The Best Garage Door Lubricants For Silent Operation
If you have decided to lubricate your garage door because it has started to groan, creak or squeal when you use it, the first thing you should do is investigate the noise to find out where it is coming from.
If the noise is being made by two metal components rubbing together, smearing or spraying on some lithium grease will probably take care of the problem. Just make sure you do not apply any grease to rollers or other parts made out of plastic or nylon. While lithium or silicone-based lubricants will not damage these parts, they could impede their performance. If your garage door is working well and you want to apply a lubricant to prevent issues in the future, a silicone spray is probably the best choice. However, silicone may not provide a complete solution as it does not prevent or remove rust. You can get around this problem by using a second product designed to deal with corrosion like WD-40, or you could look for a silicone spray that has added rust-fighting ingredients.
Is WD-40 Good for Garage Doors?
Just about every home in America has a can of WD-40 in the garage or under the kitchen sink, and many homeowners reach for this ubiquitous product whenever something around the house needs lubricating. This is actually a mistake because standard WD-40 is a solvent rather than a lubricant and does not contain silicone or lithium. It is formulated to remove rust and keep out moisture, and the initials in the products name stand for water displacement.
What Should I Use To Lubricate My Garage Door
One of the most common questions a garage door technician will receive is What should I be using to lubricate my garage door? and the next question usually is How often should I lubricate my garage door?.
Most homeowners look for whatever is available in their garage, which is typically a spray can of traditional WD-40. They lubricate their garage door to find out it is only getting louder over time. Lets address this issue and talk about what you should be using to lubricate your garage door.
How Can We Lubricate The Garage Door
Lubricating the garage door is easy. First, clean the garage door, remove debris and dirt. If all the parts you need to lubricate are metals, use a lubricant that works best for metal. Suppose some parts are of plastic never consider metal to metal surface lubricant. Spray nicely for full coverage. After you are done, remove the excess lubricant, especially in the case of rollers.
Don’t Miss: Garage Door Repair Hampton Va
What About Silicone Spray
You will hear some garage door professionals recommend silicone spray for lubricating a garage door, but the overwhelming consensus in the garage door industry is silicone spray attracts more dirt. When dust and dirt starts to cling to lubricants, it creates a thick gummy like texture that ends up causing issues with the moving parts on a garage door. For this reason, we have never recommended using silicone spray to lubricate a garage door.
The National 400 Garage Door Lubricant states right on their can No Silicones. They are the gold standard of garage door lubes. If they dont include silicones in their spray, then its probably for a good reason.
Blaster Garage Door Lube Spray Resists Temperature And Humidity Extremes
Its a heat-resistant, moisture resistant aerosol grind reducer. This makes it ideal for fixing noisy garage doors. The silicone film works even better than greases on the bearings and hinges on sliding glass doors. GDL lowers sliding noises and frees up stubborn doors. It helps them slide on their tracks more easily.
Don’t Miss: Golf Cart Garage Floor Mats
Can You Use Wd
I love WD-40.
Its a great spray cleaner and degreaser.
But you shouldnt use it to lubricate your garage door. In fact, Raynor specifically told us not to use it.
But why?
The WD in WD-40 actually stands for Water Displacement. That means its designed to help remove rust by breaking down the chemical bonds on oxidized metals.
SorryI was a chemistry geek in high school. It comes back sometimes.
The important part to remember is regular WD-40 is great at getting rid of rust or accumulated oils and gunk. Its cleaning, not lubricating.
However, Ive got good news if youre a die-hard WD-40 fan.
WD-40 makes a White Lithium Grease specifically for lubricating garage doors, which is what well be using today.
Now, Im not saying that you need to use a WD-40 product or that this is the best garage door lubricant.
Any White Lithium grease will do the job.
Note: If you have a Raynor garage door, simply swap out the lithium grease for a silicone lubricant, as they recommend. The steps below remain the same.
Why white lithium or silicone lubricant?
You want your garage door lubricant to cling to the parts, not run down the side of your door. The advantage of both lithium grease and silicone is it stays where you spray it.
