From Ko Olina and Ewa Beach to Makaha, a lot of west side garages sit close to the ocean, and sea salt is hard on steel. Door makers know it: Clopay's and Wayne Dalton's residential warranties both exclude damage from salt spray. A few minutes of care every month or two keeps springs, rollers and track working longer.
How far inland does salt reach?
Further than most people think. FEMA's coastal construction guidance says salt spray is heaviest near breaking waves and drops off quickly over the first 300 to 3,000 feet from the shore, but it has found faster corrosion as far as 5 to 10 miles inland. On the leeward side, that takes in most of the coastal neighborhoods.
How often do you need to lubricate a garage door?
Follow the maker of your door, because they don't agree. Overhead Door suggests about twice a year. Genie calls for regular care of rollers, bearings and hinges. Near the coast, a look every month is better, and the CPSC already recommends checking the door and opener every 30 days.
What is the best thing to lubricate a garage door with?
Again, whatever your door's maker names. Genie recommends silicone spray or light oil on rollers, bearings and hinges. Overhead Door names lithium-based grease. Clopay says never to use grease on its doors. Amarr says not to lubricate plastic rollers or idler bearings at all.
What should I rinse, and how?
The University of Hawaii's corrosion lab advises washing accumulated sea salt off metal, because it is very corrosive. Clopay recommends mild soap and water on the door and a rust-resistant coating on exposed metal a few times a year. Rinse the track, hinges and the bottom edge, where salt and sand collect.
Can I service my garage door myself?
Some of it. Rinsing, wiping down track, checking weatherseal and running the monthly reversal test are owner jobs. Springs and cables are not. They hold the door's weight under high tension, and DASMA says spring work should only be done by a trained door systems technician.
Signs the salt is winning
Orange streaks on the spring coils, flaking on the track, rollers that squeal or stop turning, and bubbling paint along the bottom of the door. Rust on a spring matters most, because rust breaks start on the outer surface of the wire. If you see it, book a check before the spring decides for you.