Your overhead garage door is an essential part of your home, offering ease of access and peace of mind. However, improper use or lack of maintenance can lead to safety hazards. To protect your family and property, follow these essential safety tips for operating your garage door.
Keep Your Door in Check
Routine maintenance is the first step to ensuring safe operation. Inspect the torsion springs, cables, rollers, and rails for signs of damage. Look out for unusual noises or uneven motion, which could indicate a problem. Addressing these issues promptly can prevent accidents and costly repairs.
Don’t Lose Control
Treat your garage door remote control like a house key. Keep it out of reach of little ones and store it securely when not in use. For added security, consider a modern opener system that requires a smartphone app or PIN to operate.
3. Educating Family Members
Ensure everyone in your household understands how to use the garage door safely. Teach young ones not to treat it as a toy or its mechanisms and explain the dangers of tampering with the system. Clear communication is key to ensuring safety.
Check Your Door’s Safety Systems
Modern garage doors are equipped with safety features like automatic reversal systems and motion sensors. Test these features regularly to ensure they are functioning properly. Place an object like a block of wood under the door while it’s closing—if it doesn’t reverse upon contact, it’s time for a service check.
DIY? Not for Garage Doors
While some maintenance tasks can be DIY-friendly, repairs involving torsion mechanisms, wires, or the opener mechanism should always be left to trained technicians. These components are under extreme stress and can cause serious injury if mishandled.