Look at this comparison: On the left is regular WD-40, and on the right is lithium grease.
You can see how much regular WD-40 runs after only two seconds.
Which do you think will lubricate your garage door longer?
Mission Automotive Garage Door Lubricant
In order to make the garage doors as good as new, the lubricant you are using must have a strong resistance to friction and feature strong chemical compounds. The following option from Mission Automotive is one such option, thus it falls in the premium product category. In the 2nd place, we have a rather premium choice for a garage door lubricant. But despite its expensive price tag, it is still a favored choice for a lot of users due to its results.
This is a grease-type dielectric lubricant that comes in a 8 oz pack. It is quite a thick paste that can prevent oxidation of the metal surface, making it safe from rust for years to come. It can maintain its chemical consistency in harsh temperatures ranging from -55 to 570 degrees Fahrenheit. Using the Mission Automotive Waterproof Marine Grease is also pretty simple and you wont need to make your hands dirty at all.
It comes with a built-in applicator, making it suitable for a wide range of materials like metal, rubber, and even plastic. Generally, the Mission Automotive Waterproof Marine Grease is mostly preferred for heavy-duty applications like spark plugs, brake caliper plates, and other similar options. So you can imagine how effective it can be for your garage door.
Best Features:
Read Also: Chamberlain Garage Door Remote Manual
Best For Silent Operation
No one can deny that when it comes to lubricants, WD40 is the undisputed king. However, this is not your typical under-the-counter WD40. This specialist white lithium grease is our pick for the best option for making your garage door open and close squeak-free.
The applicator comes as a sprayer making it easier to lubricate large sections without a lot of effort. White lithium grease is the best choice for cushioning metal parts and making them glide effortlessly.
Applying this product to areas like the rails and hinges will allow the door to slide up and down without that annoying groan that comes with age.
The best thing about this product is that it coats evenly and goes on as a liquid but then dries as a grease giving you the ability to lubricate almost any part of your door but still having the metal lubricating benefits of grease. One thing to note is that this product is incredibly powerful and thus cannot be used on things like rubber as it will eat through it.
Type: Lithium grease
Tips on Using:
Attach the included sprayer and squeeze lightly until you feel pressure. Spray in even coats making sure not to touch parts other than metal. It is advised to use the product in a well-ventilated area as the fumes are quite strong.
Blaster Garage Door Lubricant
Blasters garage door lubricant is another one thats silicone-based. The active ingredient is the Teflon fluoropolymer, which will keep components gliding smoothly over one another, reducing wear and tear.
The neat, smooth surface wont attract dust either. That means that, once sprayed, parts will stay looking good for longer. And youll spend less time on routine maintenance.
This is a particularly good choice to get rid of annoying squeaks when you open or close your garage door. Spray it on the track or chain drive, hinges, or cables, and youll find everything works far more peacefully.
It can also be used in place of grease in some applications, offering a less messy solution.
One thing to bear in mind, though, is that this is thinner than some sprays. That does mean that its easier to get right into tight spaces. But be prepared for some drips. Its a good idea to put down cardboard to catch them before you start spraying.
And give yourself a few hours after application before opening your garage door. Do it too soon and you may find the lubricant drips onto your vehicle as you drive underneath!
The drip issue means this isnt the best option if youre looking for a spray to use indoors as well. On the plus side, the odor here is pretty mild compared to other lubricants on the market.
If you find your can doesnt have a straw, though, dont despair. It can be used without one youll just need to take a little more care when you spray.
Pros:
Recommended Reading: Parts For Craftsman Garage Door Opener
Best Lubricant For Sensitive Rubber Or Plastics: Dupont Teflon
Wow! DuPont Teflon Silicon Lubricant performs exceptionally well in extreme temperatures ranging from 40 Degree F to 400 Degree F.
DuPont Silicone Lubricant combined with Teflon Fluoropolymer forms a perfect solution for non-metal components that can be severely destroyed using conventional lubricants.
This solution prevents non-metal surfaces from destructions caused by the active chemicals used in manufacturing conventional lubricants.
