock, armbar and the top of your automatic garage door opener rail. Don’t spray the bottom of the rail; this doesn’t lubricate it. Don’t spray the chain, either. You’ll need to grease that. And, of course, have someone hold the ladder while you’re on it.
Sound like a lot of work now that you know what this entails. Pick up the phone and call MassGarage in Sharon, MA, at 781-602-0737. We’ll lube your door for you. Live in Canton, Foxborough, Stoughton or Walpole? Don’t worry, we’ll come to your home, too!