A home with a garage is a wonderful thing — wonderful, that is, when you know how to use/protect it. As great as it is to have extra storage and a place to park, those benefits become liabilities when you don’t practice proper garage safety. Keep your garage in proper working order so that it, its contents and your household members stay safe. Follow these tips for maximizing garage door safety:
Our Top 10 Garage Door Safety Tips
- Keep the Opener Out of the Reach of Children. One of the most important garage safety tips is to keep your door opener out of the wrong hands. Don’t let kids — especially small children — play with the openers, and don’t keep remotes where they can access them.
- Prepare for Emergencies. Should you need to open the door in case of an emergency/accident, you’ll want to know where the emergency release feature is located. Find out and be prepared.
- Be Cautious. Never step, walk, run or otherwise move under a closing or opening garage door. Teach your kids to never do so.
- Inspect Gears. Each month, take the time to inspect springs, cables, rollers and pulleys to know they’re still working properly.
- Test Auto-Reverse. If your garage door has an auto-reverse feature, put a roll of paper towels in the door’s path on occasion to make sure it’s working. If you don’t have this feature, look into getting a door/opener that does — it can prevent serious accidents.
- Watch Your Fingers! Don’t put fingers in between door sections, and teach your kids to avoid doing so. If you have small children, look for a door with non-pinch panels to help avoid injuries.
- Don’t Leave Door Ajar. Never leave your garage door partially open, whether or not you’re nearby. It’s both a security and a safety risk, as someone could enter the garage (and possibly your house) and/or someone could get caught underneath if the door is reactivated.
- Unplug When You’re Away. When you’re going to be out of town, unplug the door opener unit — or lock it so that it’s unusable.
- Change the Code Often. Get a rolling code that changes the garage access code with each use. Or, at the very least, regularly change the standard codes on the opener and remotes.
- Prevent Invasion. Always lock the door to your house when you leave, even if the garage door is closed. Should someone get your remote, it could mean access to both your garage and home if the service door is unlocked. Likewise, keep tabs on your remotes — don’t leave it with a parking attendant, for example, and consider putting it on a key ring so it stays with you at all times.
To protect your home and loved ones, follow the garage door tips above. At Garage Door Repair, we’re happy to help you repair or update your garage to make sure it’s safe and in good working condition.
