follow up - garage door balancing
 

a few weeks ago I posted a message about balancing garage doors. I had just
installed a new garage door opener, but was concerned that my roll-up door
weighed 40 pounds when closed - it's supposed to be only 10 to 20 lbs.

I was provided an excelllent web link regarding doing it myself, and it turned
out to be an easy project, and a good learning experience. All i needed was a
couple of half inch diameter steel rods 18" long. Once I achieved the proper
balance (weight was 5 go 15 pounds when closed), the garage door opener worked
great, but the door was really noisy and clanky and the springs seemed to hang
a bit near the beginning of the opening sequence. I assumed that the parts
were all old and eventually i'd need to replace them.

but then i thoroughly oiled the springs, rollers, and cable pulley with 3-in-1
oil. It only took a fraction of the small can of oil....but now a few days
later, the garage door opens and closes with a whisper....it's really amazing,
i highly recommend that anybody with a noisy garage door do this, it should
make it last much longer.

paul

a few weeks ago I posted a message about balancing garage doors. I had just
installed a new garage door opener, but was concerned that my roll-up door
weighed 40 pounds when closed - it's supposed to be only 10 to 20 lbs.

I was provided an excelllent web link regarding doing it myself, and it
turned
out to be an easy project, and a good learning experience. All i needed
was a
couple of half inch diameter steel rods 18" long. Once I achieved the
proper
balance (weight was 5 go 15 pounds when closed), the garage door opener
worked
great, but the door was really noisy and clanky and the springs seemed to
hang
a bit near the beginning of the opening sequence. I assumed that the
parts
were all old and eventually i'd need to replace them.

but then i thoroughly oiled the springs, rollers, and cable pulley with
3-in-1
oil. It only took a fraction of the small can of oil....but now a few
days
later, the garage door opens and closes with a whisper....it's really
amazing,
i highly recommend that anybody with a noisy garage door do this, it
should
make it last much longer.

3 in 1 oil will indeed quiet the door, but it is too thin to have lasting
qualities, and it drips out of the hinges over time, making oil spots. I
use garage door chain drive and worm gear lube - a white fully synthetic
high melting point grease that you'll find in big box stores - that I apply
to the hinges and rollers with my finger. I last put it on 5 year ago, and
the door remains quiet, and there are no spots around the hinges. Once the
oil wears out, you may wish to try this stuff.