Your home’s garage is important. Really important. It’s also an area susceptible to wind damage, water damage and even theft. Likely, your garage area stores important projects, your car and—of course—entry into your home. It’s important to maintain your garage door’s health, and it’s even more important to fortify your home’s security. Whether you’re considering a residential garage door installation or even a fix-up, the safety tips below can help.
Safety Tip One: Learn About The Emergency Release
Your garage door has an emergency release feature. This feature is important, because it can spare your door’s structural integrity during harsh weather. It’s a white and red cord on your garage door’s opener—and it’s attached to a red handle. Required by law, this handle can spare your entire garage when used in an emergency. Read your garage door’s user guide, and brush up on your door’s safety features.
Safety Tip Two: Don’t Leave The Door Halfway Open
Sure, a breeze is nice. Or, maybe you have kids who duck under it. Regardless, leaving your garage door half open is asking for disaster. A half-open garage door can move downward upon its activation. If anything—or anyone—is in the way, they may be crushed.
Safety Tip Three: Inspect Your Door Regularly
Regular garage door inspections are important, and they can ensure your garage’s rollers, cables, springs and pulleys are safe from long-term damages. If you notice any structural problems, make sure they’re repaired immediately. Contact a technician for assistance.
Safety Tip Four: Keep The Door In View
When opening or closing your garage door, make sure it’s in full view. Additionally, make sure no adults, animals or children are in the way. While your garage door may seem like it’s controlled by its track, a single misstep—or a damage—can cause it to fall, harming anyone in its way.
Safety Tip Five: Check For Misalignment
Misalignment is one of the leading factors in garage-door-related damages and injuries. If your garage’s operating system has become misaligned, it might’ve worn down prematurely. In such cases, a dangerous environment might exist.
Safety Tip Six: Childproof Your Garage
As we covered in our garage door installation blog, kids and garage doors don’t always mix. Though your garage door is equipped with a variety of safety features, such as photosensors, that are designed to keep people of all ages safe, the vast power of these machines means you can never be too careful. That’s why we recommend following the instructions in the blog above to properly secure your garage door and keep your kids safe.
The short version: think ahead and through the eyes of a curious toddler to properly childproof your garage. Consider stashing easy-to-move objects in a safer location so they cannot be stacked to get to your garage door opener, for instance. You might also consider getting a fingerprint-operable garage door opener to prevent any mishaps. Finally, don’t forget your preventive maintenance; a little goes quite a long way!
Safety Tip Seven: Consider a Smart Garage System
Per TechTalks, “For over a decade we have witnessed a proliferation of internet-connected devices. Nowadays, the number of internet-connected devices is estimated to be around 25 billion.” In short, internet-connected devices are becoming much more common in industrial applications and in homes—and as a garage door company, we can say that garage doors aren’t exempt from this trend. We can also say that when it comes to safety, smart garage doors are some of the best.
Because they enable real-time notifications of when your garage door opens and closes in addition to camera functionality, you’ll know for a fact who comes into your home—and who goes out. You’ll know, too, when you leave your garage door open on accident, or if someone else in your family does likewise. You can even program your door to open and close at certain times, eliminating the potential for human error and keeping your home safe from would-be thieves.
We’ve written a blog about additional security benefits of such a system and its applications, so check it out if you’re seriously considering integrating your garage door into your smart home.
Contact Door Power for Top-Notch Garage Door Repair
Door Power has been in business since 1967, and we’re ready to take care of any garage door repairs needing attention. Your garage door’s tracks, opener, safety features and usability are incredibly important—as is your home’s security. Don’t hesitate to call if you feel your garage door has been damaged. Sometimes, a little precaution goes a long way. You can reach our Norwood Young America office today at 952-467-3199.