Garage Door Safety Month: How to Avoid Garage Door Injuries
A garage serves many purposes beyond parking your vehicles and being the most used entry in and out of the home – storage for the seasons, sports and lawn equipment, woodworking & crafts, exercising, even entertaining! You might not think of garage doors as having risks associated with them, but there are certainly plenty of potential dangers and accidents associated with garage doors due to garage door malfunctions.
- Personal Injury
- Vehicle Damage
- Floor Damage
- A Door Stuck Open Risking Potential Break-ins
Being such a significant space in the home, it’s wise for everyone to be conscious of these dangers and the steps that can be taken to lower the risks and prevent unnecessary accidents. June has been deemed Garage Door Safety Month by the International Door Association (IDA) and the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA). So, to help you be informed about garage door safety, here are proactive safety measures you can take to help protect family members and guests in your home.
Proper Garage Door Maintenance
When a garage door is working fine, it tends to be out of sight, out of mind. Yet the best measures to take for garage door safety is regular garage door maintenance. Springs and cables can break. Rollers and hinges wear down. Not only will proper garage door maintenance keep accidents at bay, it will also help minimize other unnecessary expenses that can occur when the smaller repairs are ignored.
Annual Garage Door Safety Inspection
An integral key to proper garage door maintenance and safety precautions is an annual garage door safety inspection. This will ensure a safely operating garage door that runs smoothly and reliably. A garage door inspection should be done by a qualified and skilled technician that will comprehensively evaluate the whole garage door system including garage door openers to ensure it’s in good working order.
Some of what you can expect is:
- Checking the garage door balance.
- Signs of wear and tear that can lead to failure.
- Making sure parts are properly functioning – bearings, rods, cables, pulleys, etc.
- Checking that there are no obstructions in the track to compromise alignment.
- Functionality of an emergency cord release and reverse mechanism.
- Looking for gaps, cracks, and sags in the door panels.
- Confirming nuts, bolts, and brackets are secured tightly.
An annual garage door safety inspection will help towards keeping your family safe by catching small repairs before accidents happen. It will also benefit you by way of cost savings since small repairs when ignored often lead to larger, more expensive repairs.
Monthly Self Inspection
While a technician will get in depth when inspecting your garage door system, as a homeowner there are several steps you can take to check for signs of wear and tear and if your garage door is operating properly.
- Visually inspect your garage door to check for signs of wear or damage. Look at rollers & pulleys, springs & cables. Check for rust or fraying cables which are a sign of age and potential risk.
- Check to see if there are gaps between the ground and garage door or between panels.
- Test the reversing mechanism by setting a small board or other blunt object in the landing path of the garage door. Does the door reverse when hitting the object as it should?
- Test the eye beam using an object, such as a broom or bat, and as the garage door is closing, wave it in between the eye beam to break the beam. Upon breaking the beam, the door should immediately reverse track as well.
If any part of your garage door system seems to be worn, damaged, or malfunctioning, it’s time to contact a qualified technician for upgrade or repair.
Never try to DIY Garage Door Repairs
Garage doors pose serious risks for anyone in your garage so it’s wise to keep them in proper working condition. Even more so, a faulty garage door isn’t a honey-do project to put on the shelf for another day, nor should you attempt to repair damaged parts yourself. Parts like cables and springs are tightly wound and there is a great amount of tension. They could snap while attempting to repair and potentially hit you or someone else causing significant injuries. For safety’s sake, DASMA recommends having trained garage door systems technicians install and repair garage doors.
Whenever you discover damaged parts or find your garage door system isn’t functioning properly, it’s in your best interest to contact a qualified garage door technician to inspect your system and repair any damaged parts. Contact Door Systems today to schedule garage door safety inspection today! Door Systems are your professional garage technicians trained to do the job right the first time!
Contact Door Systems
816-524-8535
507 SW Lea Dr
Lee’s Summit, MO 64081
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