Most of the time, kids have this instinct to be curious. As they develop their thinking on how things work, it is your duty as a parent to guide your children and make them safe as they start to learn about their surroundings.
And since children’s development starts at home, it is essential to teach them the dos and don’ts, especially for potential dangers at the house. That includes the garage door, which can become a falling hazard when its system fails. If that happens, you should contact a garage door repair service to have professionals fix the issue.
You should also schedule a maintenance check once in a while to make sure that there are no broken parts. Visit an online directory to find a garage door repair in Joliet, Illinois.
To guide you on how to make your garage door safe for your kids and prevent garage door injuries and potential damages, check these steps and follow them accordingly.
Teach Garage Door Safety Rules
In time, your children will be at a stage where they get too playful and curious about their environment. Sometimes, they run around without getting tired. Playing around might be safe inside the house. But if you are outside, especially near a garage, you need to teach them garage door safety tips.
Here are some lessons that you should teach your children about garage door safety:
- The garage door is heavy, so they should not lift or close it manually.
- Never play with the garage door remote device.
- Don’t run towards the garage when the door is still opening or closing.
- Don’t climb or hang on the garage door while it is moving.
- Never play with the components, especially springs and cables.
- Don’t move the sensors installed on the sides.
Depending on your kids’ age, try and teach them about garage doors as they grow up. With these rules, you can prevent unexpected garage door injuries or property damages.
Childproofing Garage
After teaching garage door safety rules to your kids, now, it is your responsibility to childproof the garage. It doesn’t only include locking all the possible entryways, but it means that you should keep your garage in good condition.
Here are some steps to follow on how to make sure that your garage is safe for your kids:
- Keep the garage door opener remote out of reach from your kids.
- Test the garage door sensors’ auto-reverse mechanism.
- Purchase a high-quality and long-lasting garage door.
- Look for signs of damages on components.
- Repair or replace broken parts immediately.
- Ask a garage door technician for necessary repairs and installations.
In addition to these steps, you should also make sure that there aren’t any dangerous items around your garage. Garages tend to serve also as storages for different toxic products such us fuels, pain products, pesticides and more. As a parent, you should make sure that all the containers of these products are properly sealed and stored in a place that your kids cannot reach.
Light Up the Garage
Most people often neglect the lighting of their garage. Since you might just need to park the car, why bother lighting it up? But, that’s not the case if you already have a child.
There is a high chance that kids might play around the garage even without lights. You don’t want to make it to a point where they did not see a closing garage door because of bad lighting.
Moreover, people now use their garage as a working space or an entertainment area. So, if your kids love hanging out in the garage, you need to make sure that there is enough light to monitor them and prevent garage door injuries.
Tighten Some Bolts
In time, garage doors tend to have loose bolts. As a parent, it is your responsibility to check on the fasteners from time to time and pay attention all bolts and screw are tightened sufficiently. In that way, you can prevent the garage door from moving out of the track. It could become a falling hazard if ignored.
You should note that some of these steps require the work of a professional technician. Therefore, if you have seen any sings of failure, don’t hesitate to contact a garage door repair service for assistance. Make sure to have your garage equipped with high quality materials that will last you many years.