Is your garage door as safe as it should be?

Is your garage door as safe as it should be? 11/21/2009

Is your garage door as safe as it should be? Maybe you've never thought about that question, but it's one every homeowner with a garage door should ask. Whether it's operated manually or with a garage door opener, the largest moving object on your home needs to be safe for you, your kids or grandkids, your pets, and even your cars. If your garage door is not equipped with the most up-to-date safety features, it might be time to think about whether a safer garage door would benefit you and your family.

How can you make sure that your garage door is the safest door available?

The first step to your safer garage environment is to ensure you have a garage door system with properly working safety features. The garage door is composed of three main areas:

One The first is the garage door sections themselves, which should be designed so fingers are pushed out of harm's way as the sections come together during closing.

Two The second is the counterbalance spring system that provides the power to lift the door. It should be properly balanced to lift the door with minimal effort and be safely enclosed in a protective metal casing.

Three The third is the garage door opener, which should reverse automatically if a person or object goes underneath the door as it is closing.

A recent article in PEDIATRICS magazine also lists other safety suggestions for homeowners:

Activation buttons should be placed where children cannot access them, at least six feet above the floor, or kept in locked cars.
Adults and children should never walk beneath a closing door.
After activating an opener, one should not drive away until the door is completely closed.
Parents should consider retrofitting their openers with keypad switches, which discourage use by younger children.
The force adjustment of the opener should be set to take the least amount of force necessary to trigger the reversal mechanism.

Do This Once Every Year

To test your door's counterbalance, first disconnect the opener from the door. Open the door slowly. It should move upward with minimal effort on your part. Now let the door come down to about four feet off the ground. Make sure nothing is in the door's path, then let go of the door. If it drops or sinks to the ground, it is not counterbalanced properly. A properly counterbalanced door should move very little from this position, if at all. You should never attempt to adjust the counterbalance springs yourself.

Ultra Garage Door Service

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