How To Childproof Your Garage Door

Malfunctioning garage doors can be very dangerous, especially to children. Fortunately, accidents involving garage doors can be avoided if you take the proper precautions.

Here are some good tips that will show you how to childproof your garage door.

Education

The first thing you must do is teach children how important it is to be careful around garage doors. They must know that they are not allowed to play with the garage door or the control panel.

If you have older children, you can teach them how to use the garage door properly. Your children should be taught to never go near the garage door when it is in motion. The garage door is held in place by springs and cables. If one of these parts is disturbed, it could cause the door to fall.

Safety Cables

All new garage doors are outfitted with safety cables. Most older models do not have them. Safety cables are cables that are placed in the center of the spring. If the spring does break, it will be caught on the cable and stabilized.

When the garage door is down, it causes tension in the springs. If the springs pop, the pieces that fly off can be a hazard to anyone who is around it. Make sure your garage doors have safety cables. If they do, you must make sure they are inspected on a regular basis.

Safety Sensor

Another safety mechanism that you must have is the safety sensor. The safety sensor is also known as the “electric eye.”

If your garage door does not have a safety sensor, you will need to upgrade it. This means that you will need to install a brand new garage door system. Older garage doors cannot be retrofitted with a safety sensor.

The safety sensor is a sensor is placed about 6 inches from the ground. It is positioned in a way that points it towards the opening of the garage door.

If anything moves across the sensor’s beam, the door will immediately stop descending. This will decrease the chances that someone will have the garage door close on them.

Other Safety Mechanisms

You should also schedule regular inspections for your garage door. Make sure that annual maintenance is performed by service technicians. They can check to make sure that the safety features are working properly.

If you have an automatic garage door, you will need to do your due diligence in making sure that it is completely safe.

Pinterest Image: