Garage door safety is important for children because it can help prevent them from being injured. If a child is able to open and close the door on their own, they may not be as aware of their surroundings and may not know how to get out if there is an emergency. Garage door safety for children also includes teaching them how to use the stairs safely. By having a safe place for them to play, children are less likely to be injured in an accident outside of the home.
This article will mostly be talking about all of the parts you should be maintained regularly, how to keep your children away from your garage, and teaching your older children how to operate the garage.
It will also be talking about signs that your parts are wearing out and how to fix them or call a professional, for the safety of your own children.
Maintaining your garage parts
There are several different ways to control your garage so it doesn’t come falling down when a child is below it, like maintaining your springs and tracks, and especially your sensor which comes into account the big time when making sure they aren’t injured.
Another big part of ensuring your children’s safety is to make sure all of your garage parts are well lubricated and fixed up and aren’t rusted/broken. This is the case with most garage door springs. The first thing you want to do after you have replaced your broken spring is to lubricate it up and make sure it’s all good and tightened up so that it will be working properly.
Make sure your sensor is working properly at all times
By far this is one of the most essential garage door safety features out there. it prevents anything from being stuck from underneath while closing the door. It would be very difficult to get them out again if they have been caught under the door. The safety chain system is also a great safety feature. This ensures that the door will stay closed and not open when someone tries to force it open.
If you want to make sure your sensor is working, they should both emit a red light if they are not aligned, and if they emit a green one then they should be perfectly okay.
But if your garage door starts opening and closing on its own, then don’t worry. it isn’t possessed. Rather the sensor is very dirty and the laser that’s being emitted from another sensor is being broken, causing the garage to think there is something in the way but in reality, there’s nothing there.
Letting your children know about the safety features of your garage
Garages are a place where many families store their vehicles and other valuable belongings. As a responsible parent, it is important to ensure that your children know about the safety features of your garage in case of an emergency. One way to do this is to show them how to open and close the garage door, as well as how to use the remote control. You should also explain what each button on the remote does, and make sure they know not to touch anything else on the remote. If your garage has an automatic door opener, be sure to show your children how to use it and explain the dangers of getting too close to the door while it’s opening or closing. Finally, make sure your children know not to play in or around the garage and never leave them alone in the garage unsupervised.
Which garage door parts to worry about the most
The garage door is a large and important piece of equipment in any home. It is responsible for protecting vehicles, tools, and other belongings from the weather and thieves. While it is important to keep all parts of the garage door in good condition, some parts are more important than others.
The following are the four garage door parts that homeowners should worry about the most:
- The Garage Door Springs – The springs are responsible for lifting and lowering the door. If they break, the door will not be able to open or close. Homeowners should regularly check the springs for signs of wear and tear and have them replaced if necessary.
- The Garage Door Opener – The opener is what physically opens and closes the door. It is responsible for moving the heavy weight of the door. If it breaks, the door will be unable to open or close.
- The rollers and tracks – Rollers and tracks are what make the door move upward and smoothly. If these parts break, the garage will not be able to move until both are replaced by a professional.
- The lift cylinders – Lift cylinders are used to raise or lower the garage door. If one cylinder breaks, it will put immense pressure atop the other lift cylinder, causing it to break much faster.
If one breaks, you should refrain from opening the garage door and replace it as fast as possible to avoid spending money if the other one breaks.
Why regularly maintain your parts and your door?
Maintaining your tracks, wheels, springs, cables, and other parts is another vital part of making sure your children are safe from your garage door.
if it ever appears that your wheels are vibrating to an excessive amount that they shouldn’t, then you should either replace them or lubricate them.
If your tracks are warped, rusted and beyond repair, then you should call a professional to replace the tracks simply because they are way too hard to replace without the proper equipment and skill, and could lead to the risk of the garage potentially falling and breaking.
If it’s your springs you must replace your garage door, then there are a couple of signs to let you know if it’s broken or rusted.
One sign is that some of the parts on the spring appear an orange-brown colour, which means it’s deeply rusted and in need of repair. Another sign is if you’ve heard a loud banging sound coming from your garage, which means your torsion spring has taken enough pressure to completely burst and snap in half. That’s why you should never deal with a torsion spring that’s about to burst, because it could break while you are working on it and it could fly toward you, causing injury or death.
Overall safety for your garage door and your children
Garage doors are a necessary evil in many households. They provide easy access to cars and homes but can be dangerous if not used correctly. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an average of 30 children are injured each year by garage doors. In order to keep your children safe, follow these safety tips:
- Keep the garage door closed and locked when not in use. This will prevent children and animals from getting inside.
- Teach your children about the dangers of playing around or under a garage door.
- Make sure that all family members know how to open and close the garage door using the manual release handle, in case of an emergency.
- Inspect your garage door for any damaged parts or cables before using it. If you find any problems, have them fixed by a professional immediately.
You should also teach your children the parts of the garage, how they work, and to watch out for other children going under the door during operation cycles.
More things you can do to prevent your younger children from accessing the garage doors are to hide the remote, install the control panel so it’s at a specific height so they cannot reach and control it, and make sure they do not try to climb on the garage door.
Show the dangers of the garage door by demonstrating it can slam shut if unused properly and touched the wrong things, and tell them it is not a toy they can use freely.