5 Garage Door Spring Maintenance Tips

Garage door springs are one of the most essential parts of your garage door opening system. Springs also receive the most service and attention when things go wrong with garage doors. Luckily, you can take preventative measures to reduce the number of times you’ll need assistance with your garage door springs, as seen in these five garage door spring maintenance tips.

Committing to garage door spring maintenance will make your life easier. Consistent garage door upkeep as a whole will save you lots of time and money, so take these tips for garage door spring maintenance to heart. You’ll be thankful that you took the time to check them out.

1. Springs Need Maintenance If You Hear Squeaking

Is your garage door making unusual sounds these days? Do any of these noises remind you of squeaking? Is the squeaking not going away on its own? If you find yourself saying “yes” to all three of these questions, then your garage door is trying to tell you that its springs need maintenance as soon as possible. However, this isn’t the only way your garage door could be trying to let you know that the springs need maintenance.

2. Pay Attention To Your Garage Door Movement

Pay attention to how your garage door is moving during operation. Is it slower than usual? Does the door seem to have an uneven slant when opening and closing, even just a little bit? These are also indicators that it’s time for garage door spring maintenance. In addition to garage door movement and squeaking, take a quick look at your springs every so often to see if there’s any sign of rust.

3. Clean The Springs Often (And Before Lubricating)

While experts say that garage door spring maintenance should be performed twice a year (or every six months), the springs still need to be cleaned regularly. Either once a month or every other month should work. Cleaning them will prevent dirt and debris from accumulating on the springs, which can lead to operational issues for your garage door if allowed to build up. For this part of garage door spring maintenance, just use soap and water to clean the springs. Don’t forget also to clean and dry the springs every time before lubricating them.

4. Use Silicone Or Lithium Based Lubricant

So many kinds of garage door lubricants are advertised online that it can be difficult to know which one to use. The good news is that experts have a rough consensus that silicone and lithium-based spray lubricants are the way to go. These lubricants are strong enough to stick to the springs without dripping. Either one should do a good job with garage door spring maintenance.

5. Never Use WD-40 On Garage Door Springs

There is one substance that gets mistaken for garage door lubricant: WD-40. Contrary to what some people might say online, this substance should never be used to lubricate garage door parts, especially the springs. WD-40 is actually a water displacer, so it doesn’t stick very well to the springs, making it an ineffective substitute for garage door spring lubricant.

Seek Help For Your Springs With Garage Door Repair Baytown!

The next time you need to take care of garage door spring maintenance, think back to these five tips to help you get started. Of course, sometimes garage door springs are in a condition that can’t be salvaged by cleaning or lubrication. In these cases, your garage door springs will need replacing. But who can you trust to replace them? If you live in the Baytown area, then all you need to do is contact us at Garage Door Repair Baytown.