One of the hardware parts that causes smooth functioning of opening and closing the garage door is the garage door rollers. When the rollers are smoothly run up and down the tracks, the door’s operation becomes smooth too. But, if there’s any glitch in the garage door roller due to its poor quality or low maintenance, the door starts to make a rough and noisy ride. A little knowledge on how to keep rollers in good shape can make them an investment for years to appreciate. Here are some tips for your ease.
What kind of rollers do you have?
Different garage rollers need different quality and maintenance needs.
- Plastic rollers: They are of the cheapest quality, however, the performance they deliver is quite good. Plastic rollers do not come with ball bearings and can last only up to a few years.
- Steel rollers: Unlike the above-mentioned type, steel rollers beat the time like a magic as they can last long for almost two decades or even more than that. On the unfavorable side, they are noisy and don’t perform the best.
- Nylon rollers: When performance and quality need to be kept in mind, you must opt for nylon rollers. Their quality tells their longevity. Although, they can survive between 12 and 20 years. Nylon rollers have both, exposed as well as concealed ball bearings. Also, they can work as plastic rollers having no ball bearings.
Pre-maintenance tips
Any kind of maintenance needs some pre-maintenance. So before you start any sort of thing to your garage door make sure you cut the power and perform a safety precaution. Also, make sure you unplug the opener and have the door closed to be safe from any disaster that could make its way.
Disengaging the opener will restrict the door to go up and down manually. It’s a gentle request to talk to one of our experts at Garage Door Repairs Houston if you’re in any tiny or big doubt. Safety precautions need to be taken appropriately and as garage door repair technicians, we are extensively trained in that.
Inspect the rollers
Understand that roller maintenance and roller replacement are two different things, and both of them should not be taken lightly. If any of the rollers are worn down or have cracks, or missing chunks, call an expert to replace them with a new one. Any of these problems in the rollers just can’t be fixed by mere maintenance. Sooner or later, it could lead to trouble.
Rollers that poorly operate can cause a premature breakdown of the opener. Also, they tend to produce grinding noise which is unpleasant to ears.
Maintenance materials that are needed
- It’s not always “the right job” that you need to know about but “the right product” of doing that job. We all know that maintaining a garage door roller needs proper lubrication. However, it’s important to use the right lubricant. WD-40 is an oil lubricant that everyone prefers. In reality, it doesn’t do any good to the rollers. In fact, it causes more harm. WD-40 is a degreaser. To lubricate rollers, use lithium or silicon-based grease.
- Also, keep a useless cloth handy to wipe off stains that drip here and there.
- You’ll also need a step-ladder to reach rollers that are high.
Every kind of roller is lubricated differently
- To lubricate plastic rollers, apply grease to the outside where the roller and shaft meet.
- Apply grease to the ball bearings on steel rollers which are at the innermost part where the shaft meets.
- The lubrication on nylon rollers with exposed ball bearings is being done the same as steel rollers.
- Nylon rollers with no ball bearings are lubricated the same as plastic rollers.
- Sealed ball bearings on nylon rollers don’t require any kind of greasing, which means they are maintenance-free.
- Make sure you apply the grease very lightly and wipe off the extra material immediately.
- The lubrication time of rollers is twice every year. You can also do this one or two times more depending upon the condition of your garage door.
Garage door repair and maintenance in Houston
Roller maintenance is easy, however, there can be a need for an expert at any moment. Call Garage Door Repairs Houston today for any of your garage door repair needs. From replacing your worn-out rollers to upgrading them to high-performance ones, we do it all for you! We provide maintenance and repair services and supply garage door parts. Contact us today to know more.
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