3 Tips For Avoiding Injuries With Garage Doors

Garage doors are extremely heavy, and if they pop off their tracks they can be unpredictable. One of the best things that you can do for your family is to be proactive about maintaining your garage door to head off any potential injuries. With just a few simple steps you can make sure that your door is in good working order.

Look at the Door and the Tracks

Make it a habit to go out and look at the door regularly. Raise and lower the door a couple of times so that you can pay attention to each piece. What you want to look for is anything that is off track or that is moving in a way that does not look normal. Listen also for unusual sounds that you haven't heard before from the door and the opener. As you make this a habit, you'll start to notice any changes very quickly, which can allow you to get the door fixed before it becomes a hazard to anyone.

Oil the Gears Regularly

Every few months, add some lubrication to the track and the pulleys. These moving parts need oil in order to move freely, and that oil must be replenished. Without any lubrication, gear systems wear on each other and cause microscopic damage. Eventually, smaller parts can fail, causing the door to not function properly. Once your door is properly lubricated, you'll likely notice that it makes less noise when you're raising and lowering it, so that's another good reason to keep it in good condition.

Test the Reverse Function

The reverse function is one of the most important components of your motorized garage door opening system. This is the feature that detects when someone or something is in the garage doorway and automatically raises the garage door before it comes down too far and hurts someone severely. To test this function, place an inanimate object in the path of the door. Press the button to close the door and watch carefully to see that the opener responds by raising the door to its fully open state. If the opener does not respond by immediately stopping its downward action, the entire system need maintenance right away.

If you need help with garage door repair, call a professional from a business like Doors Unlimited. They can help you to make sure that no one gets hurt while your garage door is in operation.