For a large percentage of people, the garage door is used as the main entryway to the home, opened and closed minimally 4-5 times a day. As such, it is easily taken for granted that your garage door is most likely the largest and heaviest piece of moving equipment in your entire home. Just as we wear seat belts when driving a car or look both ways before crossing the street, taking the proper precautions when operating and maintaining your door can prevent serious injury and possibly save a life.
Keeping your garage door safe isn’t all that difficult. Here are a couple basic safety tips to follow to keep things running smoothly and to keep you worry free!
Your Garage Door is Definitely NOT a Toy
The first thing most people think of when concerning garage door safety,is children. And for good reason. Who doesn’t remember playing the game beat the garage door. The quick dash and perfectly timed hop to get into the garage before the door closes, while simultaneously not breaking the safety beam. While this childhood (or let’s admit it, sometimes a bit beyond) accomplishment, is all in good fun, it’s really not the safest way to have fun. Teach children early that the garage door isn’t a toy and that it could seriously harm them.
Beyond intentionally playing with or around the garage door, children should just in general be supervised when near. Always be sure their little fingers stay clear of moving door sections and far from the tracks. It is also a good idea, when newly installing your door, to mount the keypad at least five feet above the ground, out of reach of the little ones.
Regular Maintenance to Prevent Future Problems
This really doesn’t have to even be that extensive. Quickly giving your garage door and it’s parts a good look over every couple of months will go a long way towards spotting problems before they get out of hand. Ensuring the track is clear and the springs and cables are tight and undamaged is important. Another excellent maintenance test you can do quickly at home is known as “the paper towel test”. Simply lay a roll of paper towels under the door as it is closing and ensure that it reverses quickly before misshaping the roll. Also, if your door itself gets damaged or dented, it is never a bad idea to get a tech out for a quick look. Even the smallest bump by a poorly aimed parking job or the like, can cause misalignment.
Some small maintenance tasks and repairs can be done yourself, but there are a few things to take note of that should never be attempted by the average homeowner. Mainly, the garage door’s springs and cables can be extremely, or even fatally, dangerous. These parts are under incredibly high tension and when compromised can cause serious harm. Also remember, your garage door opener is an electrical appliance and should never be tampered with while plugged in. All in all, the best thing you can do to keep things running at their best is to have a professional service tech do a yearly inspection and tune-up. A trained and certified technician will know exactly what to look for and what needs to be freshened up. They will also be able to explain to you safeguards specific to your door and situation
Know Your Door
It is always a good idea to be familiar with garage door. Are the sounds it’s making normal? Is it rattling more or louder than it regularly does. Perhaps most importantly, it is essential to understand how to work the emergency release. If there is ever a malfunction with the doors automatic reverse or if your power goes out, you should know how to put your door in manual mode. For most doors it is as simple as pulling the red cord that hangs from your opener, but it never hurts to take a quick glance at your owner’s manual and run a little drill.
Here at Precision Door Orange County, we understand the importance of garage door safety. As our number one concern, we ask that if you have even the simplest questions in this regard, to please, give us a call. We are always happy to be of assistance!
