Garages are fabulously versatile places. They can be used as intended to shelter vehicles or serve as all-purpose storage. Some people even turn them into offices, workshops or extra living space. However, there are safety issues to keep in mind when dealing with garage doors, so here are ten tips to enjoy this space safely.
- Keep the garage door opener out of the reach of children and avoid leaving it in a parked car.
- Teach kids not to play with the garage door remote controls and stay up to date with garage door repairs.
- Review the owner’s manual to learn how to operate the garage door’s emergency release.
- Inspect the garage door monthly. Check out the cables, rollers, springs, and pulleys for signs of strain and wear. It’s important to call a trained garage door repair tech to complete required maintenance since these parts are typically under high tension.
- To test the opener’s reversing mechanism, place a roll of paper towels on the floor in the path of the closing door. The door should reverse after contacting the paper towels. If the garage door was installed before 1993, it may not have this feature and should be replaced.
- Teach children to avoid placing their fingers new the space between door sections. Consider installing a door with panels designed to avoid this safety hazard.
- Make sure the garage door is always left fully closed. Otherwise, it might travel downward onto anyone or anything in its path. It’s also a major security risk.
- If you go out of town, unplug the door opener to disable the remotes. Some models have a remote access unit to control the unit from your phone.
- If a new garage door opener is being installed, choose one with rolling-code technology. This feature thwarts thieves who steal access codes for home invasion purposes. It’s a no-hassle way to increase home safety.
- Be aware of a current new trend used by burglars. They gain access to the home by stealing the door opener — sometimes ones that are still in the car. A key chain remote can lock the entry to the home from the garage. It’s also possible to seal off direct entry from the home to the garage and use external entries with no access to the family’s home and belongings.
These are just some of the ways families can protect their loved ones and belongings from possible garage door mishaps and security issues.
