Ensuring Garage Door Safety in Etobicoke – People really like garage doors since they’re very handy and save a lot of time!
Because of this, many households have opted to install an indoor garage with either a manual or an automated opener.
However, despite the advantages that garage doors grant to household owners, it remains one of the most dangerous parts of a house.
Over the years, garage doors have permanently injured, or worse, killed, children.
Thus, homeowners need to stay extra vigilant regarding child safety in the garage.
Below are 10 things that should be done to childproof a garage door.
Let the professionals handle everything
Often, homeowners tend to opt for do-it-yourself fixes to save some cash because they think calling for an expert will only incur unnecessary costs when they think they can fix issues themselves.
DIY fixes are very dangerous because they pose hazards that would most likely worsen the garage door’s state.
When the garage door is not in its best shape, accidents resulting in injuries occur more often.
To prevent accidents, it is always safer to call for a licensed garage door contractor when it comes to installing, fixes, and replacements.
Childproofing a Garage Door by teaching your child
It is always easier to stay out of danger than to get out of danger.
Children are curious creatures who like to explore everything everywhere, so it is essential to teach them early on about the dangers they could face.
Always educate children in the household about how garage doors could hurt them and teach them that the garage is not a place to play in.
Keep toys away and out of the garage
Besides teaching children to stay away from the garage, keep any toys away from the house.
Placing toys in a different place will make children less tempted to stay and play in the garage as they will be busy playing with their toys in an area that is a safe distance from the garage.
Try to place toys in the backyard, living room, or a toy room instead.
Get a Dutch door
Install a Dutch door between your garage and house.
A dutch door has top and bottom sections that can be opened separately.
This door is useful for getting things like groceries, food, water, tools, and other objects to get passed through the door’s top section while the bottom part remains closed and locked.
Having this door will prevent children from sneaking into the garage while the adults are busy.
Secure any gaps
Gaps around the garage door will tempt any children to insert anything in there, which includes their fingers.
This is very dangerous because the children could get injured when no one is watching.
Make sure to install rubber seals to secure any gaps around the garage door.
Place the wall-mounted garage door opener out of reach.
Children often like to play with any buttons they see, and the garage door opener could be one of the buttons they mess with.
Place the button higher than children can reach while tip-toeing with an outstretched arm.
Doing this will prevent any opening and closing garage door accidents that could occur when children play with controls.
Childproofing a Garage Door – Lock the garage door
Although a garage door is heavy, children, especially when they work together, can lift it open.
When the garage door is unlocked like so, it can cause opening and closing accidents.
When the garage door is closed, make sure to lock it and hide the key away so that it remains closed even when a child attempts to open it.
Get an opener with a child-safety feature
When children explore, they like to figure out how things work, and they could try to experiment with the garage door.
To prevent any attempts, get an opener with a child-safety lock that requires a code for the opener to activate itself.
Frequently check your garage door safety features
Garage doors manufactured after 1993 have built-in safety features that prevent any crushing accidents that could happen with the heavy door.
To prevent the worst-case scenario, if the child is already underneath a closing garage door, make sure the safety features are always functional.
Frequently check the infrared sensors, auto-reverse, and manual control of the garage door system.
Get scheduled tune-ups
When a garage door is not in its best shape, the whole system could malfunction,
where a small issue could have a domino effect and result in more significant problems.
To prevent this, regular tune-ups must be done to make sure that the garage door is always in tip-top form.
For professional installments, repairs, tune-ups, and garage door replacements in Etobicoke, Mississauga, Markham, Newmarket, and Toronto, garage door repair companies are always available.
