Make Garage Door Safety a Priority For Your Family

With all of this use, it is therefore important to make sure everyone in the family understands how to use the garage door properly and safely. Fortunately, it is easy to get the family up to speed on garage door safety.

Let Them Know How It Works

Small children tend to be very inquisitive when it comes to the garage door. They want to press the buttons, they want to see how it all works, and they want to watch it work. While being curious is natural and a good trait in a child, it also has the potential to be dangerous if they are not careful.

With extremely small children who are not going to understand the operating systems of the doors, you will want to make sure you always keep them away from the door and the opener. For older children, explain that the garage door is very heavy, and that it weighs hundreds of pounds. You can also explain the basics of the spring system and how it works to make the door easier to open. When your garage door is properly balanced, it should only seem to weigh between eight and 10lbs.

Show Them the Dangerous Areas

There are many dangerous areas of a garage door, and when children know the most dangerous areas, they can more easily avoid problems. The spring system is available in two types, the torsion springs, which are located over the head of the door, and the extension springs, which are located above the horizontal tracks. These parts of the door should never be touched, and if the kids see a broken spring or a problem with the system, they should tell an adult rather than opening the door.

The lifting cables are another area that can be dangerous. These are located along both sides of the door, and they are under an extreme amount of tension. They should never be touched, as they can cause severe injuries if they were to break.

The photo‑eye reversal system is another area that you will want to point out to the kids. While this system is not dangerous on its own, these two small units on the vertical tracks of the garage door are very important to the safety of the door. They need to be aligned with one another, so they work properly, and they should be about four to six inches off the floor. It is important to make sure that you stress that these should not be touched, since if they are out of alignment, they will not work properly, and the door could cause damage.

Explain that a Garage Door Is Not a Toy

Explain the importance of keeping a safe distance from the door when it is in operation, and always make sure the exterior keypad is out of reach for the children to access on their own. In addition, parents should make sure the children know that the remote control for the garage door is off limits.

Kids are often climbers, so you will need to stress that the door must never be climbed on whether it is opened, closed, or in the midst of opening. It is always dangerous. Tell the kids never to put their hands or fingers near the section joints or any of the moving parts of the door. If they are keeping a safe distance from the door, this should never even be a possibility.

If you have older kids, you can have them help you keep watch on the smaller ones and make sure they are not doing anything dangerous around the door.

Keep the Access Code Private

One of the other elements of garage door safety that many people never even consider is the access code. It is important to make sure that you and your children never reveal the access code to your door. It puts your personal property at risk, and if another kid, such as a friend of your child’s, were to get the access code, they could end up hurting themselves in the garage, and it could mean legal trouble for you.

When You Need Professional Help for Your Garage Door

If you would like to have a new garage door, or you need to have a tune‑up for your current door, it is important to get in touch with the professionals. You can contact us at 508-966-0242. We can provide you with a quotation for the service by email, and we can come out to your home if you wish.

Those who want to change their garage door will want to check out the Design Centre or have a look at what we offer in our image gallery.