Your garage door relies on many parts to function properly. While the first parts that might come to mind for you are springs, tracks, and cables, there’s another one that also has an essential role in keeping your garage door working: hinges. This part helps keep your garage door on the tracks, allowing it to easily open and close. Ensuring that this part continues to work as needed requires cleaning and lubrication. Luckily, that is why this blog will show you how to lubricate garage door hinges by yourself.
What Happens If You Don’t Lubricate Garage Door Hinges?
There are quite a few reasons why it’s just as important to know how to lubricate garage door hinges as it is to know how to lubricate other parts. For starters, your garage door will start to produce unpleasant noises it wouldn’t otherwise make. Neglecting to care for your garage door hinges can also lead to misaligned tracks and excessive rust. For these reasons, lubricating your hinges is absolutely essential.
How To Lubricate Garage Door Hinges In 6 Steps
Now that you understand why lubricating the hinges is just as important as any garage door maintenance task, you are ready to learn how to lubricate garage door hinges.
1. Obtain The Right Lubricant
Before starting this task, take time to see if you already have the right lubricant for the job. Please keep in mind that WD-40 is not a suitable garage door lubricant, as it’s really a degreaser and not a true lubricant. As a result, dirt and debris are more likely to be trapped in parts of your garage door, which will only lead to bigger problems with its functionality. Instead, experts recommend silicone spray as the best choice, followed by lithium grease if the former isn’t available.
2. Turn Off The Garage Door Opener
Once you have the right lubricant, a ladder, a towel, a brush, and standard soap and water, you can proceed to start lubricating your garage door hinges. However, for your safety, the first thing you need to do is turn off the garage door opener after closing the door. Leaving your garage door opener powered on during maintenance risks it being set off, leading to potential damage or injury. As an additional precaution, you can also disconnect the opener from its power source.
3. Inspect The Hinges And Other Parts
Now it’s time to inspect the state of your hinges and other parts. Where the hinges are concerned, you mainly want to check for dirt and debris buildup, visible wear and tear, and any signs of rust. While dirt and debris can easily be removed, depending on the state of wear, tear, and rust, you might need to have a garage door technician take another look to determine if they need replacing.
4. Clean The Hinges And Other Parts
Following inspection, you’ll use a brush or vacuum to remove any dirt and debris trapped in the tracks and hinges. Afterward, you’ll use regular soap and water to do further cleaning of these parts before drying them with a rag or towel. This cleaning procedure will reduce the risk of debris getting trapped in the lubricant.
5. Apply Lubricant
Now it’s time for the step that actually involves knowing how to lubricate garage door hinges. Most garage doors come with 12 or 16 of them, and you’ll need to pay attention to each one. As for where to apply the lubricant, experts recommend spraying or spreading the silicone or lithium grease on the part of the hinge that bends.
You can do this by going down the ladder to spot lubricant on the bending part of each hinge. You can also have someone manually pull down the door so that you can apply lubricant to one hinge at a time as the door is rolled down. Don’t forget to remove any excess lubricant if necessary.
6. Turn On The Opener And Test Operation
After lubricating the hinges and other additional parts, you can put away the equipment, reconnect your garage door opener and switch it on again. After turning it back on, test the operation of your door by examining how it moves. If it remains aligned on the tracks, doesn’t make any unusual noises, and appears to be smooth in its movements, your garage door is in great working condition.
Our Team Will Keep Your Garage Door Parts In Shape
Knowing how to lubricate garage door hinges will allow you to really stay on top of keeping your garage door in excellent shape. However, we understand that you may not be keen to carry out this task yourself and might prefer to leave it to a professional garage door technician. Luckily, if you live in Alvin, Texas, you already have access to the best garage door technicians in your area at Garage Door Repair Service Alvin. Contact us today, and we will keep all your garage door parts in prime condition.