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The Importance of Garage Door Safety for Kids
As a parent, grandparent, or loved one of young children, their safety is your top priority. But you may not consider the ways a garage door could be unsafe. As a large moving object that maintains a high amount of tension, garage doors have the potential to harm a child without proper garage door safety training. Check out our garage door safety tips to keep your children safe when in the garage.
How To Keep Your Kids Safe Around the Garage Door
1. Teach Your Children About Garage Door Safety
As the largest moving object in your home, a garage door has the potential to harm your children or pets. That’s why the important first step in garage door safety for kids is teaching them about how the door could be dangerous. Never allow them to:
- Climb or hang on the door
- Touch hinges or panel joints that could pinch their fingers
- Run under the door as it closes
- Touch the cables or springs
- Use the remote or wall keypad
If they know how a garage door could injure them, they will be more careful around the door.
2. Keep Remotes Out of Reach
Children love playing with remotes and pushing buttons, but the garage door control should never be seen as a toy. Always keep garage door remotes out of reach in your car and home so young children do not have access to open and close the garage door. Then, as your children get older, you can teach them how the remote works so they can safely operate the garage door if they need to.
3. Regularly Test Safety Mechanisms
Garage doors have built-in safety features to keep you and your family safe. The most important garage door safety feature is the garage door sensors located on either side of your garage opening. They are designed to sense if a person or object is in the path of the door, then trigger an automatic reversal to prevent the garage door from hitting anything.
However, garage door sensors can come out of alignment or get dirty, meaning they won’t operate correctly. That’s why it’s important to regularly test garage door safety mechanisms and ensure they are protecting your home. You can test the sensors by placing an object in the garage opening or waving a broom in the opening as the door closes. The garage door should automatically reverse back upward. If it does not, call a local garage door company to perform a garage door tune-up. It’s important to address this issue quickly to ensure garage door safety for kids.
4. Schedule Annual Garage Door Maintenance
The best way to be sure that your garage door is safe for your family is by scheduling annual garage door maintenance. During a maintenance inspection, a professional will examine every part of your garage door for wear and tear as well as test all the safety mechanisms. They will also clean, lubricate, tighten, and balance your garage door parts. Garage door maintenance not only ensures the safety of your garage door but also helps your garage door last longer and run more smoothly.
5. Invest in a Quality Garage Door
Cheaper garage doors and parts are more likely to fail, creating a potentially dangerous situation for your family. However, investing in a quality garage door and opener, as well as long-lasting garage door parts, gives you a stronger and safer garage door system. We recommend heavy-duty or insulated garage doors, garage door openers with the latest built-in safety mechanisms, and garage door parts rated for 15,000 cycles of use.
6. Rely on Professionals for Installation and Repair
When choosing who will install your quality new garage door, it’s important to find a highly-rated garage door company you can trust. Proper garage door installation of the door, opener, parts, and safety mechanisms will give you the best peace of mind knowing that your garage door is safe for your home.
The same goes for any necessary garage door repairs. Instead of attempting to repair the garage door on your own, always contact a professional. Garage doors are incredibly heavy, and garage door parts hold a high amount of tension to maintain the weight. If this tension is released incorrectly, it could be very dangerous for you and anyone near the garage door.
We’ll Make Sure You Have a Safe Garage Door
Aaron Overhead Doors is devoted to serving Georgia communities with the best garage door services, including maintenance, repair, and installation. It is our goal to ensure your garage door is safe, well-maintained, and ready to protect your family – never be a danger to them. We would be happy to instruct you on best practices for garage door safety and help you select a garage door that will keep your children safe. Contact us to learn more about garage door safety for kids!
