Overhead garage doors have definitely arrived to make our daily lives easier. As the industry evolves, new systems and better features are included in order to make garage door systems safer. However, just like any other mechanical and electrical system, something or a component could fail. Therefore it is vital to run periodical maintenance routines to keep them in shape and prevent any damages.
After decades providing the best overhead garage door system services, at Colorado Overhead Door Company, we have surprisingly noticed that no matter how cautious Colorado parents are about protecting their children, going all the way up to making virtually everything childproof: from closet doors, to toilets, to electrical outlets, they seem to often overlook the garage door, which is one of the biggest dangers on your home.
Garage Door Child Safety Tips
There are many important steps you can take in order to prevent a home hazard. Your overhead garage door is a big and heavy moving element that requires attention. They are all easy to follow and can be the difference between living easy, safe and without worries, or constantly struggling with a dysfunctional and dangerous garage door system.
Child safety education
It is your responsibility not only making sure that your overhead garage door works properly, but that your kids know how to handle themselves around it. It is vital for them to understand that the garage door isn’t a toy and much less an amusement park ride. Never allow your child to ride or play on the moving garage door.
Don’t let your children play with the garage door remote controls. Place them out of reach of young children. The same goes with the push button on the wall. Don’t let them play with it. When placing the manual operating button, always try to install it at least 5 feet from the floor and away from any moving parts once the garage door is moving. Mount it in a place where you can safely see the garage door open and close.
Never allow your kids to race the garage doors when closing. Remember kids learn from how you behave yourself, so even though overhead garage door systems have sensors that avoid closing when detecting something in the path, don’t you dare to race it as well.
Maintenance routines
Periodically going over your overhead garage door system is vital to keep it safe. Check all the springs, rollers, pulleys, cables and tracks of your garage door. Check that the door is balanced and well oiled. Make sure everything runs properly.
Check the electrical system and make sure that all wires are properly coated, covered and sealed. Exposed wires can cause the opener to function incorrectly, and it also adds to the risk of electric shock. Check the motor, logic board and sensors. If you notice anything that isn’t working properly, at Colorado Overhead Door Company we can replace any opener part, photo-eye sensor, logic board or motor part that isn’t functioning properly.
You can run the reversal test, which implicates putting a paper towel on the ground where the garage door would close. If the garage door does not detect the paper towel and reverse its action, then it’s time to call a professional and have them do a quick inspection of your garage door and it’s safety features. Contact Colorado Overhead Door Company and keep your garage door system safe.