Did you know that 70% of homeowners enter and exit their house through the garage? This type of activity for garage doors is completely normal. However, these doors must receive regular maintenance to avoid breaking down and ensures a longer life span.
There are a few garage safety tips to keep in mind to ensure you and your loved ones remain safe when using your garage door daily. You can complete these steps at home that take only a few minutes out of your day. Follow each step carefully to check your garage door’s important safety features.
1. Performing Maintenance Tests
With over a thousand open and close movements each year, your garage door needs regular care to confirm its ability to withstand this constant momentum. You can determine its capability through two different tests. Completing these two short tests routinely can help you prevent injuries, accidents and undue strain on your garage door, keeping your door and opener working smoothly and safely.
The Balance Test
The first test you can complete from home is the balance test. To function correctly, both sides of your garage door should close simultaneously, and the springs shouldn’t be too loose or too tight. Otherwise, the door becomes unbalanced and will begin to show physical signs of damage. The door will become crooked and not open properly.
Garage doors lose their stability when they are unbalanced. This issue occurs when the tracks are not performing correctly or the springs are not tensioned properly, which can cause a safety hazard for those who pass underneath the door to enter or leave the house.
To test your garage doors balance, complete the following steps:
- Pull the red release cord that hangs from the garage door opener in the middle of your garage. This movement will disconnect your door from the opener.
- Manually lower the garage door until it is closed halfway.
- Let go of the door. It needs readjustment if it moves downward on its own. If the door lifts up, the connected springs are too tight. Both scenarios put undue tension on the garage door opener, either by making it work against the door wanting to go back up or against gravity wishing to pull the door to the ground without sufficient spring tension.
- The door should stay half open. If it does not, contact RCS Garage Doors to get your springs adjusted by a professional.
Garage Opener Test
The second to complete involves your garage door opener. All openers produced after 1992 have automatic reversing systems. This garage safety feature ensures that your door won’t stay closed if it encounters any obstructions. If your opener is from before 1992 and does not have this function, it is not in compliance and needs to be replaced.
- Open your garage door and place a two-by-four piece of wood lying flat on the garage floor near the center where the door will close.
- Close the door using the opener. When the door closes on the wood, it should automatically reverse.
- If it does not reverse, this is a safety hazard and means the opener’s settings need adjusting, or it may be time to replace your opener with a newer, safer model.
2. Preventing Burglaries
Garage doors and modern openers offer several safety features for your home that you might not have noticed before. From automatically closing when you are not home to accessories that increase garage door security, your door allows you to gain peace of mind from wherever you are.
Cover Your Windows
Whether you use curtains, blinds or tinting, it is suggested to cover your windows so someone on the outside cannot see into your garage. No matter how strong your windows are, they’re still windows and they can still break.
Use Timers
Nobody’s perfect. You may not even think about closing your garage when you leave home in a rush. It happens to everyone. Unfortunately, when your garage door is left open, it’s an open invitation for anyone to come in. Garage door opener manufacturers like LiftMaster® offer options such as a garage door timer. This addition connects with your opener to automatically close your garage door after a set amount of time. You can pre-program this time, making sure your garage is never left open for too long.
Keep Your Garage Door Opener with You
Take away more opportunities for a burglar to break into your garage by carrying your remote opener with you. You should never leave your garage door opener in your car, even if you park in the garage. You can use small keychain remotes to replace your big clicker at most home improvement stores or through your local garage door dealer. When purchasing a keychain remote, be sure to match both the brand and year of your current opener.
Install Motion Detection Lights
You can upgrade your light fixtures with motion detection lights to enhance your garage security. Warm objects such as animals, cars and people trigger motion detector lights that shine a bright light to alert you of their presence on your property. Motion detection lights are among the best of the many safety features you can install.
Secure Your Interior Door
With attached garages, there’s typically an interior door into your home. You want to ensure the door is as secure as any other external doors around your house. If somehow someone can get into your garage, you want to be sure they can’t get any further into your home. You can choose from many options, including a deadbolt, multiple locks or even padlocks with programmed entry codes.
Contact RCS Carolinas with any questions or concerns about your garage door security measures.
3. Understanding Your Garage Door
Although we rarely think of garage doors as a safety risk, they are likely the largest and heaviest moving object in your home. Understanding how your door works and taking these preventive measures can ensure your home remains safe.
Garage Doors Are Not Playgrounds
Many children get hurt playing with garage doors each year. The world is their playground, and everything is fun to explore. However, injuries can happen when they hang on the door as it opens or dive underneath before it closes. Garage doors may look fun to play with, but they can be dangerous, especially for young children.
If you have children in your home, take some time to discuss a few safety precautions with them, so they understand that garage doors are heavy machinery, not toys.
Racing the Door
No matter how old you are, a little race seems appealing to most people. However, over 130 people injure themselves or damage their garage door annually by trying to run under the door as it closes. Although modern garage doors have safety sensors for added security for these reasons, going underneath the door when it closes is still hazardous.
Even if you think you can pass underneath quickly, you should still wait until the door fully opens before making your way inside the garage.
Broken Garage Doors
Broken or damaged garage doors can contribute to 200 injuries per year. A garage door can break for various reasons, including malfunctioning safety sensors, broken door openers or damaged springs.
Routine maintenance checks from a trusted professional can prevent malfunctions with your door and opener systems.
Tight Spaces
Nearly 200 injuries occur when someone’s fingers get stuck between the garage door’s rollers and tracks. Whether cleaning these parts or spending time around them as you work in your garage, be aware of where your fingers rest so you can avoid an injury.
DIY Maintenance
We understand the temptation of completing maintenance projects on your own garage door to save money. However, garage doors require the help of a professional who is well versed in repairs, installation and maintenance. Doing the work yourself can cause injuries or further damage to the door that will need additional assistance, costing you even more. There are more than 1,600 DIY injuries per year. When in doubt, contact the trained professionals at RCS Garage Doors to take care of everything for you.
Routine Checks
If a garage door is not properly maintained, a section or even the entire door can fall and cause harm and injury. Damage to people and cars occurs over 2,000 times per year.
Preventing this injury is easy. When performing seasonal checks on your garage door, ensure all bolts and hinges are in perfect working condition.
Garage doors can make the exterior of your home come to life. However, your door can begin to show signs of wear and tear without annual maintenance. Schedule your seasonal check-up to ensure your door and opener are in proper working order.
Installation and Repair Services at RCS Garage Doors
Are you interested in scheduling a repair, installing a new garage door or looking for routine maintenance checks? RCS Garage Doors is your one-stop shop for all your needs. With over 30 years of experience with residential and commercial garage doors, we can provide quality repair and installation services. You can rest assured that your garage door matches your styling preferences and offers as much safety as possible so you and your family can enjoy your garage space.
Your safety and satisfaction are our top priority. Request a quote today to see how we can meet your needs and provide a reasonable price for your garage door services.
For any garage door or opener problems, questions or to discuss options in new garage door openers, fill out our online contact form or call us at 704-523-8063.