A homeowner from Gretna, NE, called Omaha Garage Door Repair about their garage door making strange and disturbing noises for the past weeks. They decided to call since a family member almost got into an accident because of the same garage door. We immediately dispatched our service technicians to the client's address to check what was causing the problem. Upon spot inspection, the repair technician noted that the garage door's steel rollers were already rusted, and the tracks were slightly bent. Our team suggested replacing the existing rollers with more efficient nylon rollers. After explaining the latter option's advantages, they were convinced and agreed on the garage door roller replacement. We scheduled the repair for the next day, and the door worked smoothly.
Knowing the garage door system's most crucial components, such as the garage door rollers, is similarly critical if you are eager to understand your garage door operation. After all, you will not dare use a newly acquired home appliance if you do not know what it does or how it works. So what you do is first read the product manual. The same is true for your garage door. With the help of this article, you will be able to determine which replacement part works best for you and matches your garage door's function and style.
Like most homeowners, you probably think garage door rollers are all the same. However, the nylon and steel garage door rollers indeed differ significantly from one another. Keep reading to find out more on the differences if you are considering replacing your old rollers. However, there is unquestionably one winner out of these two options.
Steel is a highly resilient and reasonably priced iron alloy. It has been used in various building materials due to its inexpensive cost and tensile strength. Since the first overhead doors were introduced in 1921, steel has been a common material for garage door rollers. It has been a tried-and-tested method for garage door operation.
Meanwhile, since its inception in 1938, nylon has been used to make everything from toothbrushes to vehicle parts to stockings. It is a thermoplastic, which means that when heated to a high degree of temperature, it becomes malleable and moldable but solidifies when it cools. It is also strong and degrades slowly over time due to its chemical composition. All in all, garage door nylon rollers have significantly more benefits than drawbacks. Let us go over some of them in the outline below:
Nylon has a silky smooth texture and can be molded into precise shapes, making it ideal for wheels. In addition, it can smoothly glide on any surface due to the relative lack of friction. As a result, nylon garage door rollers are much quieter than steel rollers, which is why most customers choose to upgrade.
Apart from it, most nylon garage door rollers use ball bearings to reduce friction even further. The more ball bearings it has, will ease movement down the track. On the other hand, steel rollers moving down a metal track create vibration and noise with exposed metal fasteners. Therefore, when compared to nylon rollers, steel door rollers are substantially noisier.
Additionally, rust can weaken the wheel and result in cracks or damage when the steel rollers corrode over time. In extreme circumstances, this may even result in the door becoming stuck and making extra noise.
As to durability, nylon rollers are just as strong as steel rollers. Nylon garage door rollers are less susceptible to moisture damage than steel ones since they do not corrode or rust. The nylon rollers will easily slide over rust on your garage door frame, even if it is present.
While steel rollers do not require replacement unless there is rust or corrosion, they are still widely used in many construction projects. But over time and with continued use, rust causes the ball bearings to degrade often, which affects the garage door's mechanism.
The number of ball bearings in the roller also impacts a garage door's service years. The weight can be distributed more evenly since there are sufficient ball bearings.
Nylon garage door rollers outperform steel rollers in the long run because of these factors. In addition, they often require less maintenance than steel rollers as an added benefit, especially if they contain sealed ball bearings.
The cost of nylon rollers is almost twice as much as steel rollers from the same manufacturer. Cost is merely a result of the availability of raw materials. Since steel is more readily available and mass-produced, it generally costs less. Additionally, nylon rollers typically require more ball bearings than steel rollers, thus explaining the increase in production costs.
Nylon rollers initially cost more than steel rollers, but in the long run, they are less expensive. In addition, these rollers will pay for themselves in a matter of years due to their long lifespan.
With all the above advantages, we can conclude that garage door nylon rollers outweigh the more commonly used steel rollers. Now, it is time for you to decide.
Replacing worn-out rollers is one of the simplest and least expensive methods to improve your garage door's performance. So when you are troubled by the noises from your garage door, maybe it is time for a garage door roller replacement. Omaha Garage Door Repair has been servicing residential and commercial establishments around Omaha, NE, and the surrounding areas for years. We offer residential and commercial services like garage door installation and spring replacement. So call us right away at (402) 819-5158 to request free estimates.