Ask the Pack: Odd Garage Door Behavior

[00Dawg]

Short version: Both our main level garage doors are sticking to the floor. Can't figure out why.

Long version: Sometime last year, I noticed both garage doors we frequently use were making a loud noise and a jerking motion when first opening for the day. If you open them again in the next hour or two, the symptoms are greatly reduced.
I'm fairly certain it's the gaskets sticking to the floor. While I can't 100% rule out something along the bar or in the motors, the timing, visual review, and other info I'm about to share make it unlikely.

Important info:
Our garage floor was painted with garage floor paint 16+ years ago, which included an etching agent.
I've attempted to mitigate by cleaning the gaskets and where the gaskets touch with Simple Green and Dawn both, neither of which seemed to make a difference.
I tried sprinkling a light dusting of sand to see if the texture would stop the sticking, but it did not.
I've also replaced both gaskets twice. You get temporary relief for a day or three before the behavior returns.
I've put painter's tape on both the gasket and the floor, which also provides temporary relief for a few days.
The only "permanent" relief has come when I put down cardboard strips where the gaskets land, but that's impractical long term.
The sticking stops in cold weather. Think 30's and lower. One day back above 50, and they return to sticking.
I think this started about the time we switched from Orkin to our current pest control service, and mentioned this to our tech, who said he would try avoid directly spraying the gasket area. I also timed one of the gasket replacements right after one of his visits, but saw no difference in the relief period.

The gaskets I use are T-seals similar to this:


At this point I think my next try will be to go for a more expensive rubber gasket over vinyl, but I'm hoping the Pack Hive Mind has some other ideas as well.

 

[T-TownDawgg]

 

[dorndawg]

You likely already know this, but good reminder for any lurking non-Sixpackers who might be a dubmass: DO NOT 17 with garage door springs unless you're sure you know what you're doing. Those bad boys are fully torqued and can kill somebody or at a minimum 17 you up.

 

[John Deaux VII]

The first year in our house, the door would get hung up when the weather would get really cold. I found out that I could adjust the amount of tension in the spring. A year or so after that, we started having issues again - this time it just needed some lubricant. They sell lube specifically branded for garage doors but WD-40 works just as well.

 

[aTotal360]

As most true SPSers would tell you, the key ingredient to stop any "sticking" is Goldbond.

 

[MStateU]

 

[The Peeper]

As most true SPSers would tell you, the key ingredient to stop any "sticking" is Goldbond.

Extra Strength Medicated in the green container. Keeps things that aren't supposed to rub, stick or itch, from rubbing, sticking or itching, or so I'm told...................

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

You should coat the gasket in a non-nutritive cereal varnish. One that's semi-permeable, not osmotic, what it does is it coats and seals the gasket, prevents the garage floor paint from penetrating it.

 

[00Dawg]

You should coat the gasket in a non-nutritive cereal varnish. One that's semi-permeable, not osmotic, what it does is it coats and seals the gasket, prevents the garage floor paint from penetrating it.

Winner.

 

[Wesson Bulldog]

It's the Dale's residue left from the last mole cricket season.***
Seriously, try Goo Gone. Wipe it on the floor where the seals meet and then on the seals. Make sure to let it dry for a bit. May or may not help IDK but I use it on most similar issues at my house.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Winner.

Maybe. It very well could make an audible crunching sound every time you close it though.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

You likely already know this, but good reminder for any lurking non-Sixpackers who might be a dubmass: DO NOT 17 with garage door springs unless you're what you're doing. Those bad boys are fully torqued and can kill somebody or at a minimum 17 you up.

This. It literally is deadly.

 

[dawgman42]

You gotta marinate those springs, dude.

 

[FactCheckerBot]

One trick being reported by experts is applying Vaseline to the door gaskets.

 

[HotMop]

Extra Strength Medicated in the green container. Keeps things that aren't supposed to rub, stick or itch, from rubbing, sticking or itching, or so I'm told...................

I kept this in my butt pack during Marine Combat Training in North Carolina, got looked at funny the first week, week 2 it was in everybody's butt pack.

