How Can Garage Doors Be Dangerous?
Garage doors operate at the touch of a button and are on the exterior of your home, so it can be easy to forget that they are large moving objects with the potential to injure someone when not working properly. They also have many moving parts that maintain high levels of tension to keep your door in place and operating as it should.
When your garage door or parts are malfunctioning, it can create several dangerous situations, including:
- Moving parts like springs, cables, hinges, and panels create pinch points where fingers could get trapped.
- Off-track garage doors can fall on a person or pet.
- Springs and cables are full of tension and could snap back and injure someone when they break.
Considering the potential danger of garage doors, it's essential to establish a regular safety and inspection routine to ensure your overhead doors don't injure you, a family member, or a pet.
Garage Door Safety Tips
Test Safety Features
Because garage doors are potentially dangerous, they have built-in safety features called garage door sensors that help prevent the door from injuring anyone. These safety features are installed on either side of the garage door opening, creating a beam from one side of the garage to the other when the door is open. If someone or something crosses this beam when the door is closing, it will automatically reverse to avoid crushing anyone.
To test this safety feature, open your garage door and place an object in the door's path. Then press the button to close the door. If your automatic reversal system is working correctly, your garage door should quickly reverse. If it continues to close on the object, call a professional to repair this critical safety feature.
Inspect Your Garage Door Operation
The best way to stay ahead of potential issues with your garage door system is to regularly inspect its operation, watching and listening for abnormalities. As your garage door goes up and down, stand inside your garage and listen for odd noises like grinding, squeaking, or shaking. Also, visually inspect your garage door parts like the spring, cables, hinges, and tracks, looking for signs of wear, rust, or loosening.
Check Your Garage Door Balance
Your spring and cables create a counterbalance system of tension, keeping your garage door in place so it operates smoothly and safely. To check your door balance, pull the emergency cord to disengage the automatic opener, then attempt to open the door manually and release it around chest height. When you let go, it should stay in place. If it is not balanced, call a professional to balance your garage door system.
Always Work With A Professional
The most important garage door safety tip is to call a professional when you need garage door repairs and never attempt to complete repairs on your own. Garage door parts hold a lot of tension. If this tension is released incorrectly, it can cause parts to spring back suddenly and hurt someone.
If your garage door isn't working as it should, call Garage Door Enterprises! We are qualified garage door experts serving Chesapeake, VA, and the surrounding areas. Contact us today to learn more.
