6 min read
Your garage door is likely the heaviest moving object in your home, weighing anywhere from 150 to 400 pounds or more. While modern garage doors have numerous safety features, they can still cause serious injuries if not properly maintained or used correctly. Here's what every homeowner needs to know about garage door safety.
Each year, approximately 30,000 people are injured by garage doors in the United States, with about 2,000 of those requiring hospital treatment. Most injuries involve:
- Crushing injuries: From doors closing on body parts - Entanglement: Clothing, hair, or fingers caught in moving parts - Falls: From standing on or under moving doors - Spring failures: High-tension springs releasing unexpectedly - Carbon monoxide: From running vehicles in enclosed garages
The good news? Most garage door injuries are preventable with proper awareness and maintenance.
Since 1993, all garage door openers sold in the US must have auto-reverse functionality. This causes the door to reverse direction when it contacts an obstacle.
Testing your auto-reverse: 1. Place a 2x4 flat on the ground in the door's path 2. Close the door using the opener 3. When the door contacts the wood, it should immediately reverse 4. If it doesn't reverse, stop using the opener and call a professional
These sensors, located near the floor on either side of the door, project an invisible beam. If anything breaks this beam while the door is closing, the door reverses.
Testing your sensors: 1. Start closing the door with the opener 2. Wave an object (like a broom) through the sensor beam 3. The door should immediately reverse 4. If not, check sensor alignment or call for service
In case of power failure or opener malfunction, a red emergency release handle allows manual operation. Make sure everyone in your household knows how to use it.
1. Visual inspection: Look for frayed cables, worn rollers, or damaged springs 2. Balance test: Disconnect the opener and lift the door halfway.it should stay in place 3. Reverse test: Test auto-reverse with a 2x4 as described above 4. Sensor test: Ensure photoelectric sensors work properly 5. Listen: Note any new or unusual sounds
A yearly inspection by a qualified technician should include: - Complete spring system inspection, Cable and hardware examination, Opener safety system testing, Lubrication of all moving parts, Track alignment verification, Weather seal inspection
Some garage door repairs should never be attempted by homeowners:
Garage door springs are under extreme tension. Torsion springs can store enough energy to cause severe injury or death if they release unexpectedly. Always hire a professional.
Like springs, cables are under tension and can cause injury. The cables and springs work together, so if one fails, both should be inspected.
Improperly adjusted tracks can cause the door to bind or fall off track, potentially causing injury or property damage.
If you ever warm up your car in the garage, even with the door open, you're putting your family at risk. Carbon monoxide can seep into your home through shared walls and doors.
Safe practices: - Never run a vehicle in an enclosed garage, If you must start your car in the garage, immediately back it out, Install CO detectors near the garage entrance to living areas, Consider ventilation improvements if you use the garage as a workshop
1. Try the wall switch.if that doesn't work, it's likely the opener 2. Use the emergency release to operate manually 3. If the door still won't open, call for emergency service
1. Do not try to operate the door 2. Keep everyone away from the area 3. Call for professional repair immediately 4. A door off track can fall unexpectedly
If you hear a loud bang and your door won't lift (or is very heavy), a spring has likely broken. 1. Do not try to operate the door 2. The door may work with the opener but is extremely heavy to lift manually 3. Call for repair.spring replacement is not a DIY job
If your garage door opener was made before 1993, it may lack modern safety features. Consider upgrading if: - Your opener doesn't have auto-reverse, There are no photoelectric sensors, The opener is more than 15-20 years old, Safety tests fail repeatedly
Modern openers offer enhanced safety, plus convenience features like smart home integration and battery backup.
When someone new moves into your home (roommates, elderly parents, teens), take time to review: - How to operate the door safely, Location and use of the emergency release, What to do if the door malfunctions, Why they should never try to race or catch the door
At Garage Door Bell, safety is our top priority. Every installation and repair includes: - Complete safety system testing, Homeowner education on safe operation, Documentation of safety feature functionality, Recommendations for any needed safety upgrades
If you have concerns about your garage door's safety, or if it's been more than a year since your last professional inspection, call us at (213) 724-2982. We offer free safety inspections for all homes in Bell and surrounding communities.
Your family's safety is worth a phone call.