 

[HotMop]

One trick being reported by experts is applying Vaseline to the door gaskets.

Is that what you call your balls?

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Silicone spray that works for the seal and your runner wheels.

 

[Dawgbite]

It may not be sticking. Look at the pulley that the cable runs through and is probably attached to the spring. The bearings go out and the cable settles in a spot and when you engage the motor it will jump suddenly like it’s stuck. Losses the spring and remove that pulley and check the bearings. Might be your problem.

 

[Pookieray]

Short version: Both our main level garage doors are sticking to the floor. Can't figure out why.

Long version: Sometime last year, I noticed both garage doors we frequently use were making a loud noise and a jerking motion when first opening for the day. If you open them again in the next hour or two, the symptoms are greatly reduced.
I'm fairly certain it's the gaskets sticking to the floor. While I can't 100% rule out something along the bar or in the motors, the timing, visual review, and other info I'm about to share make it unlikely.

Important info:
Our garage floor was painted with garage floor paint 16+ years ago, which included an etching agent.
I've attempted to mitigate by cleaning the gaskets and where the gaskets touch with Simple Green and Dawn both, neither of which seemed to make a difference.
I tried sprinkling a light dusting of sand to see if the texture would stop the sticking, but it did not.
I've also replaced both gaskets twice. You get temporary relief for a day or three before the behavior returns.
I've put painter's tape on both the gasket and the floor, which also provides temporary relief for a few days.
The only "permanent" relief has come when I put down cardboard strips where the gaskets land, but that's impractical long term.
The sticking stops in cold weather. Think 30's and lower. One day back above 50, and they return to sticking.
I think this started about the time we switched from Orkin to our current pest control service, and mentioned this to our tech, who said he would try avoid directly spraying the gasket area. I also timed one of the gasket replacements right after one of his visits, but saw no difference in the relief period.

The gaskets I use are T-seals similar to this:
View attachment 1100900

At this point I think my next try will be to go for a more expensive rubber gasket over vinyl, but I'm hoping the Pack Hive Mind has some other ideas as well.

spray some silicone lube on the gasket, also adjust the downward travel some on the motor.

 

[FactCheckerBot]

Is that what you call your balls?

Fact:

“Deez”

 

[00Dawg]

It may not be sticking. Look at the pulley that the cable runs through and is probably attached to the spring. The bearings go out and the cable settles in a spot and when you engage the motor it will jump suddenly like it’s stuck. Losses the spring and remove that pulley and check the bearings. Might be your problem.

One of the springs was actually replaced since this started. Unrelated, we’ve been at home when each has broken (a few years apart), and the noise made was not insubstantial…matches all the warnings in this thread.

 

[basedawg]

Call a garage expert, I am sure he can fix your problem.

 

[BreckyBratt]

You likely already know this, but good reminder for any lurking non-Sixpackers who might be a dubmass: DO NOT 17 with garage door springs unless you're sure you know what you're doing. Those bad boys are fully torqued and can kill somebody or at a minimum 17 you up.

Watched it as a young man throw two grown *** men to the floor from about 14' up a ladder. One slip and it's bad for everyone involved.

 

[mcdawg22]

View attachment 1100943

Good lord how stupid can you be? He said the problem is with high temps. That’s when you use duck fat spray. Come on.

 

[was21]

How do you open the garage door when the electricity goes out? I'm aware there is a lever but it won't move. It's locked. How do you unlock it? I know the door can be dangerous if you don't know what the 17 you're doing. I don't.

 

[T-TownDawgg]

View attachment 1100958

On a serious note:

DO NOT use WD-40 on garage door tracks, chains, or wheels.

Use silicone spray.

WD-40 is a solvent with some friction modifiers. If it drips on your vehicle while the door is up, it will dissolve the paint.

 

[dickiedawg]

How do you open the garage door when the electricity goes out? I'm aware there is a lever but it won't move. It's locked. How do you unlock it? I know the door can be dangerous if you don't know what the 17 you're doing. I don't.

