Your garage door serves many purposes that some signs of wear should not be ignored. Aside from keeping your car safe, it also serves as a storage space. Old, worn garage doors can pose a potential danger. Every year, thousands of people are injured because of not giving importance to getting a garage door repaired or replaced. You can avoid costly mistakes by following these tips:
1.Test the safety sensors
Garage doors are equipped with a safety sensor. This feature has been first introduced in the early ’90s. The door reverses if it touches anything. This is the primary function of a safety sensor. It is designed to prevent injury if an individual or animal walks under the door. The sensor prevents the door from going down.
This safety feature must be frequently checked to ensure that it is still working properly. While garage doors can serve you for decades, the lack of maintenance may shorten its life span. Your garage door, when used too often will require repairs over time. It is important to know when safety sensors are no longer working.
When testing your safety sensor, you need to open your garage door. Put a soft object in the middle and try closing your garage door. If the door touches the object you placed, it should stop there and go back up. You will know that the sensors are no longer working as they should if they do not do anything after you place the object. You should call a garage door repair professional to get your sensors repaired. Your entire family should also be aware of the problem. When closing the door, make sure that nothing gets in the way.
2. Avoid sharing entry passwords
Modern garage doors come with entry passwords. It works when you have a keypad, which is intended for opening your garage door. This is a safe and secure feature as you can use it in case of an emergency. If you or your family members forget the house key, you can still get safely inside when you have entry passwords. However, passwords must be treated with confidentiality.
You should not share it with anyone else except with people who are living in your home. Entry passwords become less effective when more people know about it. If you have kids, teach them not to share the passcode with anyone. Be sure that they understand that the parent should be the one to decide who knows the passcode.
3. Teach and show kids garage safety
Once your kids are old enough, you should also teach them how to safely and properly operate a garage door. Garage safety will prevent them from getting hurt. You should teach them the basics. Telling them that a garage door is not a toy can go a long way. You should also remind them to avoid standing in the way when closing the garage door.
They should close the garage door if there is no one outside. They should also not share the password with anyone including their friends. These lessons on safety will serve as a good starting point to create a program that will teach children the proper way of using a garage door.
4. Read the manual
A garage door comes with a manual that will teach you how to properly use its various features and functions. The manual will be your source of information should you want to know anything related to your garage door. If you want to fix minor garage door issues, the book will serve as your great source for learning the repair techniques. However, it is still necessary to hire a professional in repairing your garage door. You can be sure that the problem will be fixed correctly when you entrust the problem to a garage door repair Southlake professional.
5. Never leave garage doors partially open
Have you ever noticed some homes leave their garage door slightly open? This technique allows the rest of your home to become cooler. Some homeowners who have pets also do this to allow their furry friends to get back inside. However, leaving your garage door slightly open is not the best practice to follow because it poses a threat, putting your safety at risk.
Wild animals may easily slip into your garage to search for shelter or food. These animals can cause serious damage to your garage and to your personal belongings. Even a burglar will deem a garage door that is partially open to be an opportunity to get inside your home and steal your most-price possessions.
