Your overhead garage door is an essential part of your home, offering convenience and peace of mind. However, improper use or lack of maintenance can lead to safety hazards. To ensure safe use, follow these essential safety tips for operating your garage door.
1. Regular Maintenance Checks
Routine maintenance is the foundation to ensuring safe operation. Inspect the springs, cables, rollers, and rails for wear and tear. Look out for unusual noises or jerky movements, which could indicate a problem. Addressing these issues promptly can stop hazards and costly repairs.
2. Keeping Remote Controls Secure
Treat your garage door remote control like a house key. Keep it out of reach of children and store it in a safe place when not in use. For added security, consider a modern opener system that requires a digital key or PIN to operate.
Safe Practices for the Household
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.
4. Testing Safety Features
Modern garage doors are equipped with safety features like auto-reverse and obstacle detection. Test these features regularly to ensure they are functioning as intended. 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 handled on your own, repairs involving torsion mechanisms, cables, or the opener mechanism should always be left to trained technicians. These components are under extreme stress and can cause severe harm if mishandled.
