Garage Door Roller 101

Three different types of rollers are sitting next to each other on a white surface.

Left to Right: Nylon (Plastic), Nylon Coated Steel, Steel.

I know, they’re just rollers. But they play a huge part in the operation and life of your garage door. You want them to be happy. Here’s the breakdown of different types, features and choices.

Plastic Rollers: Not a big fan. A good analogy would be going 70 mph on George Bush Turnpike with plastic tires on your car. (Really? I just rolled my own eyes on this one!) But picture it. Not good. When plastic rollers wear down, chip or break into, you’re in T-R-O-U-B-L-E… Your door will either come off the track and potentially fall on a vehicle, equipment or even possibly hurt a person.

Steel Rollers: Our steel rollers are commercial grade steel rollers with commercial grade 10-ball bearings. They are rated for a minimum of 10,000 cycles and have a 75 lb load capacity per roller. This type of roller is provided with new door installs, as well as, available for sale in our showroom.

Nylon Coated Steel Rollers: Our nylon rollers are zinc plated steel with the same capacity load as steel rollers; however, they have 11 steel ball bearings, bulged shoulders and provide a life cycle of 15,000-30,000. (Just so you’ll know, a “cycle” is every time the door goes up and every time the door goes down.) This style of roller is available for upgrade at any time and is available in our showroom as well.

*Don’t get fooled by our competitors! They sell “Nylon” rollers with their new garage doors. The problem?? They’re JUST Nylon (No Steel Roller Core). It’s a plastic disk on a stick, and will only last a few years- we see it all the time with home builders.

We’d be happy to come by and take a look at the condition of your door rollers at NO COST. Just call or come by our showroom to schedule an appointment. And when we install them for you, they’ll come with a 5-year warranty…oh, and 1-year on labor. We’re family-owned and love our customers!

By Nick McGregor , General Manager of Plano Overhead Garage Door

Tags: Garage Door Rollers , Garage Door Rollers Plano , Garage Door Wheels , Nylon Rollers , Nylon Steel Rollers , Steel Rollers , Texas