Safety Tips For Owning And Operating Your Garage Door

In the past 20 years, legislation has made garage santa rosa garage door repair less likely to crush people or things that get in the way of its descent, but over 30,000 garage door related accidents per year make it clear that these large rolling devices can still be hazardous.

Most of the problems result from safety equipment failure, broken springs or cables, or human error. To avoid becoming a statistic, exercise caution with your garage door, help your family stay safe, and know when to call a professional for repair and maintenance.

Safety Equipment Failure

Early legislation required the doors have safety reversing methods and light beams or other sensors that stop the door or reverse it if anything is in its way. This legislation, passed in response to over 85 child deaths, does not make a garage door or its safety features failsafe. Assuming that the safety devices were properly installed on doors by manufacturers, the safety measures can fail as the door gets old, falls out of adjustment, or wears out.

Spring Or Cable Failure

Regardless of safety measures, the overhead door is a large piece of equipment that weighs hundreds of pounds. Its up and down motion occurs on a track and operates on the principle of a counterbalance system, which means that a force offsets the door’s weight. In a typical door, it is the springs that provide force. If they or the cables that attach them to the door fail, the door comes crashing down while the loose spring or cables snap out of control.

Human Error

As the door moves up and down, it can be an attractive nuisance that dares people to try to get in and out before the door comes down. Even adults play “chicken” and try to get their car in or out before the door closes. Kids love to play with the buttons that are mounted on the wall of the garage and with the remotes. They even enjoy hanging on the door and putting the fingers in the tracks.

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