Many people give little to no thought to their sliding door’s operation – that is, until it begins to squeak and stick. Sliding patio doors moves with the aid of an upper and lower track and rails that not only keep them in place but allow them to slide open and closed smoothly and squeak-free.
5 Best-Selling Lube for Sliding Patio Doors
Table of Contents
- 1. Silicone Spray Lubricant Aerosol Can
- 2. Door, Lock, Hinge Lubricant for Sliding Doors
- 3. Water-Resistant Silicone Lubricant with Straw Spray
- 4. Non-Stick Dry-Film Lubricant Aerosol Spray Can
- 5. Extreme Duty Silicone Lubricant Aerosol Can
- Buying Guide
- Tips for Maintaining Patio Doors
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
With wind, dust and dirt gets clogged into those tracks and rollers to prevent the sliding door opening and closing as best as it should. By using a lubricant, you’ll be able to return your sliding door to a clean, smooth, and squeak-free condition.
Lubricants will help to keep dust and dirt away from the rollers, reducing the friction, and keep the metal-on-metal contact to a minimum to enhance the life of your sliding patio doors’ parts. Read our buying guide to help you choose the right lubricant for your sliding patio door, find the answers to your frequently asked questions, and see a selection of the 5 best lube for sliding patio doors.
Reviews of 5 Top Rated Lube for Sliding Patio Doors
1. Silicone Spray Lubricant Aerosol Can
Permatex 80070 Silicone Spray ( Oz. Net Aerosol Can)
- will not mar paint, rubber or plastic surfaces
- electrically insulates, lubricates and waterproofs all types of mechanical equipment
- coats hinges and channels, preventing locks, doors and windows from binding and squeaking
- high silicone formula does not attract dust or dirt
- protects and renews rubber mountings, bushings and weather stripping
This Permatex silicone lubricant can be applied to a sliding patio door’s guide and rail by simply spraying this lube to those areas. It doesn’t attract dirt and dust, lubes, and waterproofs all-metal, painted, and plastic surfaces. It works by coating the hinges and rails to prevent them from binding, squeaking and makes for a smoother opening and closing sliding action. This Permatex 80070 Silicone Spray Lubricant is available in a 10.25 oz aerosol can.
2. Door, Lock, Hinge Lubricant for Sliding Doors
Door Lock And Hinge ( Stiff Hinges, And Stuck Locks (1))
- fixes & prevents: no more tough sticking sliding doors, sticky keys, stuck locks, squeaky doors, or squeaky garage doors
- instantly effective & long-lasting: works as soon as the oil is applied and stays on lasting a long-time
- stop frozen locks & year-round performance: functions optimally between -35 f and 180 f to prevent frozen locks and provide year-round protection
- prevent rust: contains rust inhibitors that help to keep your doors, locks, and hinges looking good and functioning properly
- non-toxic: made with food-grade mineral-based products that contain no harmful chemicals or toxic substances.
UniSport’s Door, Lock, and Hinge Lubricant are designed to reduce friction and sliding door squeaks while protecting the guide rails and tracks with long-lasting lube that prevents rust and dirt from clogging up the runners. This one is made from food-grade mineral-based products containing no harmful chemicals or substances to make it pet- and child-friendly should they accidentally come into contact with this lubricant. It offers year-round protection for environments -35 F and 180 F. It is available in an 8 oz. bottle.
3. Water-Resistant Silicone Lubricant with Straw Spray
WD40 Specialist Silicone Lubricant ( SPRAYS 2 WAYS, 11 OZ)
- silicone lubricant provides a protective, waterproof and low-friction coating to multiple surfaces
- our quick-drying formula cures into a clear, stain-resistant hard film that protects your surfaces from the elements
- safe to use on metal, rubber, vinyl, and plastic without a messy residue. 50-state voc compliant
- protects a range of products found in the shop, garage, job site, or home including cables, pulleys, valves, hinges, windows, sliding doors and locks
- wd-40 brand believes in creating high-quality products that will not fail in extreme conditions. professionals rely on wd-40 specialist to get the job done right
From WD-40 comes this Specialist Silicone Quick-Drying lubricant with smart straw sprays to provide lubrication, protects against rust, and waterproofs your sliding patio doors’ tracks and rails. It also adds a low-friction coating to the applied surfaces by creating a clear, stain-resistant hard film that protects the sliding doors’ running surfaces from the weather’s harmful elements. The attached straw helps you to spray the lube exactly accurately and precisely where you need it to go without leaving a mess. It is available in an 11 oz. can.
4. Non-Stick Dry-Film Lubricant Aerosol Spray Can
DuPont NonStick DryFilm Lubricant ( Lubricant Aerosol, 10 Oz)
- unique 100% dry-film teflon coating and lubricant
- unique 100% dry-film teflon coating and lubricant
- clean, long-lasting micro-thin, dirt-resistant coating effective from -100f to +500f
- uses proprietary resin-bonding technology for tight tolerance, metal-on-metal applications
- creates a thin, dirt-repelling, chemical-resistant coating
The DuPont Teflon Dry Film Lubricant offers completely dry, non-oily coatings to surfaces and to cleanly lubricate sliding patio door rails and tracks. This solution repels dirt and dust, reduces friction for smooth sliding operation, and it provides a long-lasting coating that is effective in weather from -100 F to 500 F. The coating is also rust-resistant too. It is applied to your sliding patio doors via spraying the lubricant onto the areas where your sliding door requires it most. It is available in 10 oz. can.
