06 Mar Improve the Overall Safety of your Garage Door in 5 Steps

Residential and commercial garage doors offer homes and businesses security, convenience and protection. However, under certain conditions residential and commercial doors can become a safety hazard. Accidents and injuries can occur, typically as a result of misuse or human error. Problems can also sometimes be caused by a malfunction in the system.

However, by following these 5 steps, your garage doors can provide maximum convenience and value to your home while optimizing safety for your family and business.

1. Avoid Putting Hands and Fingers Near Pinch Points

Garage doors often have many crevices and joints that can become pinch or crush points. These are not just at the edges of the door but also where the door panels join. If you need to manually move the door up or down, it is important to avoid placing fingers at the locations where the panels join. Similarly, avoid placing fingers and hands near hinges, cables, and other similar parts of the door. It is also important to watch over children when they are near a garage door as they are at risk of injury.

2. Monitor your Garage Door Cable for Damage

Just like any other part of your home or business, your garage door does get some wear and tear over time. Damage to the cables that help to lift and lower the garage door can cause one of the most significant threats to overall safety. Damage to garage door cables can cause malfunction and failure of doors, resulting in damage to people or property.

For this reason, it’s important to have your garage door cables inspected regularly. Look for signs of rust, fraying, or kinks in the line. These signs can indicate an underlying compromise of the structural integrity of the cables, leaving them at risk of failure. That’s why you should have damaged cables replaced quickly to maintain overall safety.

3. Test and Maintain Garage Door Safety Sensors

The average garage door weighs between 250 and 400 pounds. The garage door opener and garage door springs have a lot of weight to support during door operation. If a garage door fails during opening or closing or closes on something in its path, it could cause serious crushing injuries.

That’s why most garage doors are equipped with built-in sensors that engage an auto-reverse feature when something (such as a child or animal) is detected in their path. However, if these sensors fail, then there is no protection against a lowering door. It is essential to have these sensors checked, cleaned and tested regularly by a garage door professional to ensure they work.

4. Check Garage Door Spring Tension and Balance

Your garage door has springs that help it operate properly. When spring tension is lost, the door becomes unbalanced, and one side will fall faster than the other. This imbalance in movement causes the garage door to become misaligned on its tracks when it opens and closes. This can speed up wear and tear and may leave your home and business lacking security.

If you attempt to adjust the springs yourself, you could inadvertently create too much tension. This can cause the door to drift open on its own, which is also unsafe. If you’re experiencing spring tension problems with your garage doors, always call a professional to ensure safe and effective repairs.

5. Schedule an Annual Inspection

Running a business or a household is hard enough, without having to think about garage door maintenance. But given the dangers a malfunctioning door can impose, having a professional inspect your door and safety sensors occasionally is essential. Scheduling yearly professional maintenance with a garage door professional gives you one less thing to worry about while ensuring optimum safety for your doors. Choose a professional garage door repair team to check all the operating components and make necessary repairs to protect you, your family, and your workers.

Maintain the optimum safety of your garage doors with less effort by choosing commercial door professionals Frontier Pacific to inspect and repair your garage doors.