DuPont lubricates, waterproofs, protects, and reserves your moving surfaces. Preventing water from reaching these surfaces hinders rusting and preserves these parts for a more extended period.
Lubricating moving parts, on the other hand, reduces friction between these moving surfaces and protects the surfaces from tear and wear.
This lubricant can be used for a wide range of materials ranging from wood, metal, leather, vinyl, plastic, and rubber.
Moving parts made of these materials are entirely protected and reserved by DuPont Silicone Lubricant.
You can quickly eliminate binding and squeak in locks, rollers, hinges, screws, and windows using DuPont silicone lubricant. Also, this lubricant prevents corrosion, oxidation, and rust on all forms of metals.
You can also use this silicone lubricant for protecting your tools, farm equipment, and fishing gears from the advanced effects of chlorine, salt, and corrosiveness.
Highlighted Features:
Garage Door Manufacturers Recommended Lubricants
A good place to start is what the manufacturer recommends.
So, I scoured the owners manuals for the five major garage door manufacturers to see if they recommend one type of lubricant over the other.
Most had very specific garage door maintenance recommendations. Some of which were surprising.
Amarr specifically recommends lubricating their garage doors yearly with Amarr Super Lube or similar non-silicone-based lubricant .
Cloplay recommends lubricating their garage doors at least twice per yearwith Clopay Garage Door Pro Lube or a synthetic lubricant. Although they dont prohibit using a silicone-based lubricant, its worth noting that their product does not contain silicone.
Overhead Door doesnt specify a type of lubrication for their garage doors beyond saying that a 30w or other medium weight oil is satisfactory.
Raynor is the only garage door manufacturer to recommend a silicone or Teflon® based spray. They also specifically warn against using WD-40® type lubricant or grease.
Wayne-Dalton, which is who makes my garage door, recommends a non-silicon based lubricant.
You May Like: Best Portable Ac For Garage
Protec Garage Door Lube
We can start off our list of the best garage door lubricants with this premium offering.
The ProTec Garage Door Lube can lay down a uniform, solid protective coating with ease. Whether youre looking for garage door spring lubricants or garage door track lubricants, this ones ability to get the job done.
- Will not dry out or turn sticky
- Safe on all materials
The Best Garage Door Lubricants
Anyone who works in a garage knows that sound.
That awful, ear-piercing, shrieking wail of grinding driveshafts and motors in a poorly lubricated garage door. Sometimes the garage door wont even close.
Its not just an annoyanceall that noise signals potential damage that can cost you a pretty penny down the road.
Frequent lubrication is a must, and there are plenty of garage door lubricants to get your door back on track. So lets look at some of the best garage door lubricants.
Also Check: Garage Door Repair Dallas Ga
Best Rust Prevention: Wd 40 3
The 3-in-One Professional Garage Door Lubrication spray contains 11 OZ Aerosol lubricants applicable to both commercial and residential garage door systems.
It reduces friction and prevents the metal components of your garage door from sticking. This lubricant also prevents corrosion from forming and silences squeaky metal parts of your garage door.
Accumulation of dirt and other contaminants is minimized by this quick-drying formula which leaves no residue.
A permanently hinged straw is attached on the Aerosol can offering two spraying options. You are supposed to flip the straw upwards to encounter a precision stream of lubrication while undertaking controlled applications.
Flipping the straw downwards enables you to attain fan-shaped sprays that are faster in claims over large areas.
Most machines performing one or more functions use industrial lubricants for various reasons.
These reasons include corrosion prevention, heat dispersion, evenly distribution of loads, hindering moving components from adhering to each other, and reducing wear and friction.
Oil lubricants contain either a synthetic or a petroleum base however, these properties can be improved through the addition of other additives.
