When thinking about household risks, garage doors aren’t usually the first things that spring to mind. If not appropriately managed, these devices may be dangerous, particularly the earlier types.
According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, garage door-related accidents occur at 30,000 every year. As a result, we came up with a list of helpful garage door safety suggestions.
Safety Tips
Table of Contents
1.Keep Your Distance From Moving Doors.
If you are like most people, you’ve backed your vehicle out of the garage only to realize that you forgot something at home. Get out of the automobile as quickly as possible to get your essentials. You hit the garage door switch as you make your way back to the vehicle, intending to rush out of the garage as the door shuts.
Even though many individuals do this daily without incident, we highly advise against it:
- A single blunder is all that is needed. There’s always a risk of tripping over your shoelace or falling on anything slippery as you rush to get out of the building before the door shuts. Although you may be safe on 19 out of every 20 trips, anything may happen on the 20th.
- It’s possible that your children may model their behavior after yours. If you do this frequently, it will serve as a bad role model for your children. Because they’ve seen you do it, your children may mistakenly believe it’s simple and do it themselves, leading to serious injury.
2.Do The Right Maintenance
You may lessen the risk of a garage door malfunction by executing the following maintenance chores on an ongoing basis:
- Be on the lookout for any intruders. Check Your Garage Door every time it opens or shuts for signs of wear and tear.
- Tighten everything up. Tighten any loose nuts or brackets with a socket wrench.
- Check the stability of your garage door by stepping on the pedals.
- Replace any worn-out rollers. Your rollers will need to be examined twice a year and changed around once every seven years, regardless of whether they are steel or nylon.
- Replace the weatherstripping on your door. The garage door’s bottom rubber seal strip is referred to as weatherstripping. Replace it as soon as possible if it seems broken or brittle to keep the elements out of your home.
- Lubricate all moving components.
- Make sure your wires are in good condition. Check your wires for any broken strands or damage to the roller bracket at the bottom.
- Keep the path clean. Make that the tracks on both sides of the door are clear of any obstructions.
- Perform a visual inspection of the entranceway. You’ll also need to take care of the garage door. Checking for warping, water damage, and peeling or chipping paint is all in wood doors. You may have to sand, prime, and paint rusty spots on steel doors.
3.It’s Time To Put Safety First.
Three basic safety measures are included in modern garage doors, and they must be examined regularly:
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Reversing System Automatic
For the last 28 years, this feature has been a statutory requirement. Garage doors automatically reverse their course if they detect an obstacle in their path.
However, this feature must function well since openers and springs erode with time. Place a wood block on the garage floor in the door’s path to test the mechanical function. When the door strikes the item, it should instantly change course. If you have an older garage door, you may want to consider upgrading your opener.
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An Infrared Motion Detector
Six inches above the garage floor, this detector may be found on either side of the garage. It will also halt and reverse course if it detects an item in its route, which might be anything from a garden tool to a bike wheel. Close your door and place your leg in the door’s path to see whether the mechanism works.
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Manual Emergency Release
In case of a power outage or when someone is imprisoned, the door’s emergency manual release is a red handle that hangs from a rope. The opener will be disconnected from the garage door when the release is pushed. This is the most critical safety feature for your garage door, so be careful to pull it often to ensure it is working correctly.
4.Use The Garage Door Opener Safely!
With the press of a button, it’s possible to raise and lower a vast garage door with ease.
Imagine how much joy it must be for a child to have this experience, given how much satisfaction adults get from it. Because of this, many parents will offer their children the remote control so they may share in the joy. Even supervised, allowing your kid complete control of the remote isn’t reasonable.
Youngsters may find it too tempting to click the button themselves when their parents aren’t looking. This should be avoided at all costs.
Bottom Line
An attached garage is a great perk for those who know how to make the most of it and keep it safe. A garage is an excellent location to keep your valuables, but it can also be dangerous if you don’t care adequately. Your garage, its contents, and your family members are all at risk if it isn’t properly maintained.
Author Bio: Ran Kroynish is an experienced handyman who’s been working for Elite Garage Door & Gate Repair for 10 years. When he’s not fixing garage doors, he likes to share his repair ideas and knowledge with others.
