Garage doors are invaluable assets that improve security, enhance curb appeal, and protect vehicles and other equipment from the elements. However, these doors are heavy working machines and can pose numerous safety concerns. Every year, many people — both adults and kids — receive injuries from garage doors. Luckily, you can prevent garage door accidents and increase your family’s safety with these tips.
Keep Your Remote Safe
Thanks to technological advances, you can open and close your garage door seamlessly with a handheld remote. Only adults should operate the remote and keep it from kids’ reach. Also, don’t leave the remote in an easily accessible place like your vehicle’s dashboard. Similarly, keep your garage door entry passwords secret.
Close the Garage Door When Not in Use
Some homeowners leave their garage door slightly open to allow fresh air into the garage and serve as an entry point for pets back to the house. Nevertheless, this is not advisable as a partially open garage could compromise your home’s security and let buglers and unauthorized people inside. Also, once activated, the door could close and hit anything or anyone in its path.
Consult the Manual
Like other products in the market, your garage door comes with a manual. Take time to read the manual and learn how the garage door works and use it safely. Also, familiarize yourself with the door’s manual functioning so that you can still use it during a power outage or disaster. A manual can also help you troubleshoot garage door problems correctly.
Educate Kids About Garage Safety
Kids are often the primary victims of garage door accidents, injuries, and even death. Subsequently, consider educating your kids about garage door safety so they can use it correctly without getting hurt. First, let your kids know that the garage door is a crucial component in your home and never a toy.
Second, they should take caution when closing and opening the door. No one should be on the door’s way. Third, kids should mind their fingers and avoid placing them in the door’s sections.
Test Motion Sensors
Most modern garage doors have motion sensors such as a reverse system and an infrared motion detector to prevent accidents and injury. With the reverse system, the door reverts if it senses anything, such as an object or person, in its path. However, your safety depends on these safety sensors working effectively. If they malfunction, an accident could occur.
Therefore, regularly check your sensors to ensure they work optimally. An excellent way to test the sensors is to place an object in the door’s path and try to close it. If the sensors are in perfect condition, the door should stop and open upon touching the object. Call a garage door expert when you notice an issue with your sensors.
Conduct Regular Maintenance
Regular maintenance ensures your garage door functions optimally and safely. A malfunctioning door is more likely to lead to injury. Hiring a professional to perform preventative maintenance can identify any problems before they harm your door and cause premature failure.
Visually inspecting your garage door is another essential maintenance task. When operating your door, watch out for any strange sounds like grinding and scraping. Also, a physical examination of the door can reveal a crooked door, jerky movements, and rough operation, indicating something is wrong.
Other maintenance tasks include tightening loose parts, replacing rollers and weather stripping as needed, and lubricating moving parts. A professional can help with these maintenance tasks. Do not forget to clean your door regularly to eliminate debris that may hinder its performance and improve your home’s curb appeal.
Garage door safety is not an option but a priority for homeowners. Get in touch with AA Garage Door for garage door repair and maintenance to keep it functional and safe. We pride ourselves on expertise and reliability to meet your overhead door service needs.