Common Garage Door Mistakes, Accidents and Safety Tips
Garage door repair. It’s something that none of us really want to ever have to think about. It’s not something you look forward to or enjoy spending your money on. So doesn’t it make sense to try and avoid the need for it or at least greatly minimize the extent of the repair work you require?! We offer garage door repair to property owners all over Loveland, so it’s not like we don’t appreciate the work, but serious repair should be a last resort.
Our garage door repair team has outlined common garage door accidents and common mistakes that could damage your garage door so severely that it needs replacement. The first step to correcting a problem is being aware of it - isn’t that what they say?
These Bad Habits Could Lead to You Needing Garage Door Repair
We all get busy and maybe don’t do everything around the house that we should. If you’ve noticed that you have more garage door trouble than you think is normal, it could be because of one of the following bad habits.
Trying to Fix Problems Yourself
You might have some sort of minor problem with your garage door like a bit of rust. Or it could be something more serious like broken garage door springs. Whatever it is, if you don’t have experience doing this sort of work, trying to fix these issues yourself could lead to much bigger problems further down the line. You might follow a tutorial that was posted online, but the fix that you carry out may not actually remedy the initial problem, it may make it worse. And then if you continue to use your garage door in the meantime, you could end up doing some more serious damage that requires costly garage door repair.
Not Replacing Parts that are Worn
Everything in your home has a usable lifespan. The moving parts on your garage door are exposed to the stresses and strains that daily use puts on them, and eventually their condition will deteriorate to such an extent that they’re no longer fit for purpose.
It’s usually quite easy to tell when this has happened with a garage door, even if you know nothing about how they operate. When parts are worn, you’ll usually start to hear strange noises, as well as some shuddering or shaking.
If you don’t get these parts replaced, your garage door will become harder and harder to open and close. To the point whereby it may actually become dangerous to operate it. Playing ignorant to these clear signs that something is wrong is a dangerous game.
Not Regularly Inspecting Your Garage Door
You have regular checkups each year at the doctor and dentist. Or at least you should do. Your garage door is no different. This follows on from the last point. We obviously mentioned that it’s normal for the components of your garage door system to become worn over time. The best possible practice is for you to identify when this happens before these parts start to negatively impact the rest of the door. That’s how you can prolong the lifespan of your door as much as possible.
You may not know what you’re looking for. I get that – not everyone is a garage door repair technician. So schedule a checkup with a garage door professional. And have them walk you through it and give you some pointers, so in the future, you can monitor the condition of the door. Skipping checkups completely is a sure way to eventually ruin your door.
Not Cleaning Your Garage Door Tracks
The tracks, which are located on either side of your garage door, are absolutely vital. They need to be kept clean and free of obstructions otherwise the rollers won't be able to run up and down them to open and close your door.
In the average garage, it's actually very common for dirt, debris and small bits of grit or stone to get stuck inside these tracks. If just left there, this can accelerate the wear on the rollers, and sometimes lock them up completely.
Keeping the tracks clean is super simple too. Run a vacuum carefully up and down the entire length of the track and that should be strong enough to pull anything that’s in there, out.
Not Keeping the Moving Parts of Your Garage Door Lubricated
Every moving part of your garage door needs to be kept lubricated. Otherwise, just like an engine, they’ll eventually seize up. When these parts are not regularly lubricated, there will be a lot of friction generated when they’re called into action, and this will greatly increase the wear and tear on them. In short, you’ll be paying out a lot more frequently for garage door repair.
Any time we fit a new garage door, carry out some maintenance or fix a garage door, we’re always quick to stress the importance of not overlooking this fast, yet super important job. It will literally take you a couple of minutes and its benefits are ten-fold. Your door will last longer, it'll be easier to operate, you'll spend less money, etc etc.
You might not think it, but there are an incredible amount of injuries that are sustained as a result of broken garage doors. A 2013 report by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission stated that over 30,000 injuries are sustained as a result of accidents with garage doors each year. Most people don’t quite realize the danger that a garage door can pose. They can weigh hundreds of pounds, and if not kept in perfect working order, can become very erratic in the way that they operate.
In this section, we're going to talk about some of the main types of garage door accidents that can lead to injuries, and give some advice on how these incidents can be prevented.
The Main Types of Garage Door Accidents
It's a door. It opens and closes. What's there to be scared of? Well, when you think that there's hundreds of pounds of equipment suspended in the air when the door is open, and it's only a malfunction away from causing a potentially life-changing injury, you start to take it a bit more seriously. At least you should. Here are a number of potential garage door accidents that you should be particularly wary of.
A Falling Garage Door
If a garage door “falls” and you’re below it, the consequences can be severe. It’ll likely happen so fast that you have no time to react, and such a heavy object moving so quickly can inflict a lot of pain. And when you think that the report we mentioned earlier found that a lot of these accidents involved children, you realize that your garage door can become a huge safety risk if not properly maintained, and that needs to be taken seriously.
When a garage door just gives way like this, it’s typically because of broken garage door springs. They bear a lot of the weight when the door is being raised or lowered. They can't be used for an infinite number of these cycles though. At some point, they will break, and that's when the garage door can fall. Even if you have a garage door opener, it likely won't be able to prevent the door from falling if one of these springs snaps.
But before you start thinking that you have no other option but to simply pray that this spring doesn’t snap every time you’re in the garage, there’s a very simple solution. You just need to regularly check your garage door’s condition. Having a garage door repair and maintenance technician carefully look over all the key components of the garage door is the best way you can safeguard yourself and your family against this type of accident. That way, they will let you know when the time to change these springs has arrived, and will replace them before they break.
Broken Garage Door Windows
There could be a whole host of reasons why your garage door windows may get broken. There may have been an extreme weather event in your area, such as a hurricane or a burglar may have attempted to gain entry to the garage by breaking the glass.
Studies show that close to 1,000 Americans per year sustain cuts when attempting to clean up and deal with these broken windows.
We don’t have any groundbreaking advice that we can share here. Only that you should be extra careful when cleaning up broken glass, as it’s very easy to get cut. And you might want to leave clearing up and replacing the window to a qualified garage door repair pro. They can clear the frames of the rest of the glass shards, also well as fit the new glass. We’d also recommend that you consider having tempered glass panels installed, as these are far more resistant.
Fingers Pinched in the Garage Door
I think most of us have had a finger pinched in a door frame or a drawer at some point in our lives. It’s incredibly painful, especially just after happens. When that happens with a garage door the result can be much more severe because the door is so much heavier. Severe bruising and even broken bones are not uncommon.
Again, we’re not going to be able to provide you with any truly earth-shattering advice here as the solution is actually quite simple. This kind of accident does not typically result from neglecting garage door repair responsibilities. It results from being a bit careless. When your garage door is in motion you should make sure you’re well clear of it. And you should never lean in the doorway, with your hand wrapped around the frame, as if the torsion springs were to break, you’d have no time to react.
A Few Things You Can Do to Prevent Garage Door Injuries
To reduce the risk of anyone suffering an injury by way of the garage door, here are a few of our best tips.
- Have a garage door pro regularly check on the condition of your overhead door (especially the springs).
- Never put off garage door repair work – get it done immediately!
- Have a garage door opener installed
- Stand well clear of the door when it’s in motion
- If you have garage door windows, choose tempered glass
If you suspect that you need assistance with some sort of garage door repair in Loveland or you need further advice on maintenance practices to ensure your garage door is safe, don’t hesitate to call the professionals. We’ve been in the garage door industry for over twenty years and in that time we’ve learned quite a lot about garage door safety and maintenence. Find local providers on search directories like Angi or call our overhead door repair team today by calling 720-655-3667.