Rust on Your Garage Door: What to Do, Part by Part

Rust on a garage door is easy to ignore. It starts as a few orange spots at the bottom edge and spreads slowly. Where the rust is matters more than how much there is. Rust on a panel is a looks problem for a long time. Rust on a spring or cable is a safety problem. Here's how to handle each spot, and which ones to leave for a professional.

Where rust shows up first

• The bottom edge of the door, where water and road salt splash and sit
• The metal strip that holds the rubber bottom seal
• Hinges and the stems of the rollers
• The lower part of the tracks
• Springs and cables, especially in damp garages
• Scratches and dents, where the paint is broken

If you live near the coast or somewhere humid, check more often. Our guide to garage door care in humid and coastal areas covers the bigger routine.

Rust on the panels

Surface rust on a steel panel is a homeowner job if you take it slow. Close the door and unplug the opener first so no one runs it while you work.

1. Wash. Clean the area with mild soap and water and let it dry fully.
2. Remove loose rust. Use a fine sanding pad or a wire brush on the rusty spot only. You're removing flakes, not stripping the door.
3. Prime. Use a rust inhibiting primer made for exterior metal and follow the label.
4. Paint. Match the color as best you can with paint made for exterior metal, or the touch-up paint your door maker recommends. A few light coats beat one heavy one.

If rust has eaten through the metal, or the panel is soft or crumbling, paint won't fix it. That section may need replacing. Our window and panel care guide covers dents and cracks.

Rust on hinges, rollers and tracks

Light rust on moving hardware usually means it has gone too long without care.

• Wipe surface rust off the hinges with a cloth, then lubricate hinges and roller bearings with a lubricant made for garage doors. Our guide on how to lubricate a garage door covers what to use.
• Clean the tracks with a dry cloth. Don't grease them.
• Watch the rollers as the door moves. A rusty roller that no longer turns is sliding instead, and that wears the track. Replacing rollers is a job for a pro, as our rollers guide explains.
• Tighten hinge screws if they've loosened, but leave the bottom brackets alone.

Rust on the opener rail and chain

In a damp garage, a chain drive opener can show surface rust too. Follow your opener manual for any lubricant on the chain, and don't spray the motor unit. If the rail is badly rusted or the chain is dragging, have it looked at. Leave the opener's settings alone.

Rust on springs and cables

This is the part to take seriously. Springs and cables carry the weight of the door, and rust eats into them and makes them more likely to snap. Rust also adds friction between the coils of a spring, which wears it faster.

• Look, don't touch. Check the springs and cables from a distance for an orange or brown coating, flaking or frayed strands.
• Don't treat them yourself. Don't sand, brush or spray the springs or cables. They're under heavy tension.
• Don't run a door with a bad cable. If a cable looks badly rusted or frayed, stop using the door.

Call a professional to check them. Our cable warning signs show what to look for, and our spring warning signs cover the springs.

Keep rust from coming back

• Rinse the bottom of the door a few times a year, and more often after storms or if you live near salt water
• Keep the bottom seal in good shape so water doesn't pool at the base
• Wipe off wet snow and slush that drips from the car
• Keep the garage ventilated so damp air can dry out
• Touch up chips and scratches before they spread
• Keep moving parts lubricated on a regular schedule

Where a yearly tune-up helps

A professional tune-up includes an inspection of the springs and cables and lubrication of all moving parts. That means the rust in the places you shouldn't touch gets looked at at least once a year, before it turns into a snapped cable on a busy morning.