Should you use WD-40 on a garage door? What to use instead
No. Clopay says to avoid WD-40 and oil-based lubricants on a garage door because they draw dirt and dust. What it recommends instead, and where it goes.
You've heard a squeak. You went to the shelf, grabbed the blue and yellow can, and now you're standing under the door with the nozzle pointed at a hinge, wondering if this is right or if you're about to make it worse.
Short answer: it's the wrong can, and a door manufacturer says so.
Not sure which problem this is? Start with our page on a noisy garage door.
What the door maker says
Clopay's lubrication page says that WD-40 and oil-based lubricants should be avoided, because they draw dirt and dust, and that causes premature wear. What it recommends instead is silicone-based lubricant, which it says lasts and won't attract dirt or dust, or white lithium grease, which it says can attract dirt, so use it sparingly.
That is the whole case from the manufacturer. We are not going to tell you what WD-40 does chemically to the grease already in a bearing, because the page we are citing doesn't say. What it does say is enough to put the can back.
Clopay is one maker, and the makers disagree on the type of lubricant. Raynor also names silicone, while Wayne Dalton (page 1) and Amarr (owner's manual, PDF page 5) say non-silicone. Check your door maker's manual for the type it names.
Why this matters more than a squeak
A squeak means a part is dry or dirty. Spraying something that draws dirt and dust onto a hinge or roller bearing is the opposite of what the part needs, and Clopay says that leads to premature wear.
What actually belongs on the moving parts
Wayne Dalton's manual names the parts: "hinges, steel rollers and bearings". If your rollers are nylon, Clopay says do not apply lubricant to them. Clopay also says not to over-lubricate: excess lubricant attracts dirt, so wipe away any extra, and nothing should be dripping from any component.
Clopay says to re-lubricate every 3 to 6 months or as needed, closer to 3 for heavy use and about 6 for average use. Our full guide is how often to lubricate a garage door, and the garage door anatomy lab is the map of where these parts are.
The one place lubricant does not belong
The tracks.
Clopay says don't add lubrication to the actual tracks. Wipe them with a damp cloth instead, because lubricant there makes the rollers work harder and strains the opener. Not WD-40, not silicone, not lithium. If your tracks are dirty, wipe them out. That is the whole maintenance procedure for tracks.
The part you should not lubricate yourself
We leave anything touching the torsion spring to a technician. That is our rule for this site, and it covers the spring, its shaft and the bearing plates at the ends of the shaft. Wayne Dalton says springs, cables, brackets and the hardware attached to the springs are under extreme tension. If you are near a spring that shows a visible gap in the coil, stop, put the can down and call a technician.
Lubricating the spring is not homeowner territory, and neither is winding, tensioning or replacing it. Our spring maintenance page covers what a technician checks on the springs and what you can look at yourself. The Maya on garage door tech, decoded walkthrough shows what a healthy spring looks like versus one that needs a professional. If you're in Las Vegas, garage door repair in Las Vegas through A+ Garage Doors (our affiliated installer) is the kind of call this is. Garage Door Pro Services (our affiliated installer) also runs free garage door safety inspections, which is a low-cost way to have someone look at the spring.
The sound that started this
If you came here because of a noise, the noise was telling you something real.
The fix for a dry hinge or steel roller is a light application of the lubricant your door maker's manual names, on the right parts, at the right interval. Put the WD-40 back on the shelf.
