Your overhead garage door is an essential part of your home, offering convenience and peace of mind. However, improper use or lack of care can lead to safety hazards. To ensure safe use, follow these practical safety tips for operating your garage door.
Inspecting Your Door Frequently
Routine maintenance is the foundation to ensuring safe operation. Inspect the springs, cables, wheels, and tracks for wear and tear. Look out for strange sounds or uneven motion, which could indicate a problem. Addressing these issues promptly can stop hazards 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 knows how to use the garage door safely. Teach young ones not to treat it as a toy or its mechanisms and explain the risks of tampering with moving parts. Clear communication is key to preventing accidents.
Safety Features Matter
Modern garage doors are equipped with safety features like automatic reversal systems and obstacle detection. Test these features on a schedule 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.
Professional Repairs Are Safer
While some maintenance tasks can be handled on your own, repairs involving torsion mechanisms, wires, or the opener mechanism should always be left to trained technicians. These components are under high tension and can cause severe harm if mishandled.
