Tips for Garage Door Safety
There are many ways to avoid damage and injuries from garage doors.
Garage doors have many functions, such as helping keep a home safe from intruders or contributing to the home’s exterior aesthetic. Garage doors, however, can also be dangerous to a home’s occupants, especially children. Homeowners should maintain their garage doors regularly and make repairs as soon as any issues are noticed to avoid damage or injury.
Accident avoidance
There are many ways to avoid damage and injuries from garage doors. Keeping the garage door closed when not in use can help prevent accidents, especially if kids are playing nearby. This can also help prevent damage to the torsion springs, which are expensive to repair or replace if damaged.
Educating young children on the dangers of garage doors can also help avoid injury. They must understand that while they see garage doors in operation daily, these doors are powerful machines. Young children must stay out of the way of the door when in operation, never mess with any parts of the door, and never operate the door themselves; only an adult should ever touch the garage door controls.
Emergency release
When activating the emergency release, make sure the door is entirely closed, as when this release is activated, the door comes crashing down and could injure anyone in its path. Broken and weak garage springs can also make the door crash to the ground, leading to accidents. Proper garage door spring maintenance and repair can prevent this problem.
Test the self-reverse mechanism.
Many garage doors have a sensor to detect if anything is in the way of the garage door during its descent. If the sensor detects anything, it stops or retracts its descent. To prevent garage door accidents, test the self-reversing feature mechanism to ensure it works properly.
Regular maintenance
Garage doors operate with many moving parts, all susceptible to damage. Inspect these parts visually and run the door up and down. Check the cables, hinges, and other moving parts for wear if the door moves slowly or makes odd noises. If any damage is detected, contact a professional for repairs immediately.
Garage door opener
A critical feature of the garage door is the opener, which allows the door to open and close automatically. Regular garage door opener inspection and repair can prevent accidents since damage to this device can cause the garage door to fall suddenly or not operate at all.
Final suggestions
Always keep the garage door free of clutter to see what is happening within the garage, such as children playing, wild animals taking shelter, or objects in the way that could damage the door. Scheduling routine professional garage door installation and repairs also ensures the garage door system is in safe working order. While there is a cost involved for this, it is far less expensive than severe damage or injury.
Phoenician Garage Door & Repair offers full-service garage installation, repair and maintenance in Maricopa County. Emergency service available. We are licensed, bonded, and insured. Call (602) 610-0112.
