Did you know that 66% of homes in America have a garage door? The garage door is generally the largest door in a home, and its also the largest piece of moving machinery in a home. Not only is your garage door the largest and heaviest door in your home, its also usually the most frequently used door in your home. Garage doors are a great piece of modern technology that provide added safety for your home and added convenience. Thanks to garage doors, you no longer have to get in and out of your car in the blazing heat, rain, or freezing cold. Insulated garage doors can also help lower your utility bills by keeping heat from escaping in the winter and by keeping cool air in during the summer. No doubt about it, garage doors are a huge bonus for any home.
Although garage doors have so many benefits, they can also pose some safety risks due to their large size and weight. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are approximately 30,000 injuries per year caused by garage doors. Many of these injuries involve children. Children are sometimes less aware of their surroundings and are also less aware of the potential risks that a heavy garage door can pose. Because garage doors are a great convenience to have, its important to be safety conscious and learn how to prevent accidents from happening. Although it sounds silly, garage door safety is a real thing, especially if you have children! After all, you wouldn’t own any other piece of heavy equipment without going through some safety tips with your family. To keep your family and your pets safe, its important to treat your garage door just like any other piece of heavy equipment or machinery.
In order to keep you and your loved ones safe, we’ve put together some basic garage door safety tips for you to follow and go over with your family.
Remote control safety. Being able to control your garage door with one click makes having a garage door even more convenient. You don’t have to get in and out of your car several times to open and close your door. However, this kind of power can be dangerous if your remote is left unattended near children. All children like to play with buttons and remotes, and your garage door opener is no exception. Garage door remotes can be tempting and fun for children to play with, but this can be dangerous. Unfortunately, children are often unaware of their surroundings. A child playing with the garage door remote may not even realize that by pushing the button they are opening and closing the door. They may also not notice if other adults, children, or pets are standing below the door. A child playing with an automatic garage door opener remote can result in a catastrophic injury. Its important to make sure your children know that the garage door remote is not a toy. Make sure to keep the remote out of the reach of children, and if your children are playing outside, make sure you know where your remote is at all times. Keeping up with your remote can prevent serious injuries from occurring!
Be familiar with your garage door’s built in safety features. Most modern garage doors come with some built in safety features in order to prevent accidents or injuries. Its important to be familiar with these safety features. Every garage door will be different, so studying the manual specific to your garage door at the time of installation is a good idea. If you’ve had your garage door for years and aren’t sure about its safety features, its a good idea to go back and read your manual. If you can’t find your manual, you can contact the manufacturer for a replacement manual. If your garage door is older and doesn’t have the safety features you’d like in order to protect your family, it may be time to update your garage door and have a new one installed. If you feel that some of your safety features may not be functioning properly, you can contact a garage door repair specialist to get your garage door safety features working again.
Stay away from a moving door. This is just as important for adults as it is for children, and its an important lesson to teach your children. Even if you believe your garage door has features that will lift the door back up again when you run under, its never a good idea to intentionally run under a moving garage door. Your safety features could potentially malfunction or you could trip or slip. Even if an untied shoe lace becomes trapped under the door, this could still potentially result in an injury. This can also set a bad example for your children who may think its okay to run under a moving garage door because you’ve done it. Your garage door is incredibly heavy, and becoming trapped under a moving garage door can be fatal. Not only should you avoid running under the garage door while its closing, you also shouldn’t walk under the door while its in the process of opening either. By walking under a garage door that is still in the process of opening, you could possibly confuse the motion sensors causing the door to begin closing again. If you need to enter or exit your garage, its best to wait until the door has completely stopped moving.
Keep an eye on a moving garage door. In addition to not walking or driving under a moving garage door, you should also always be alert and pay attention when opening and closing your garage door. When you open or close your garage door, always watch it until the door has stopped moving. This can potentially prevent any serious accidents from happening. You may be able to prevent an unaware child or pet from walking under the moving door. This is also a good safety tip. Sometimes your garage door may malfunction and not close all the way or even go all the way back up as you leave your home. In order to keep your home safe, you always want your garage door to be closed all the way when you aren’t home.
Following these easy 4 garage door safety tips can keep your home safe and can prevent any accidents or injuries from occurring! At Covenant Garage Doors, the safety of your family and your home is our top priority. With over two decades of experience installing and repairing residential garage doors, we’ve got all your safety needs covered. If you believe that your garage door has been compromised or doesn’t have the safety features you need to keep your family safe, call us today for a free garage door safety consultation!