2024-12-20 5 min read
Your garage door is one of the largest and heaviest moving objects in your home. A standard two-car door can weigh 300-400 pounds or more, moving up and down thousands of times throughout its lifespan. Understanding and practicing garage door safety is essential for protecting your family, pets, and property.
Garage door injuries send over 20,000 people to emergency rooms each year in the United States. Common injuries include:
- Crushing injuries from doors closing on hands or bodies, Falls from ladders during DIY repairs, Cuts from broken springs and cables under tension, Injuries from doors falling due to broken components, Children becoming trapped under partially closed doors
The good news? Most accidents are preventable with proper awareness and maintenance.
These sensors, located near the floor on each side of your door, create an invisible beam across the opening. If anything breaks this beam while the door is closing, it should immediately stop and reverse.
Testing your photo-eyes: 1. Close the door using your opener 2. While it's closing, pass your foot through the sensor beam 3. The door should stop and reverse immediately 4. Test monthly and clean sensor lenses regularly
In addition to photo-eyes, your door should reverse if it contacts an object. Federal law has required this feature since 1993.
Testing auto-reverse: 1. Place a 2x4 board flat on the floor under the door 2. Close the door using your opener 3. When the door contacts the board, it should reverse immediately 4. If it doesn't reverse, contact a professional immediately
The red cord hanging from your opener trolley allows you to disconnect the door for manual operation. This is crucial during power outages or opener malfunctions.
Practice using it: - Pull the release cord (usually down and toward the door) - Lift the door manually.it should move smoothly, Re-engage by running the opener until it catches the trolley
Teach children these important rules:
1. Never play near a moving garage door - The door can cause serious injuries if it contacts a child 2. Don't race the door - Never try to run under a closing door 3. Keep hands clear - Never put hands near door panels, tracks, or hinges 4. Don't touch the opener - Teach children that the opener is not a toy 5. Stay away from springs and cables - These are under extreme tension
While some maintenance tasks are safe for homeowners, others should always be left to professionals:
- Visual inspections, Lubrication of moving parts, Cleaning tracks, Tightening loose bolts and screws, Testing safety features, Replacing weather stripping
- Spring adjustment or replacement, Cable repair or replacement, Track realignment, Opener installation, Panel replacement, Any repair requiring lifting heavy components
Why avoid spring work? Torsion springs are under tremendous tension. A standard two-car door spring can store enough energy to cause severe injury or death if it breaks or is improperly handled. Professional technicians have the tools, training, and experience to work safely with these components.
- Contact a professional if the issue persists
Regular maintenance prevents many safety issues:
1. Monthly: Test safety features, listen for unusual sounds, visual inspection 2. Quarterly: Lubricate moving parts, check weather stripping 3. Annually: Professional inspection and maintenance
At Garage Door Company New Milford, safety is our top priority. Every service visit includes a safety inspection, and we never cut corners on safety-related repairs. Our technicians are trained to identify potential hazards and address them before they become dangerous.
If you have concerns about your garage door's safety or haven't had a professional inspection recently, contact us for a comprehensive safety evaluation. Your family's protection is worth the peace of mind.