Garage Door Safety Smarts

Jan 4, 2011

By Nate Granzow, goodneighborEXTRA staff writer State Farm™ Employee

Weighing up to several hundred pounds, the garage door is the heaviest moving item in your house. To avoid garage door injuries and help ensure safe, reliable operation, follow these tips from Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association International and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Test The Balance

To see if your garage door's springs and cables are working properly, close the door and engage the automatic opener's release mechanism or emergency disconnect. You'll know your door is balanced if it opens and closes easily by hand and stays 3 to 4 feet above the floor when you let go. Consult a professional if you don't feel comfortable doing this yourself.

Inspect The Hardware

Periodically examine the garage door's screws, rollers, hinges, and other moving parts for wear, rust or other structurally compromising damage. Giving the parts an occasional coat of lightweight oil will help prevent rust. Avoid using thicker oils and grease.

Check The Safety Reversal System

If your garage-door opener was made after 1993, it likely has an auto-reverse safety function. In most cases, this is a sensor beam that stops and reverses the door if the beam is disrupted while the door is moving. If your opener doesn't have this feature, it's best to replace it. If your opener does have an auto-reverse mechanism, test it by placing a 2x4 in the door's path before closing it. If the door doesn't stop and reverse upon sensing the object, the opener needs repair.

Call In The Pros

Whether you're dealing with broken hardware or you need to replace your door altogether, it's best to hire a trained technician to do the job. Garage door springs, cables, and hardware are under high tension and can cause serious injury or death if they break or come loose.

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Tags CPSC, door, garage, repair, springs

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