HOW SAFE IS YOUR GARAGE DOOR?

The garage door is typically the largest moving object in a home; and because of its size and weight, it must be operated with caution. While many homeowners are aware of the potential hazards related to automatic door openers, other components of a garage door also present potential risks.

Many standard overhead garage door parts can be dangerous if damaged, improperly installed or otherwise not in proper functioning order. To help ensure the safe use of their garage doors and avoid injury, homeowners should be familiar with the basic door components and know how they should be maintained.

Mounting Tracks and Hardware. While the rollers and cables help with door operation, if the tracks are not positioned properly and firmly attached to the structure, there is risk of the door coming off the track and falling from an overhead position. Rollers should be well lubricated and free-moving and the track should not be bent or distorted in any way. Friction marks are a sign of binding, which increases the possibility the door could get hung up. If substantial damage exists, the door should not be operated until repaired.

Corner Brackets. The corner brackets are the two brackets that are attached to the lower corners of the door. The cables that lift the garage door are typically attached to these brackets. Since these cables are under high tension, the brackets could disconnect and fly off in a potentially dangerous manner if loose or damaged.

Springs. Garage doors are typically balanced either by torsion springs or extension springs. A garage door that does not go up and down smoothly when manually operated probably has a defective or unbalanced spring system. Eventually, all springs will wear out and break. Any cables that are corroded, frayed or have loose strands may be in danger of breaking. Due to the high tension in the cables, any repairs or adjustments to springs should only be made by a qualified service company.

For safety, the extension springs can either be enclosed in a metal tube or a safety cable can be installed inside the extension spring. Either method can help contain the spring and prevent injury. Many areas now require these safety cables or spring enclosures on new installations.

Lift Handles and Pull Ropes. A lift handle or rope is typically attached to the garage door allowing manual door operation. If an automatic opener is attached to the door, lift handles or pull ropes that could easily snag on someone or something should be removed.

Panel Section Joints. As a safety precaution, never attempt to operate the door by placing fingers in the joint between sections. Many people have been injured attempting to close a door by placing their fingers in an open joint and pulling down on the door, thus pinching their fingertips. Some garage doors are now being equipped with finger-protecting joints covers.

Entrapment Protection. Residential garage door openers manufactured since the early 1990s should either have an external entrapment protection device, such as an “electric eye” which “sees” an object obstructing a door without actual contact with the object, or a door-edge sensor. The door-edge sensor acts much like the door edge sensor on elevator doors and reverses the door upward if it contacts an object.

A contact control is also needed to monitor the door for full closure. If it doesn’t close in a set time, it should reopen. Another option is a wall-mounted control that requires full hands-on operation while the door closes.

These safety features should be checked periodically following the door and opener manufacturer’s guidelines. Older automatic garage door openers without these modern safety features should be retrofitted or replaced for safety reasons.

Note: These tips are only general guidelines. Since each situation is different, contact a professional if you have questions about a specific issue. More home safety and maintenance information is available online at www.housemaster.com. To schedule a HOUSEMASTER HOME INSPECTION please call 770.998.6700.  John Bosonetto is a certified ASHI,FHA/HUD INSPECTOR with over 20 years of inspection experience.