Don’t Lubricate This Important Garage Door Part

Why Lubricating the Tracks on Your Garage Door Is a Bad Idea

Consistent lubrication is one of the best ways to maintain your garage door. Best part about it: you can do it by yourself – no repair service needed. Your overhead door can last a lot longer if you spend time maintaining it and doing minor DIY repairs every few months. Lubrication allows the door to be more in tune with itself and prevents key parts from getting rusty and more importantly: makes the door run smoothly so you don’t have to wait precious seconds for it to open or close.

While keeping the parts on your garage door well lubricated is a good idea, there are certain areas you shouldn’t lubricate.

Here’s a reminder of what you can (and should) lubricate: The top of the rail, the lock, hinges, rollers, bearing plates, and the door’s springs (bonus points if you have two springs instead of one!) 

However, the one location that should not be lubricated is the tracks. Lubricant in this spot can quickly send a garage door off track, which can result in a semi-costly repair. While it might seem like a smart idea to lubricate the area, your best course of action is just to clean the area thoroughly

You can use WD-40 to clean the track area if needed. Since it’s a solvent and not lubricant, it works well for cleaning. Just be sure to wipe down the track afterward to remove any remaining mineral oil left from the WD-40. That being said, WD-40 should not be used to lubricate the areas mentioned above – it will just cause the door to prematurely degrade. Instead, use grease or lubrication specifically made for garage doors, your local hardware store will be filled with options.