Your garage door is probably one of the most useful and hardworking conveniences in your entire house.  To keep it functioning effectively, the garage door requires proper maintenance which includes lubricating all its moving parts. In addition to working as it should, lubricating the moving parts of your garage door will reduce the noise produced when opening and closing the door as well as add more life to these parts.  It will also save you money worth of repairs in the long run.

Below is a simple guide on how to properly lubricate a garage door.

Choose the Right Lubricant

The type of lubricant you use to lubricate the parts of your garage door is very important .The lithium based sprays are very suitable and convenient especially when you need to properly lubricate small moving parts in your garage. They are also very convenient in that they neither attract dust nor gum unlike engine oil and common grease.

Use a lithium spray or a silicone-based lubricant to complete this exercise. You can also use WD-40 to clean the tracks as they have dust-resistant properties. Alternatively, you can simply wipe the tracks with a dry cloth.

Lubricate the rollers and all moving parts

Spray a lithium based lubricant on the inside of the rollers and on all the pivot points located on the track brakes. This will help the rollers glide smoothly over the track and keep reduce the friction on the pivot points.  The outside of the rollers do not require lubrication.

Ensure that you also apply lubrication on all the moving parts of the garage door. These should include the stems, the hinges, extension springs, and the top of the chain rail, the arm bar, and the lock.

When lubricating the extension springs, apply only a little bit so that it does not run down the springs. Only Lubricate metal hinges at their pivot points. Plastic hinges do need any lubrication and applying a lubricant may cause them to break.

Don’t apply lubricant on the guide track

The guide track should not be lubricated as applying lubricant can cause the doors to slip or become unbalanced. Wipe the guide track with a clean cloth or clean it with WD-40 if you like to remove any dirt build-up that may be preventing the garage door from gliding smoothly along the tracks.

Like the guide track, torsion springs do not need any lubrication.

Allow the lubricant to even out and penetrate 

Open and close the garage doors several times after properly lubricating all the door parts. This will help the lubricant penetrate into the parts and even out the distribution of the lubricant. Your garage door should now open and close smoothly without making too much noise.

If you still hear noise after applying lubrication, you may have missed a part or more. Follow the noise to determine what part is producing this noise then lubricate it and your garage door should operate without making noise.