Top 10 Garage Door Safety Tips Every Homeowner Should Know

The garage door remote controls should be kept out of reach of small children. Whether wall-mounted or handheld remotes, storing them high up or safely tucked away when not in use will prevent kids from playing with the remotes.

Supervise young children near operating garage doors and instruct them to keep hands and fingers away from pinch points. Make sure they do not run through the path of moving doors. Do not let children play with or hang off the garage door or automatic opener. Teach teens safe operating procedures too.

You must routinely inspect, test and maintain all aspects of your garage door system to keep it working safely. Provide sufficient lighting inside and outside the garage to thoroughly examine components.

Here are key maintenance tips:

• Inspect cables, pulleys, brackets and springs monthly. Replace worn parts immediately.
• Check for loose, broken or missing hardware every six months.
• Test auto-reverse mechanisms monthly using approved methods. The door should reverse on contact with objects or when closing forces exceed prescribed limits.
• Twice a year, clear cobwebs, dust and debris. Wipe down door, tracks, sensors and opener.
• Lubricate all moving components at least once a year.
• Have professional technicians conduct in-depth inspection and tune-ups periodically.

Automatic garage door openers are required by law to integrate safety sensors that trigger door reversal if objects are obstructing closure. However, even these sensors have limitations in the zones they cover. Therefore, correctly installing and positioning sensors is crucial.

Place sensors about 6 inches above the floor, one on either side of the garage entrance. Sensors must align precisely with each other across the doorway without obstructions between them. Check for blinking indicator lights and realign sensors if they go out of sync. Never disable safety sensors.

For extra protection, additionally install commercial safety sensors or photocells higher up. Some products provide better protection zones than basic sensors. However, always use safety features properly, never rely solely on them.

Automatic garage door openers have auto-reverse mechanisms mandated by safety regulations to prevent people or items getting trapped and injured. When closing forces exceed prescribed limits, the opener should automatically trigger and reverse door direction a few inches upon contact.

To validate auto-reverse works properly every month:

1. Open door fully. Place a 1.5 inch thick solid object (or 2x4 laid flat) on the floor where the door closes.
2. Push wall-mount button or remote to close door. When the door contacts the object, it should stop, reverse and reopen at least 2 feet up.
3. Repeat on other side with safety sensors disabled or blocked. The door must still reverse open.

If the test fails, get the opener serviced immediately and operate door manually until fixed. Do not disable or remove foam tubes covering opener tracks.