Your garage door is an amazing tool that over the course of a year goes up and back down again more than 1,500 times. It is also one of the most neglected parts of a home. All things considered, this is quite concerning.
A neglected garage door can pose significant safety concerns, and who wants to deal with that? When left unchecked, these safety concerns can further lead to the occurrence of a tragedy – an avoidable tragedy.
In fact, reports by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), indicate that an estimated 20,000 adults and children visit emergency rooms each year for garage door related accidents.
Thankfully, there are many garage door safety tips out there, which will help you make sure no one or no animal gets hurts while the door is in operation. Here’s how you can ensure your garage door works properly and safely.
10 Simple Garage Door Safety Tips
- Never let a child play with or around your garage door.
- Never leave your children unattended in the garage.
- Teach children to keep their hands and fingers clear of the door.
- Never let a child play with the garage door remote or push button.
- Never leave your door’s remote in an unattended vehicle overnight.
- Always watch a closing door until it has completed its full operation.
- Always hire a professional garage door repair company.
- Check the door’s automatic reversing feature once a month to ensure it works as it should. This feature is required on all garage door openers manufactured after 1993. See below for instructions.
- Never try to enter your garage while the door is closing.
- Keep your garage door properly maintained to make sure it continues to operate safely. Annual maintenance by a trained professional is highly recommended.
3-Step Automatic Reversal Test
Step 1: With a ruler, check the installment of your door’s photoelectric safety eyes. They should be mounted no higher than six inches above the garage floor on both sides of the door. A small led light should be lit indicating that they’re leveled.
Step 2: Block the photoelectric safety eye with an object over six inches tall and press the garage door’s remote to activate the door’s closing operation. The door should not close at all.
Step 3: With the door fully open, lay a 2 by 4 or roll of paper towels on the floor, directly centered under the garage door. Press the close button. Upon making contact with the object, the door should automatically reverse. If it doesn’t, it may need to be repaired or replaced.
