Modern garage doors are a terrific convenience, but they are also hundreds of pounds of wood or steel connected to a complex opening mechanism. That’s why garage door safety is an important issue for you and your family.
Garage Door Safety Tips
Fortunately, the maintenance to keep your garage door safe can be fairly simple if you follow a few basic rules. Here are eight great garage door safety tips to help protect you and your garage door:
- Take Care of Your Springs
Your torsion springs or extension springs are among the most important elements of your garage door. They can also be the most dangerous, as they have a tremendous amount of energy wound into them, so they can raise and lower those multi-hundred-pound doors. If your springs are squeaking, straining or you’ve actually heard one pop, it’s important that you bring in a professional right away to see if they need replacing.
Your garage door professional can lubricate squeaky springs and replace ones that are broken or about to break. If your garage door has extension springs that operate from the side rather than the top, you will need safety cables to protect you if a spring should break. If you don’t have them, contact your garage door professional.
- Take Care of Your Cables
Speaking of cables, no matter what kind of garage door you have, it’s very important that you make sure to replace your cables anytime you notice they have become excessively frayed or worn. Your garage door professional can inspect your cables and replace them if necessary.
- Professional Installation
It is not recommended that you try to install your own garage door. Garage doors are extremely heavy, and you could easily injure yourself if you are not careful.
DistribuDoors garage door professionals are trained in proper safety techniques and have years of experience in safely installing garage doors. In addition, if you break the door while trying to install it, you will probably void the warranty.
- Don’t Wait for Repair
If your door is out of alignment, stuttering as it goes up or down or going down too slowly, there is probably something wrong with the door. Even if the door still works, you should have it repaired as soon as possible. The door will experience higher stress than normal every time you use it, which could eventually result in a huge breakdown and a much costlier repair.
- Keep Your Fingers Free
It might be tempting to put your fingers in between door sections to pull the door down — but don’t do it. Use your remote, or if you must operate the door manually, use the lift handle.
- Use a New System With a New Door
When you buy a replacement garage door, treat yourself to a whole new system. Trying to put a new door on an old track, for example, could cause you problems — the old track might not be the right fit, which could mean alignment problems, strain on the door and other issues.
Make everything new to extend the life of your garage door and reduce the likelihood of frequent repair needs.
- Garage Door Maintenance
Garage door maintenance is the best thing you can do for your garage door. Without regular maintenance, parts that are worn out can break and potentially cause injury. A good maintenance plan allows your garage door professional to identify potential small problems before they become big ones. This keeps your all components working optimally to extend the life of your garage door.
- Keep the Manual
You don’t have to memorize your garage door user’s manual, but keep it handy. Your garage door has specific safety and care instructions, and you may need to know what they are at a moment’s notice. You don’t want to have to go fishing for that manual when you have an emergency.
For more useful garage door tips, or to request garage door maintenance or other garage door service in the Seattle area, contact DistribuDoors today.