One of the most overlooked “appliances” most every homeowner owns for convenience is the garage door (and its operating system). It’s something that goes up and down four plus times per day at the press of a button. Can’t get pretty more simple than that, now can it?
Not really!
Like every other mechanical device you own – especially those of the larger variety – your garage door and garage door opener require routine maintenance in the form of adjustments and lubrication to ensure it continues to function correctly, and most importantly, safely.
The Importance of Garage Door Safety
Speaking of safety, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, reports that more than 30,000 people have been injured by broken or faulty garage door systems every year. Doors that on average can weigh up to 150 pounds depending on make/model! Talk about dangerous.
Faulty not because of manufacturer errors, but faulty simply because problems associated with the door’s wear and tear aren’t addressed in an appropriate manner by the homeowner. The above statement alone may have you evaluating your door and its safety at this very moment.
And, while it is okay to evaluate and even perform some minor safety and maintenance tasks yourself, other tasks such as broken garage door spring repair/replacement, track and roller repair/replacement and installation are best left to highly trained service professionals.
Garage Door Safety Concerns
#1: The Zip Tie Trick
If you are into social media, or just watch the local news, then you may have heard about the zip tie trick. Homeowners were being advised to use a zip tie to secure the door’s manual (emergency) release latch so as to keep would-be thieves from manually opening the garage door. This is a BIG no-no!
We can’t stress this enough – do not attempt to tie your manual release. This release is there so that you can release the door in the event of someone’s entrapment. Should the automatic reverse mechanism fail this manual release can be used to disconnect the door from the opener thus preventing harm.
#2: Rolling Code Technology
One of the best and most economical ways to ensure your door doesn’t become compromised is the opener’s ever present rolling code technology. This technology automatically changes the door’s access code each time you press the remote making it virtually impossible for someone to steal your code.
#3: This is NOT a Toy
Children love products that move – especially those that move at the press of button – which is why it is imperative for you to teach them that the garage door opener and all of its remotes are not toys. Better yet, place them out of sight, preferably somewhere they can’t reach.
It is also important to teach them not to play directly under the door or put their fingers in between the door’s paneling. If an emergency situation arises, you should immediately use the garage door openers’ manual release (see the importance of not using the zip tie?) to avoid injury.