I Sprayed This on My Garage and Outdoor Door Locks During a Cold Spell
The cold had already settled in. Overnight lows stayed below freezing and metal surfaces felt stiff to the touch. Garage doors and exterior locks are often the first to seize in these conditions. This time, they did not.
I sprayed the locks during the cold spell, not before it. I did not expect a change once temperatures had dropped, but the locks kept turning.
Why Garage and Outdoor Locks Freeze
Outdoor locks freeze because moisture sits inside the cylinder. Condensation forms during temperature swings and settles between pins and springs. When temperatures stay below freezing, that water turns to ice and stops movement.
The issue is not cold metal. It is water trapped inside the mechanism.
Garage locks and exterior doors face wind, exposure, and repeated temperature changes, which makes this more common than on interior locks.
What I Used
I used WD-40 on the garage door lock and exterior entry locks while the cold spell was ongoing.
The spray does not warm the lock. It pushes out moisture and leaves a barrier that limits new water from settling inside.
How I Applied It
I sprayed a short burst into the key slot, inserted the key, and turned it several times to move the spray through the cylinder. Excess on the surface was wiped off.
The locks were cold at the time of application.
What Happened After
The locks continued to turn through the rest of the cold spell. Morning stiffness did not develop. Keys did not bind or resist after overnight lows.
Nothing felt coated or greasy. The locks worked.
Why It Worked During the Cold Spell
Water inside the lock had not frozen yet. Displacing it before ice formed prevented the lock from seizing later.
The timing mattered. Applying the spray early in the cold period worked because moisture was still mobile.
What I Will Do Next Time
I will treat garage and exterior locks early in a cold spell instead of waiting for the first failure. Once ice forms inside a lock, options narrow fast.
Cold was not the problem. Water was.