June – Proper lubrication and cleaning of your garage door will help it run more quietly and last longer. We are often asked what lubricant to use on garage doors. The best product is our garage door lubricant, available at all of our locations, or a general purpose penetrating oil. Do not use WD-40, as it is a Water Dispersant, and does not have the same lubrication properties as a garage door lube. Also, avoid using silicone sprays. Silicone is long-lasting and paint will not adhere to silicone, which might give you problems if you want to paint your garage door sometime in the future.
Lubrication is best done in small sprays, and with a rag to wipe off any excess spray. Excess lube will run down the door and hold dead bugs, which is not the look most people prefer on the inside of their garage door! Sparingly lubricate the hinges and roller stems; a short spray is all that is needed. If you have an exposed torsion spring, run a light stream of spray down the spring with the door in the closed position, then repeat with the door in the open position. Spray may bounce off the spring and stain your wall, so consider using a piece of cardboard to prevent overspray from staining your wall. If you have a Wayne-Dalton Torquemaster™ spring, it is oil coated and then placed in the tube, so no lubrication is needed. As a good reminder, lubricate your door every six months, at the same time you replace the batteries in your smoke detector and change your clocks!
Please check back in July, as we discuss checking the safety of your garage door operator. Visit www.TheTotalGarageStore.com for all of your garage door needs!