IMPORTANT: If you’re a parent, watch this video now!
A tiny child perilously dangling from a roller door high above the ground. It’s just one way a garage door can potentially cause a disaster. Kids can be seriously injured by our garage doors, so it’s imperative we teach them that they aren’t a toy. And – we must routinely keep our doors in check (which includes regular servicing) – so they don’t malfunction and cause nasty accidents. Here are some must-read safety tips…
No hanging on the door
As you can see, when garage doors are opening, it can be tempting for the young ones to want to touch or even hang on it (yep, we’ve witnessed this on numerous occasions). Human injury aside, your garage door can also easily buckle under this additional strain. Your door springs are designed to take the weight of your door only. If your door buckles, the cables can jump off and the panels can fall out, causing serious damage to your door – or serious injury to bystanders.
Keep remote controls safe
- Treat your remote control as you do your car or house keys. Your remote allows access into your home, so take care of where you place them.
- Keep your car locked when in the garage. If you ever find yourself being the unfortunate victim of a break-in, a locked car can prevent theft.
- Wall remotes: it’s always handy to have the wall remote in a convenient location; however, if you have small children who like to press buttons – and what child doesn’t – the temptation may be too much. If the wall remote gets pressed when your car is not fully clear, this will cause major damage to your car and your door, as well as possible injuries if anyone is close to your garage door.
- PE Beams are an excellent way of limiting the possibility of damage by disabling your motor when an object of any size is in the door opening. Guardian Doors can complete a safety inspection at your next service and advise if this option would be suitable. It’s a highly recommended and cost-effective way of going the extra mile for you and your family’s safety and security.
- Always have your wall remote in an area where you can see the garage door clearly.
- Try to keep your garage door remote out of sight when it’s in your vehicle.
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Check your door regularly
Ever stopped to take a look at your garage door as it closes? Garage doors are usually the largest and heaviest moving part in your house, and when you get up close and see all the parts working together, you have a closer understanding of not only the colossal weight, but the intricacies involved in keeping everything running smoothly. So the last thing you want is your garage door breaking and damaging anyone in the family – or any of your precious belongings.
- Check your door to see if any hinges, fixings or tracks have loosened
- Check your rollers and the cable integrity
- Check the tracks are parallel and that the motor fixings are secure
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NB: As motors vibrate to different degrees when operating, these fixings do come loose – Guardian Doors supplies vibration absorbers at each service to minimise the chance of any loosening.
PE Beams are an excellent safety feature, especially if you have children or pets.
Educate the kids!
Your garage door is not a toy and should never, ever be played with. We thoroughly recommend you educate your children about garage door safety so they are aware of the dangers. For example:
- Do not allow your child/children to play with the remote control
- Have the kids stand by while you demonstrate the door opening and closing while explaining how important it is to keep their hands and objects away from the door to avoid injury or accident.
- Never place fingers in between sections of the garage door. Even though post-2012 garage door manufacturing guidelines incorporate finger-safe technology, you can still cause serious injury when interfering with your garage door while in motion
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If children want to play, it’s best they play on a see-saw, not your garage door…
The above advice and tips are for you and your family’s safety. However, these handy tips will also add money-saving years to the life of your garage door and hopefully prevent unnecessary issues arising. Guardian Doors’ service technicians will show you how to do all of the above and more as part of our garage door service in Perth. So if it’s been a while since your last service, keep your family safe and contact Guardian Doors to arrange an appointment.
