Is there anything that can make the front of your home look shabbier and more rundown than a rusted garage door? Even though a door may only be a few years old, it can rust, and it’s helpful to know how and why this happens, and what you can do about it. Knowing all of that, you’ll be able to prevent such issues in the future or remain on top of the problem from this point forward.
Rust and the environment
It might surprise you to learn that the area in which you live is rust-friendly. Whether it is in a coastal area, a place with lots of wintertime cold, or an industrial area, it is the location of the garage that could be causing the rust to form on even a well-painted door. Why? Let’s start with coastal spots. They have lots of salty air, and this is very corrosive. Places with long winters also have lots of salt and sand on the roads and sidewalks, and this can reach the garage door and start to rust it. Industrial regions often have irritating compounds floating around, and you guessed it, leading to rust. Fortunately, garage door specialists are well-versed in environmental factors and can help.
There is one more environmental factor to know about: pollen. It doesn’t lead to rust, but its orange and yellow hues can look mightily close to rust, and if white and yellow birch trees surround you, it could be the cause of blooms of “rust” showing up overnight.
Rust and the paint on the door
Naturally, it is not only the environment that may contribute to a rusting garage door but might also be related to the paint used. Most manufacturers coat a door with primer and then use a baked-on coat of paint.
The steel used in the doors is galvanized and contains a high percentage of zinc to protect against rust. Many adhere to the Association of North American Garage Door Manufacturers (DASMA) guidelines for the amount of zinc in the coatings to offer optimal rust-resistance.
Even if a manufacturer did meet recommended standards, rust could occur, and a previous owner may have had the door repainted by a professional who did not follow the best guidelines. They might have used flawed prep or less than ideal paint. They may also have ignored the most significant cause of rust: A puncture in the steel that passed beneath the surface. This can leave raw edges exposed, and it is the raw steel that could be causing rust to form and spread.
Rust versus washing
Regardless of what you now feel may be the cause of rust on your garage door, if you are not regularly washing it, that too could be contributing to the problem. Doing a good cleaning whenever you wash or rinsing your vehicle in the drive can reduce the risks for rust exponentially. It gets rid of grime, and even alerts you to the fact you could be overdoing it if you lubricated the drive chain of your electric garage door opener by showing areas of grease on the door.
Washing the door is easy and requires the same soap you use to wash the car or just household liquid dishwashing detergent. With a degreaser, it can even get rid of that drive chain oil! One thing you must not do is use a pressure washer. This is going to remove the outer (and even lower) layers of paint and cause even more risk for rust. Just use a standard garden house on the medium spray, and you can achieve excellent results.
Rust that remains
And once all of this is done, and you still have rust… then what? Don’t panic! Rust is relatively common on the two lower sections of the door, especially in roadside garages. The combinations of "wet snow + abrasive + street salt" lead to irritation and then rust.
Most, however, are surface stains and to remove them is easy:
- Start with the mildest rinse: a 50/50 blend of water and white vinegar
- Spray it on the rust and wipe it down
- If this does not remove the rust, use a 75/25 mixture of baking soda and water
- Spread over the rust in a thin layer, let sit for half an hour and then wipe away and rinse
- Bathroom tile cleaner is the final option if nothing else cuts the rust
Wash twice a year… at least
Your garage door may be more prone to rust if you live in an area where air pollution is higher than usual. Do it both in the fall and spring, and finish with liquid wax for protection. Follow the recommendations in Garaga’s maintenance guide. It may take a little more time, but you’ll be proud of the results.
Maybe rust has won?
If you live in or around Leamington and you’ve observed that your current garage door deserves to be retired after the many years of service it gave you, then contact us now at 519-326-5888.
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