Garage Door Safety 101: Keeping Your Family Safe Around Your Garage Door

Your garage door is the primary point of entry to your home, which is why garage door safety needs to be taken seriously. Because this door is used so often, it’s important to make sure your garage door is well maintained and cared for properly. 

Accidents involving garage doors do happen. If you have young children who like to play in the garage this information is even more essential. In this article, we’ll cover the basics of garage door safety. 

Garage door safety tips  

Your garage door is typically the largest moving object in your home, therefore extra care needs to be taken when activating, opening or closing your garage door. Here are some quick tips to keep in mind with regard to garage door safety. 

• It can be tempting to dash under an opening or closing garage door when you forget something on the way out, but this should be avoided at all times. Walking, standing or running under a garage door is asking for trouble. Practice patience and wait for the door to fully open before walking or driving under it. 
• Little kids love playing with remote controls but it’s best not to let them touch your garage door remote or wall mount. Not only might this interfere with the mechanics of the remote but it could also cause an accident that could be avoided. 
• Position the wall control out of reach of small children. Make sure it’s positioned at least 5 feet away from the floor. Also, ensure that you can clearly see your garage door opening and closing from the position of the wall mount. 

Garage door safety maintenance 

In order to keep your garage door system running safely, it’s important to perform monthly maintenance checks. These checks will ensure that you identify and rectify any potential garage door safety hazards before they become a problem or cause an accident. 

• Check the emergency release handle is in working order (it’s normally the red string attached to your garage door opener). Remember to reset it after you’ve tested it. 
• Test the door balance by lifting it 3-4 feet. You should be able to lift it smoothly and with little resistance. If that’s not the case your door may be out of balance in which case you’ll need to call in the professionals at Eastern Garage Doors. 
• Lubricate the moving parts as needed and in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. 
• Take a close look at the rollers, pulleys, cables, springs and track. If anything doesn’t look right or you notice problems call in a professional company like Eastern Garage Doors to come out and inspect your door. Any adjustments that are needed should be performed by a qualified professional. 

Choose Eastern Garage Doors for garage door safety maintenance

Garage door safety is something that needs to be taken seriously. We recommend getting your garage door serviced regularly by professionals who are trained to spot problems and potential safety hazards before they become a problem. 

If you’re based in Melbourne give our friendly team a call on 03 9812 3062. We can help with garage door services, repairs and installation.