Highlighted Features:
Best Lube For Garage Doors
Blaster 16-GDL Garage Door Lubricants, 9.3 oz., Can
- Leaves a dry, tack-free film that wont accumulate dust and dirt
- package dimensions :20.3 cm L x 21.6 cm W x 26.7 cm H
- Product type :ADHESIVES_AND_SEALANTS
Genie Screw Drive Lubricant 3 tubes
- Specially formulated to use on shaft of all screw drive garage door openers
- When used regularly, it will enhance the performance of your garage door opener
Blaster Chemical Company 9.3 oz Garage Dr Lube 16-GDL Oils & Lubricants
- Will not accumulate dust or dirt Safe for use on all surfaces
- Will not accumulate dust or dirt^Safe for use on all surfaces
Lubriplate Multi-Purpose Grease for Gate or Garage Door Openers LBR-S
- Genuine Lubriplate Aero LBR-S Specialty low temp grease
- A must for all garage door opener repair and proper gear assembly operation
AGS Door-Ease Lube Stik, Stainless Lubricant 1.6 oz stick
- Stop squeaking and sticking
- Prevents wear on any exposed surface
- Much cleaner than greases and oils
WD-40 3-In-One Professional Silicone Lubricant 4 fl oz bottle
- Long-lasting and works on multiple surfaces
- -100 to 500F working range
- Dries quickly and leaves no messy residue
Aladdin 630 Magic Lube 1 oz Lubricant
- 10% Silicon Dioxide, 1
3-in-one 11 oz. Garage Door Lubricant
Blaster Garage Door Silicone Lubricant 9.3 oz 16-GDL
- Leaves a tack free film that will not accumulate dust and dirt
- Safe on virtually all surfaces
- Superior anti-wear characteristics
WD-40 100581 3-in-one Garage Door Lube
Read Also: Craftsman Garage Door Opener Belt
What Is The Best Lubricant For Garage Doors
Home | King Door® Company, Inc. Blog | What Is the Best Lubricant for Garage Doors?
Residents in Californias Kern County understand the value of garage doors in their daily lives. For many families, garage doors are the main entryway and exit point of the house, opening and closing many times per day. Thats why proper garage door care is essential, and it all starts with garage door lubrication.
But what is the best garage door lubricant? Are there any advantages of garage door lubricant? The experts at King Door have answers to these questions and more. Read on to learn about the best types of garage door lubricants and why you need to regularly lubricate your garage doors.
Which Is The Best Lube For Cold Weather
The best garage door lubricant for cold weather needs to be highly moisture resistant. While you may find lubes that are weather-resistant, they are largely unhelpful when it comes to waterproofing.
Silicone-based lubes are your best bet in low temperatures as they are supremely impervious. The 3-In-One Garage Door Lubricant is ideal for cold weather because it does not freeze in extremely low temperatures.
Recommended Reading: Why Is My Garage Door So Loud
Garage Door Parts Multi
The name here pretty much says it all.
If youre looking for a good, multi-purpose spray to keep your commercial or domestic garage operating smoothly, this product is for you. Its quick-drying, and aside from ensuring smooth operation, it keeps garage door parts protected.
- Resistant to all manner of weather conditions
- Water-resistant
How To Lubricate Your Garage Door The Right Way
Once you have your lubricant, you should know how to use it on your garage door. First, know which parts you have to lubricate. These should all be included in your regular maintenance schedule.
- Springs: The springs that help lower and lift your garage door should be lubricated regularly. You will most likely have torsion or extension springs. It is important to keep the springs in good shape to increase their lifespan and prevent problems.
- Hinges: Only the metal hinges of your garage door should be lubricated and only at the pivot points. If you try to lubricate plastic components, you could cause them to degrade.
- Rollers: These parts also help your garage door move up and down smoothly. If these arent lubricated, it will not move properly. With metal rollers, you wont have to worry about getting lubricant on them. If your roller wheels are made of nylon, make sure lubricant is placed only on the rollers.
Remember to clean the components you will be lubricating before you do this to remove any dust or debris. Also, do not get lubricant on the bearing or tracks, although you can clean them. The final step should be to raise and lower the door at least a few times to evenly spread the lubricant throughout the system.
You May Like: How To Change Liftmaster Garage Code
You May Like: Garage Door Weather Seal Replacement