The pull cord will disengage it. Like putting it in neutral.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

On a serious note:

DO NOT use WD-40 on garage door tracks, chains, or wheels.

Use silicone spray.

WD-40 is a solvent with some friction modifiers. If it drips on your vehicle while the door is up, it will dissolve the paint.

Might want to tell that to the garage door companies. They spray the rollers with a mixture of WD-40 and hydraulic fluid.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

How do you open the garage door when the electricity goes out? I'm aware there is a lever but it won't move. It's locked. How do you unlock it? I know the door can be dangerous if you don't know what the 17 you're doing. I don't.

You should be able to pull the cord and it unlatch. Sometimes you have to pop it to make it release.

 

[T-TownDawgg]

Might want to tell that to the garage door companies. They spray the rollers with a mixture of WD-40 and hydraulic fluid.

Cheap-azz retards.

If this is true, they’re doing it because it’s cheap, not because it’s the best product for that application.

Moly chain lube spray for the chain.
PTFE or Silicone spray for everything else.

My go to for the roller pins is Lucas Red and Tacky spray.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Cheap-azz retards.

If this is true, they’re doing it because it’s cheap, not because it’s the best product for that application.

Moly chain lube spray for the chain.
PTFE or Silicone spray for everything else.

My go to for the roller pins is Lucas Red and Tacky spray.

We use moly chain lube because we have so much of it laying around for chains on our planters.

 

[RocketDawg]

How do you open the garage door when the electricity goes out? I'm aware there is a lever but it won't move. It's locked. How do you unlock it? I know the door can be dangerous if you don't know what the 17 you're doing. I don't.

Mine has a battery backup. You can pull the red cord with a handle and raise it manually. If the spring's broken it's really heavy, especially for a 16 or 18 foot steel insulated door.

 

[hdogg]

In my early days of visiting this site, before I knew any inside jokes, there was a thread about getting rid of grub worms in a lawn. There were quite a few references to mole crickets and Dales... I spent a long time trying to google the internet machine for more info on it, with no luck. It took me a while to realize that yall are all evil genuises.

 

[Dawgbite]

One of the springs was actually replaced since this started. Unrelated, we’ve been at home when each has broken (a few years apart), and the noise made was not insubstantial…matches all the warnings in this thread.

I thought one of the side track rollers was binding, greased the **** out of the track. Didn’t help. Then i decided one spring was tighter than the other, adjusted everything to no avail. Finally one day I discovered the second ball bearing that had fallen out of that little pulley. Fixed everything. Those pulleys are universal and available at any hardware store. Go ahead and replace them all while your at it.

 

[RocketDawg]

I thought one of the side track rollers was binding, greased the **** out of the track. Didn’t help. Then i decided one spring was tighter than the other, adjusted everything to no avail. Finally one day I discovered the second ball bearing that had fallen out of that little pulley. Fixed everything. Those pulleys are universal and available at any hardware store. Go ahead and replace them all while your at it.

Do you have overhead large coil springs in the middle, or smaller springs on the sides? Those middle springs are definitely dangerous and seem to be the predominant type nowadays.

 

[Dawgbite]

In my early days of visiting this site, before I knew any inside jokes, there was a thread about getting rid of grub worms in a lawn. There were quite a few references to mole crickets and Dales... I spent a long time trying to google the internet machine for more info on it, with no luck. It took me a while to realize that yall are all evil genuises.

I think “ ********” is the word you’re looking for!

 

[eckie1]

One of the springs was actually replaced since this started. Unrelated, we’ve been at home when each has broken (a few years apart), and the noise made was not insubstantial…matches all the warnings in this thread.

No kidding. My garage is directly diagonal from my bedroom, behind many doors and walls and a good 30+ yards away. When ours broke a few months ago, I heard it from the bedroom. It took us a few days to figure out what happened…. When the garage door wouldn’t open, we knew. Glad I wasn’t in there when it broke!!

Unbeknownst to me, a family friend is in the garage door business. I didn’t know that until after I got somebody else to fix it. I ended up getting 2 springs, but my friend says he only recommends getting one. Oh, well.