How Often Should You Oil the Chain of a Garage Door?
How Often Should You Oil the Chain of a Garage Door?
Every time you enter and go out of your home, press the garage door button to open your door. The homeowners rely on their garage door openers to work whenever they require access. However, problems can develop in this part of your house. To ensure an unhurried and seamless transition from opening to closing the garage door, the chain must be regularly lubricated. This is something a professional garage door expert can handle on your behalf as part of an annual maintenance visit. You may also manage the maintenance yourself. Let’s discuss the lubrication process for your garage door’s chain and when this procedure should be performed.
The Benefits of Regular Garage Door Chain Lubrication
The chain of a garage door in need of oiling can be extremely noisy. There may also be resistance, causing the transition from closed to open to rattle. Instead of allowing the shaking of your garage door and rattle during its motion, grease the chain to ensure the smoothness of motion.
How to Prevent a Malfunction of Your Garage Door Chain
Have you ever tried pressing the button to allow your garage door to be opened or closed but it didn’t happen? There are several reasons for this to happen such as a damaged or broken chain. If you have a chain that is dry and requires fluid lubrication, it’s much more likely to break. It’s best to contact an expert to replace your chain. This is longer and more expensive than an easy Lubrication.
Garage Door Chain Lubrication Frequency
It is recommended that you regularly oil the garage door chain at least once a year. Based on the frequency you use the garage door could increase. The place you live could also influence the maintenance schedule. For instance, living close to an ocean or a harsh area can cause an excessive amount of wear and tear on the chain. This is due to the exposure to various kinds of materials such as sand, humid conditions, and so on. Certain homeowners will grease their garage door’s chain every few months. Ideally, you should maintain this routine rather than sitting and waiting to hear your garage door become loud or rattle.
Beware of making use of a product that is too oily or greasy if you are lubricating the chain for your garage doors. This kind of product can result in the attraction of many dust particles and particles to the chain. If these particles accumulate throughout the crevices and cracks of the chain, they could be more susceptible to break. If you use excessive amounts of substance, it is possible to wash off the excess. Do not spray lubricant on other parts that are part of the garage, for instance, the rollers and the opener for your garage.
If you reside in a region that has extremely cold temperatures at certain seasons you should consider an all-weather lubricant. If certain products are not used, they will be extremely thick and gel-like when temperatures drop below freezing. Avoid products that are abrasive to metal.
How to Lubricate The Chain of Your Garage Door Chain
It is possible to have a professional from Precision Garage Door come to grease your chain as part of your next maintenance or repair, but this is something you can do yourself. Let’s look at the steps you need to take to ensure that you are lubricating the chain of your garage door correctly.
Check that the garage doors are shut. Remove the garage door opener plug from the power outlet. When you are lubricating the chain you should be careful not to let the doors move.
Use an old rag to remove any residue, dirt or grease that has accumulated on the chain of your garage door. It is also possible to utilize a vacuum to clean all debris that may have accumulated.
Use a product specifically designed to lubricate a garage door’s chain. They are typically made of silicone to ensure durability and longevity. It is also possible to use WD-40 in the event of a need. Apply the spray to the top and bottom as well as the sides. Spray lightly, since you don’t want the spray to drip off your chain and spill all over your garage floor.
Connect the garage door opener to an outlet for power. Then, open and shut your garage door several times to distribute the grease. It may be necessary to repeat the procedure in case you notice the chain is shaking or noisy.
Other Related Maintenance
Alongside making sure that your garage door chain is lubricated as well, there are other maintenance tasks you should think about completing at the same time.
Check the rollers
An in-depth inspection of your garage door’s rollers will help determine the need for replacement or repair that needs to be completed. You should ensure that the roller won’t move or move when you put your hand on it. You can grease your rollers using lithium or silicone-based grease to ensure optimal protection.
Examine the Hinges
Inspect the hinges of your garage door to ensure the hardware is secured. Also, you should look for signs of corrosion or wear and tear. Hinges can be replaced quickly in the event to keep your garage door in place and ensure its durability. Hinges may also be lubricated if they’re squeaking when they are in motion.
Tighten Your Garage Door Chain
Your garage door’s chain may have a little bit of a sag, but it shouldn’t be close to the garage door. It is also important to keep that if the chain is too tight that increases the likelihood of it snapping.
If you are required to tighten your chain take off the nut nearest to the doorway. The chain should begin to drop. Letting loose the nut on the inside in this stage will allow for tightening the chain by using your outer nut. Make sure both nuts are secure at the time you’re finished.
Listen for Odd Noises
Apart from visual inspection of the garage door chain and oiling it there are other problems to be aware of. The sound produced by the chain of your garage door hitting the garage door is a sign that the chain should be tightened. The sound of a vibrating chain could mean that the bolts that hold the chain are damaged or loose. Many people mistake problems with rollers as a broken chain, so take a look at both these areas if you notice unusual sounds that occur while your door is moving.
There might be an issue in your garage door that needs the attention of a professional, even if you’ve routinely lubricated the chain of your garage door. Contact Precision Garage Door to make an appointment to discuss garage repair and replacement. Alongside emergency repair and other services, Precision Garage Door will take care of commercial and residential garage door repair, maintenance of the spring, and complete garage door replacement.