Garage doors are very safe and while accidents are relatively rare, the accidents that do occur are generally the result of improper installation and improper inspection and maintenance of the garage door. The installation and maintenance of garage doors should always be performed by a licensed and insured garage door contractor.
Often safety issues can occur if the door is not properly installed. Common installation issues occur when framing that holds the door track is not properly secured to the structure of the home. Other installation issues include improper tension on torsion or extension springs, which assist in opening of the door, as well as holding it open.
The lack of inspections and routine garage door maintenance leads to many garage door safety issues. Once of the most common issues is related to a garage door opener not being able to reverse the closing process, if an obstacle gets in the way while the door is closing. Typically, these obstacles could be either a child or a pet, which could be crushed by the door while it is closing. Older openers do not have this reverse feature, but new openers are required by law to have this feature.
As a part of any maintenance inspection, the proper operation of this feature must be verified. Other safety issues occur when untrained homeowners attempt to perform maintenance on items without the proper training and tools. It is important to keep in mind that significant personal injury or death is possible if a 300-pound garage door is not installed and maintained properly.
Posted on behalf of Legacy Garage Doors
