garage safety

Nowadays, garage doors offer much more than a mere entrance to your home. Among other things, modern garage doors offer an additional safety feature for your home and help provide peace of mind to know that your family is safer from intruders. Despite this, some homeowners and their families have been linked to injuries surrounding the unsafe or improper use and maintenance of their garage doors. 

Garage doors are large and often weigh over 150 pounds or more. Therefore, the sheer weight and size of these doors can and will cause some injuries and property damage if they malfunction. With this in mind, here are five expert tips to avoid accidents and help to keep your family safe around the garage door.

Be Aware of Unsuspecting Dangers of Garage Doors 

As we age, we naturally aren’t as fast as we were when we were younger, and we are also more susceptible to injuries. As such, older populations of people tend to be at greater risk from garage door injuries. Similar things are true for children. Garage doors that close automatically can close faster than expected, causing injuries to folks of all ages. Seniors may not be strong enough to lift a garage door back up and may require assistance. Homeowners may want to consider installing a manual garage door instead of an automatic one.

Avoid Entrapment Risks

Using a garage door system safely and properly comes with more hazards than just the door falling. The spaces that are between the garage door itself and its frame contain serious entrapment hazards. Small children or pets may become stuck inside of one, as modern doors are designed to seal tightly. You can reduce the risk of limbs getting stuck by installing sealant or weatherstripping around the frame. Also, encourage pets to not hang around the door, and instruct children that the heavy garage door system is most certainly not a toy.

Don’t Neglect Garage Door Maintenance

Your garage door’s motor may very well be found on top of the door itself. This presents a risk of injury if your door is neglected and won’t retract the way it should. The garage door motor could break or malfunction, causing the door to come crashing down. Not to mention, a door that doesn’t extend fully and close as it should can let a lot of hot air in the summer, and could be causing an unnecessary increase in your home’s energy costs. All of the above is avoided if you maintain proper upkeep on your garage door. 

Other Safety Recommendations

Installing a manual garage door with a large motor and wide hinges with a mechanism that closes the door slowly can help prevent these injuries. Garage doors that operate on manual power are safer and cause fewer accidents and injuries. You will also want to install weather stripping and sealant around your garage door’s frame.

 At least once a month, be sure to inspect the entirety of your garage door for any kind of damage or excessive wear and tear. Pay close attention to garage door springs, making sure they are taut and secure, but not too tight that they pose a risk and cause the door to not open smoothly. Also take notes of how the cables look, and if they are taut, and whether the ends of the cable are frayed. 

Call the Garage Door Experts

If you want your garage door routinely maintained or checked, don’t hesitate to contact the experts here at Garage Door in My Area. We have many years of experience keeping residential garage doors as safe as they can be and functioning as they should. For a free consultation or to schedule an appointment, call us today or fill out the form on our website.