Your garage door started grinding in early December, and the solution seemed obvious. You went to your workbench, grabbed the iconic blue and yellow can, and gave the noisy hinges a generous spray of WD-40 (Water Displacement, 40th formula). The noise stopped, and you patted yourself on the back for such a clever, five-minute fix.
Fast forward six weeks to the coldest day of January. You hit your remote, and nothing. No movement, just a low, strained hum from the opener. That quick spray of WD-40 didn’t lubricate the door; it attracted dust and debris, effectively gluing crucial components into a state of frozen immobility.
What started as a simple noise problem ended in a costly service call, all because of a single, well-intentioned but disastrous DIY garage door repair mistake.
As trusted experts in installation and repair for garage doors of all kinds, we’ve seen it all. And we routinely fix problems caused by common, seemingly harmless garage door maintenance myths, like using WD-40 as a lubricant.
To save you time, money, and the frustration of being locked out in the cold, we’re setting the record straight. Here are five deeply entrenched garage door maintenance myths that need to be busted today.
Table of Contents
1. Myth: WD-40 Is the Best Garage Door Lubricant
This is the most common and damaging of the garage door maintenance myths we encounter. WD-40 is an excellent water displacer and degreaser. It’s perfect for loosening rusted bolts or removing adhesives. However, it is not a long-term garage door lubricant.
When applied to garage door components like hinges, rollers, or springs, WD-40 sprays on thin and evaporates quickly. Worse, its chemical composition acts like a magnet for dust, dirt, and tiny particles.
Over time, that thin coating turns into a thick, abrasive sludge, a sticky paste that actively increases friction and wear. This increased resistance forces your opener to work harder, leading to premature motor burnout, broken cables, and complete system failure, often during the coldest part of the year.
The Lakeside Doors Solution: Specialized Lubrication
The only way to properly lubricate your door is by using a specialized lithium-based or silicone-based spray lubricant designed specifically for garage doors.
The best garage door lubricant is a product that dries clear, doesn’t drip, and repels dust while providing a durable, friction-reducing film. Our professional garage door service Tacoma team uses industrial-grade lubricants that guarantee smooth, quiet, and long-lasting operation.
When we come out, we clean the existing gunk before applying the correct product to the designated points (springs, rollers, hinges, and bearings—never the tracks).
2. Myth: Noisy Operation Is Just “Normal Wear and Tear”
A garage door that sounds like a freight train coming through your wall is not normal. It’s a warning. That squealing, grinding, or loud rattling is the sound of metal wearing against metal, meaning you have excessive friction, misaligned parts, or loose hardware.
Ignoring the noise is the most passive of the garage door maintenance myths. Homeowners often think, “If it goes up and down, it’s fine.” But every day you ignore the noise, you are accelerating the destruction of your system’s components.
A small issue like a loose nut on a hinge can quickly lead to an entire panel coming off the track or catastrophic damage to the drum and cables, a repair that far eclipses the cost of a simple tune-up.
The Lakeside Doors Solution: The Winter Check-Up
Noise is your door asking for a maintenance check. Our preventative service, available throughout the Puyallup and South King County area, involves a comprehensive inspection of all 15+ points of contact. We adjust tension, tighten hardware, and apply the correct lubricant. A quiet garage door is a healthy door, and addressing the issue early is the most cost-effective solution.
3. Myth: The Torsion Springs are “Set and Forget”
The torsion springs, the large coils mounted just above your door, do 90% of the heavy lifting. They are under extreme tension (often hundreds of pounds of force) and are the most dangerous component to attempt to service yourself.
Many homeowners commit dangerous DIY garage door repair mistakes by thinking they can adjust or replace these springs without proper training.
Torsion springs lose tension over time, which strains your opener. When a spring finally breaks, usually after 7-12 years of cycles, it can snap with enough force to cause serious injury or even death.
The Lakeside Doors Solution: Torsion Spring Safety and Expertise
When it comes to torsion springs, the ultimate solution is professional expertise and safety. Here at Lakeside Doors, we never want a homeowner to attempt this kind of high-risk repair. Let us do it for you, safely and correctly.
Our highly trained technicians in Pierce and South King County have the specialized tools, knowledge, and experience necessary to safely handle the extreme tension of torsion springs. We know how to secure the door, release the tension in a controlled manner, and install the new springs without risk of injury or property damage. This is the single most important action to avoid severe DIY garage door repair mistakes.
The most crucial piece of advice for this garage door maintenance myth is simple: If your spring is broken, stop using the door immediately and call us. Do not try to open it, and never, under any circumstance, attempt to handle the springs yourself. Trust the experts at Lakeside Doors to keep you and your family safe.
4. Myth: You Only Need to Replace the Broken Spring
If you have two springs and one breaks, the other is likely close behind. Springs are rated for a certain number of cycles, and since they work in tandem, they age together. It is one of the most common, short-sighted garage door maintenance myths to only replace the single broken spring.
The Lakeside Doors Solution: System Balance and Safety
When a homeowner calls us for a broken spring, our professional garage door service Tacoma experts always recommend replacing both springs. This ensures the door is perfectly balanced, reducing strain on your opener and maximizing the lifespan of the entire system.
We safely remove the damaged parts, install high-quality, oil-tempered springs, and guarantee a safe, balanced operation, backed by the expertise we’ve provided since 1981. Never attempt to handle a torsion spring yourself; call the experts.
5. Myth: Testing the Safety Reverse Feature is Optional
This is high on the list of garage door maintenance myths because it’s a life-and-death safety myth. The safety reverse mechanism (the auto-stop function when the door hits an obstruction) is required by federal law, but it must be regularly tested. Homeowners often neglect this critical check, and the failure of this safety system has resulted in devastating accidents involving pets and children.
The two main components are:
- The Mechanical Reverse: The door must stop and reverse immediately if it hits a physical object, like a roll of paper towels, while closing.
- The Photo-Eye Sensors: The beams located 4-6 inches off the ground must detect an obstruction, like a small child, and prevent the door from closing at all. If the door closes when you wave your hand in front of the beams, your family is at risk.
The Lakeside Doors Solution: Commitment to Safety
Testing the safety reverse should be a mandatory part of your annual garage door maintenance myths check. When we perform a tune-up, we meticulously test and adjust both the mechanical tension and the alignment of the photo-eye sensors.
This ensures your door is operational and safe for every member of your household. Safety is our number one priority, and it’s why homeowners across Pierce and South King County choose our trusted, experienced team.
Don’t Fall for Garage Door Maintenance Myths, Trust the Local Experts
The five garage door maintenance myths above are costly and, in some cases, dangerous. Don’t let a bottle of WD-40 or the sound of an aging spring become a five-figure headache this winter.
When you need the best garage door lubricant applied correctly, or when you need expert spring replacement that avoids dangerous DIY garage door repair mistakes, trust the company that has been smoothing the ups and downs of our community for over four decades.
Lakeside Doors is your local authority for reliable, professional garage door service. Avoid the expensive winter breakdowns and schedule your comprehensive maintenance check-up. Let our professional garage door service Tacoma team ensure your garage door is safe, quiet, and ready for whatever weather the Washington winter brings.