Best Grease For A Garage Door
What is the best grease for a garage door? When it comes to your garage door, maintenance is extremely important. Unfortunately most people do not perform any type of regular maintenance. The reason people do not do any maintenance is because they are unaware that they should. Then there are other homeowners who know that…
What is the best grease for a garage door?
When it comes to your garage door, maintenance is extremely important. Unfortunately most people do not perform any type of regular maintenance. The reason people do not do any maintenance is because they are unaware that they should. Then there are other homeowners who know that they are supposed to do something they do not know what grease or lubricant to use or when and where to apply it.Well, if you fit into either of these categories, this article will help you figure it all out once and for all.

First off we will talk about what to use and even more importantly what not to use. Most people automatically think WD-40 when they think of lubricating anything. Every. Single. Time. When a customer asks what they should use when discussing maintenance, they immediately follow it up with “WD40?”
No, no and no. WD-40 is not the best choice for doors and hinges especially for garage doors. WD-40 is mainly a water deplacer and penetrator. So it is great at breaking loose a stuck bolt but putting on garage door hinges is bad because it doesn’t last very long and it attracts dust and dirt.
So what should you use? A lithium grease is your best bet. You can buy just plain lithium grease in a spray can or you can buy a product specifically made for lubricating garage doors. You can find these products at your local hardware store. It will say garage door lube on it and most likely contain some lithium grease. Clopay makes one called 3 in 1 that is good for homeowners to use.
Lithium grease also comes in a tube that you can squeeze out (kind of like toothpaste), However, do not buy this for your garage door either, it will be too messy and take too long, making it a hassle. If you have an old screw drive opener though this is great for lubricating the worm gear in the rail, just apply a thin line down the whole rail and run the door up and down twice. You will notice an immediate difference. This is something you can do as needed.
Professionals will often use a spray lube for garage doors, however the best ones use a lubricating oil and an oil can. It takes a little longer and is not as fast drying but a little bit goes a long way, and it works better.
So when and where should you lubricate your door? You should use a white lithium grease spray to lubricate your hinges and torsion springs. If your door has extension springs you do not need to lubricate them. There are two different types of rollers ( the wheels that roll in the track of your garage door), there are rollers that have ball bearings in them and ones without them. If your rollers do not have ball bearings you should lubricate them. If they do, do not lubricate them. Rollers with ball bearings are packed with grease and lubricating them will push the grease out, ruining them.
Your garage door should be lubricated twice a year, or every six months. We suggest that you lubricate the garage door whenever you change the clocks, it will be a good way to keep you on schedule and is easy to remember. Or get on a maintenance plan with a local garage door company.