National Garage Door Safety Month

Published on 28 July 2021

Your garage door is a huge piece of equipment and depending on the type you have, it could also incorporate complicated electronics, motors, and mechanisms that need to be maintained to keep you and your family safe.

The Most Common Garage Door Accidents

•       Using Remotes

If you have a garage door operated using a remote control from your car, these can easily be dropped on the car floor, stood on, or picked up by a child and used as a toy. Many garage doors feature an auto-reverse function that is a built-in sensor that detects resistance, which prevents the garage door from closing if someone is beneath the door. It’s important to ensure this sensor is working to reduce the risk of an accident occurring.

•       Rusty Springs on a Garage Door

Garage door springs are expressly designed to complete at least 10,000 open and close cycles without a problem. However, after this, your springs may become rusty and more brittle. This puts them at risk of falling or breaking off causing a hazard if the door closes suddenly or if the spring jumps off upon closing.

•       Malfunctioning Mechanisms

The mechanism that opens your garage door is incredibly important as it’s the thing that allows the door to open smoothly and in a straight line. For this reason, you must keep it clean. A mechanism clogged with dust, cobwebs, or leaves can prevent a smooth closure and cause fingers to be trapped or cause the door to shut suddenly.

•      
  

  DIY Repair Jobs

One of the most dangerous things you can do is try to repair your broken garage door yourself. The inner workings of garage door mechanisms and motors are quite complex and trying to fix them yourself could cause a larger issue. DIY jobs are one of the biggest causes of spring deterioration and motor overheating in garage doors.

What to Look Out for

There are a few obvious signs that your garage door is wearing out. You need to look out for unusual jerky motions, a change in the speed of the mechanism to open and close the door, or an overly loud motor.

You should also keep a close eye on any potential rust development or dents and damages. If you notice anything that causes concern, book a garage door expert to take a look and repair it as soon as possible.

Preventative Measures for your Garage Door 

There are a few things that you need to do to ensure that you keep your garage door as safe as possible.

•     Keep your remotes away from children and pets. They need to remain in a safe space in your car that’s only accessible to the driver. 
•     Keep your door’s mechanisms clear by using a soft brush every few weeks to clear away any dust build-up. 
•     Always get a professional in to make any repairs to breakages, don’t try to fix any damage yourself. YouTube videos don’t cover off all types of garage doors and trying to keep your repairs on the cheap side could result in problems further down the line. 

Most importantly: keep your door properly maintained. It’s a good idea to get a specialist to do a door check-up once every year. This means that you’ll know that your springs and mechanisms are working properly and will know when they need updating ahead of time so you can prepare.

Now, if you don’t have a garage door that you’re confident is safe, have a look at some of ours here at Diamond Garage Doors, just contact us to be advised by one of our experienced and reliable staff and find a garage door perfect for you.

Back to News