5. Extreme Duty Silicone Lubricant Aerosol Can
CRC Extreme Duty Silicone ( For High Temperature Applications)
- crc industries: a market leader that offers impeccably designed chemical solutions to maintain, protect and repair different marine, heavy-duty motor vehicles, industrial-grade engines, household tools and electrical equipment
- silicone lubricant: this extreme duty lubricant protects various metal and non-metal surfaces during high-temperature and high-pressure applications
- superior performance: works efficiently in -100 to 450-degree f applications. reduces galling and friction on metal-to-metal contact areas. for use on all metallic and non-metallic surfaces
- versatility: the extreme duty silicone lubricant works efficiently on guides, rails, and mold release agents, electric motors, sliding mechanisms, plant conveyors, and vending machines
- product specifications: this industrial-grade silicone lubricant comes in a 10 wt oz aerosol can
Offered by CRC, this is a non-staining, clear, and odorless lubricant that can withstand the weather’s harshest elements while reducing the friction of your sliding patio doors. This aerosol can feature a 306-degree nozzle that can be sprayed in up or down positions to easily target those hard-to-reach areas. It is designed to protect and enhance the lifespan of metal-on-metal surfaces with its coating. It is available in 10 oz. can.
Buying Guide
1. Lubricating Formula
When shopping for a sliding door lubricant, and after applying it, you don’t want to have to clean and lubricate it weekly. That’s why choosing silicone and Teflon-based lubricants are best as they dry in seconds after being applied to surfaces, leave no mess, and they repel dirt and dust. What’s more, a coating can last a season or more before needing to be re-applied to the sliding door’s tracks and rollers.
2. Weather-Resistance
A lubricant should be able to withstand your environment’s weather elements. An oil/petroleum-based lubricant is wet and will easily wash away in rainfall and snow conditions, while a dry, non-stick Teflon-based and silicone lubricant will dry nearly instantly to form a hard coating that is designed to be waterproof, dust-resistance, and can withstand extreme weather temperatures from ranges such as -100 F to 500 F.
3. Non-Toxic
Your lubricant must be non-toxic to you, your pets and the environment. For that, most silicone-based lubricants are made from food-grade chemicals and solutions that are harmless. Silicone lubricants are also fast-drying so they leave no wet areas or pools of liquid that may attract pets and small children to investigate.
4. Multipurpose
A good lubricant is a multipurpose lubricant. You don’t want to keep 30 different types of lubricants in your garage with each of them serving just one function. A silicone and Teflon-based lubricant can be used on a wide variety of surfaces from wood, metal, plastic to rubber, and even painted surfaces. A good lubricant, as with the ones we’ve shared above, not only lubricates a sticky and noisy sliding patio door, but can be used to prevent rust, repel dirt and prolong the lifespan of tracks, rails, windows, and even most mechanical equipment in your garage.
Tips for Maintaining Patio Doors
1. Weather Treatment
In general, external doors need to be weather treated every few years most especially if you have a wooden sliding door. You must re-paint it when the paint vanishes or starting to crack and peel. If you are living in an area where rain and wind sees a lot then you will be needing to treat your door more often.
2. Cleaning
Patio sliding doors tend to attract dirt and dust. Meaning you must keep them clean so that the runner moves smoothly all the time. If you feel that the roller is sticking, you can pull the roller out of the door and start scraping off the dirt on the wheels. Then wipe down the wheels with a cloth soaked in denatured alcohol and clean the track with the same solution. Do not forget to vacuum the track to remove the remaining dust and dirt.
3. Lubrication
The final maintenance you should do is to lubricate your rollers after you are done cleaning them. We recommend using silicone spray as it doesn’t hold dirt and not cause rollers to collect dust. By using a lubricant, you’ll be able to return your sliding door to a clean, smooth, and squeak-free condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Petroleum-based lubricants work in much the same way as silicone lubricants, but the major difference between them is that silicone lubricants repel dirt and grime.
They work in similar ways, but Teflon-based lubricants offer more heavy-duty characteristics. They’re better suited to environments with extreme weather such as heavy snowfall and high summer temperatures.
The best way is to use a de-greasing spray to remove the dirt and dust that has clogged up the rails and then wipe away with a clean rag before applying your sliding door lubricant.
Due to dirt and dust that collects on the tracks, your sliding door becomes more difficult to move along with its rollers. Simply cleaning and lubricating your sliding door’s tracks will return it to perfect working condition.
Squeaking is a sound of metal-on-metal friction. Cleaning and lubricating the sliding patio door’s tracks will restore its quiet operation and prevent that damaging metal-on-metal contact.
Conclusion
Cleaning and lubricating your sliding patio doors’ tracks, rails and rollers will restore its smooth, silent opening and closing operation. Dust and dirt can cause the sliding door to incorrectly function, causing a sticky feeling when trying to move it on its rails and a squeaking sound. With a silicone and Teflon-based lubricant, you’ll once again transform your sticking and noisy sliding patio door to its perfect working order in minutes.
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