Don't overlook your garage when considering the safety features in your home. The garage door is typically the largest moving object in a home; and because of its size and weight, special care should be taken to maintain safe operations.
- Mounting tracks and hardware: If not positioned and attached properly, the door might come off the track and fall.
- Corner Brackets: Usually attached to the high-tension cables that lift the door, if these brackets are loose, they could disconnect and fly off at dangerous speeds.
- Springs: Due to the high tension in the cables that are attached to these springs, any repairs or adjustments should only be made by a qualified service company. For safety, consider enclosing extension springs in a metal tube or installing a safety cable inside the extension spring.
- Panel Section Joints: Never attempt to operate the door by placing fingers near or in the joint between door sections. Monitor children who might be tempted to insert their fingers in these small openings. Some garage doors are equipped with finger-protecting joints that minimize this danger.
- Entrapment Protection with Automatic Door Operators: Recently manufactured doors should have some type of safety device, such as an electronic eye or a pressure-sensitive control, which detects objects obstructing the door. Check these safety features periodically according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. Consider replacing or retrofitting older automatic garage doors that do not have these modern safety features.
Remember, when in doubt, consult a professional. More home safety information and maintenance information is available online at housemaster.com.
