Garages are definitely an ideal amenity to any home because they provide extra room for storage, a covering for keeping vehicles in better condition and can be turned into a space for home projects. However, garages tend to be less secure and safe than other areas of the house. In working with the Door and Access Systems Manufacturing Association (DASMA) and the International Door Association (IDA), the Overhead Door Corporation created some garage door safety tips to keep in mind while entering and exiting your home:
- The garage door opener button should be out of a child’s reach.
- Never let kids play with the remote controls to garage doors.
- Educate yourself on how to use the door’s emergency release, usually found in the owner’s manual.
- Every month, examine the garage door. Check for signs of decay on the springs, pulleys, cables, or rollers. If any of these features look loose or worn out, it is best to call a professional garage door repairman to fix or repair the parts. Some garage doors have high tension springs that can badly injure someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing when messing with it.
- Also on your monthly check-up of it, test the opener’s reverse mechanism by placing an object like a board or box of where the door would come down. The door should reverse when it lands on the object. If it doesn’t, call a professional repairman or consider installing a new garage door with a standard auto-reverse feature.
- Don’t ever put fingers or toes in garage door sections or in the way of the operating mechanism. If there are small children in the house, consider getting a garage door with panels that prevents the door from nipping anyone.
- Never leave your house with the garage door partly open. When the door is in motion again it can either land on an object unexpectedly or lessen the security of your things in the garage or the home.
- If you are leaving town for a while, disconnect your garage door device. Most openers also come with a vacation lock, which can make the remote non-functional when activated.
- Try to find a garage door opener that has hopping-code technology, which constantly alters access codes to avert code snatching. For added security, be sure to change all access codes to the garage door’s opener and on the remote control right when you install the door. Or to go one step further, buy a newer garage door that has standard security features.
- More burglaries are happening by thieves getting access to a home by taking the garage door opener from the car. For this reason, don’t ever leave the opener in the vehicle or wherever anyone has easy access to it. An alternative option is to use a remote that fits on a key chain, especially if the garage door opener is linked to your car. Don’t forget to lock all of the doors to your house, too, especially the one in the garage. It may take a little extra time, but it’s worth it!
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