LateralThinkerer t1_jcpua3h wrote on March 18, 2023 at 5:05 PM

I'm going to incur some wrath here, but I'd say start with some WD-40 the first time (as a penetrating oil to loosen up the neglected parts) cycle the door a few times and actually jog it sideways a bit to get the roller stems free in their mounts, then follow with lubricant. After that just periodic lubricants will be fine.

Source: Experiments on a relative's nearly-rusted-solid garage door hardware in the northern midwest.

Xtreyu t1_jcpyoe2 wrote on March 18, 2023 at 5:35 PM

No hate, this is one of the better options to start with, though I would add look for the silicone specialist wd-40 for something like a garage door

LateralThinkerer t1_jcrhdk3 wrote on March 19, 2023 at 12:12 AM

Anything at all - even vegetable oil - is better than just letting it sit so long as it can get into the moving surfaces. So many people just ignore this stuff.