If you have small children running around, your garage door can be a significant hazard unless you have the appropriate safety mechanisms in place. While you can certainly stress the importance of garage door safety to your kids, that won’t always stop them from touching something they shouldn’t. At Door Power, it’s our goal to help you keep your home and family well-protected, so if you need to childproof your door, we’re the team to call. Below, we detail a few of the garage door safety mechanisms we can install to keep your kids protected.
Garage Door Photo-Eye Sensors
If your garage door was manufactured before 1993, it might not have photo-eye sensors, which are one of the most critical door safety features. Photo-eye sensors detect any type of movement or the presence of objects in the garage door’s path. When the garage door is closing, and the sensors detect something, they trigger the garage door to stop moving instantly.
If your garage door frame does not have sensors located approximately six inches above the ground, it will continue closing even when something obstructs its path. Our technicians can enhance your door’s safety by retrofitting your garage with these critical sensors.
Auto-Reverse Safety Features
Every modern garage door that opens automatically should be equipped with an auto-reverse safety feature. However, many older doors do not feature this safety mechanism, and if your door doesn’t have it, your kids are at risk.
Auto-reverse prevents your garage door from closing fully when objects or people are in the door’s path, and it’s critical for your family’s safety. So critical, in fact, that in 1993, the American National Standards Institute mandated that all garage door openers sold in the U.S. possess an auto-reverse mechanism. If you own an older door, or your existing auto-reverse is malfunctioning, we can repair the garage door opener or install a new one to protect your family’s safety.
Door Locks
Door locks add an extra layer of safety protection by preventing the door from moving when someone activates the garage door opener switch. Most locks contain a metal sliding mechanism that inserts into the openings on either side of your garage door track. When the door attempts to move, the metal slider catches in the corresponding track opening and prevents further operation. We can install these locks on either the inside or outside of your garage door, depending on the model of door you have.
Garage Door Opener Repositioning
If your garage door opener is positioned too low, it’s easy for your kids to reach up and play around with the opener switch. They might think it’s a fun toy, but you know it’s a glaring safety hazard. We can correct this issue by repositioning the garage door opener higher on your wall or in another location where your children cannot reach it. For enhanced safety, we can also install a cover over the opener to keep small hands from touching it.
Need Safety Features for Your Garage Door? Contact Door Power
At Door Power, we understand the paramount importance of garage door safety features when you have young children running around. When you need to enhance the safety of your garage, we’re here to help. We’ve been serving Twin Cities homeowners for over 50 years, and we’d be happy to inspect and correct your garage door’s potential safety issues. To learn more about how we can childproof your garage door or any of our other services, give our team a call at 952-467-3199. Or, you can always reach out to us on our contact page.