7 Safety Tips around Your Garage Door

7 Safety Tips around Your Garage Door

Many people don’t give enough attention to garage door safety, but 20,000 to 30,000 injuries take place each year because of them. That should highlight the need for some awareness around safety. The garage door ranks as one of the most dangerous parts of the home. Some of the most common injuries include fingers or body parts getting caught under the door, the door getting lowered onto someone and injuries to those who repair the door. Let’s have a look at some garage door safety tips that can save you from an injury.

Tip #1: Never Let Kids Hang onto the Garage Door

In particular, many of the injuries occur with children, and you should never let a child hang onto the garage door because of how this can hurt them or damage the door. You can bet that they will feel tempted to do this. In fact, don’t let a child play around an operating garage door whatsoever, and don’t let them play with the controls either. The consequences aren’t worth it.

Tip #2: Conduct a Monthly Inspection

For a lot of people, they may not even think of this with their garage door, but one of the best ways to improve garage door safety comes from inspecting the door once a month. Look for signs of wear and tear. In this way, you can fix the problem before it has the opportunity to fully materialize into an injury. Look at the pulleys, the springs, the cables and the rollers to ensure everything remains in working condition and won’t malfunction.

Any damage to the cables, springs, rollers or pulleys shouldn’t be repaired via the do-it-yourself method because of how this requires the careful attention of a specialist to prevent injuries. These parts have been wound tightly, and they have a lot of tension behind them. Should one of the components break, it could cause serious injury to anyone in the vicinity. You must have an expert because they know how to do this safely.

Tip #3: Take the Garage Door Opener with You

One of the most common ways that criminals have broken into homes comes from them stealing the garage door opener. Once they have the opener, they don’t have to come in through the front door because they can use the garage door opener to enter through the garage. Because of its size, you can store this in a backpack, a purse or a pocket and lower the chances that it will get stolen.

Tip #4: Educate Your Family

Especially small children need an education not to play around a garage door in operation. Remind your children not to keep their hands or fingers near a garage door that is closing. In addition, they shouldn’t have loose clothing near it because this can have equally devastating consequences. You want your children to understand how the garage door is not a toy, and they shouldn’t run, play near or stand close to a garage door that is moving. A little awareness around this issue can go a long way to protecting your family.

Tip #5: Beware of the Garage Door’s Age

Garage doors over the age of 25 years old can start to endanger those who use it because of how the wear and tear can cause them to malfunction. If you have a garage door over 25 years old, you may want to contact Pros Garage Door in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. They can inspect the components and bring your garage door up to date.

Tip #6: Never Depend on the Sensors

Even if your garage door has sensors on it that prevent it from closing if someone is underneath it, you should never rely on this. Technology can malfunction. Most modern garage doors will have a black box located closer to the bottom of the garage door. When the sensors don’t align properly, the garage door won’t operate.

Still, cases have happened where the sensors malfunctioned and the door closed on someone who thought they were safe. Every month or so, you may even want to inspect the sensors. You might clean the lenses with a soft cloth because dirt and spiderwebs can build up on them. This keeps the eyes from malfunctioning. If you believe that the sensors aren’t working, call a professional get the sensors because to work.

Tip #7: Prepare for Emergencies

Let’s say something happens and someone gets caught under the garage. How do you respond to this situation? You should learn the emergency release feature of your garage. It will usually be found in the owner’s manual of your product. People should always know this because of how you never know if someone would get injured by the door. The faster you can respond, the better their chances of survival and non-permanent injury. Understanding where the emergency release is at will keep you and your family safe.

Garage Door Safety

One of the greatest safety measures that you can take for a garage door is to make sure that you have photo-eye sensors, and check periodically to make sure that they work. Many times, the injuries that come from garage door can be serious because people get crushed by them. Never let a child play games during an operating garage door, and don’t let them dash underneath an operating garage door. This poses a great danger to your child.

7 Reasons to Replace your old Garage Door Opener

7 Reasons to Replace your old Garage Door Opener

Having an automatic garage door has become a modern perk of living as a homeowner. Having a new garage door opener comes with benefits. Think of it as an investment because garage doors have an awesome ROI of 97.5 percent.

Putting money into your garage door always comes back to you. Let’s have a look at the reasons that someone would want to replace an old garage door opener.

#1 Better Security

New garage door opener use the latest security technologies. Technology like this didn’t exist in the past. Nowadays, you can open and close your garage door from 300 miles away or more. As long as you have an internet connection, you can send the command. That comes in handy if you have a family member who locked themselves out.

Using the newer technology, you can add a fingerprint feature where the garage door scans your fingerprint to open and close the door. No one on the planet has the same fingerprint, which makes it much harder for criminals to bypass.

#2: Drop the Noise Levels

The older garage door openers was clunky and made tons of noise. You will feel inconvenienced by the noise, but it can also vibrate and rattle, which shakes your garage door components to pieces.

In some cases, the noise may come from a lack of lubrication of the components, but in other cases, no amount of lubrication will eliminate the noise because it directly relates to the age of the door.

Newer models like belt drives operate at much lower sound frequencies for the optimal experience. You don’t have to worry about coming home late from a late shift and waking the family.

#3: Improved Safety

Over 30,000 people suffer injuries because of garage doors every year. Unfortunately, accidents from garage doors come with no forgiveness, and it often leads to drastic consequences. Some of the most common injuries include:

  • Broken bones
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries

A large portion of those injured will be small children who want to play around the garage door. They don’t understand the dangers. To make matters worse, you have movies like Indiana Jones, which makes it look cool to slip under the door before it closes. That can have drastic consequences. You must educate your child never to play near or around a garage door.

#4: More Features Than Ever Before

You may ask yourself, “Why does a garage door need internet?” That’s a perfectly logical question to ask, but as we highlighted before, the internet enables you to open and close the new garage door opener from anywhere.

New features let you monitor the status and notify you if the door opens for suspicious reasons. Some of the best garage door opener features include:

The new features of today far surpass the ones of yesterday with the garage door opener. If you’re still using an older garage door opener, it could be worth investing in the newer one, which has better convenience and security.

#5: Less Need for Maintenance

Like with old cars, they start to require ongoing maintenance to keep them up and running. You may find that your garage door has constant problems.

The other thing is that, sooner or later, you may have to buy a new garage door opener anyhow. You may be avoiding the inevitable and paying more for it in the process.

To figure out if it is worth the cost of replacing, look at the age and need of repair. Most garage door openers will last between 10 to 15 years. At that point, it may be worth the cost of between $150 and $300 to replace your garage door opener.

Garage Door Opener Maintenance

#6: Solves the Power Outage Issues

When the power goes out, an older garage door opener stops opening and closing. New Garage door openers nowadays have a backup battery that you can use to keep you from having to manually open and close your garage door.

Especially if you live in an area where power surges happen frequently, you may find it worth the investment.

#7: Eliminates the Extra Device

New openers don’t require the extra opener device because you can install an app that lets you open and close your garage door from the smartphone. A lot of people love the convenience of it.

At the same time, it drops a serious security issue that someone could come in and steal the remote, which could leave you in hurting shape. You can add a timer-to-close function on the door to close the door on a timer.

Especially if you have an older opener, you may be missing out on essential convenience and security features that will improve your experience. If you’d like to learn more, contact Garage Door Star.

Investment in a New Garage Door Opener

We have a team of experienced representatives ready to help. Old garage door openers don’t fail often without plenty of warning. If you have started to notice signs of it not working as well, you may find it worth the cost.

Garage door openers don’t do the lifting. Instead, they move the door, and the springs do the heavy lifting of the garage door. A properly working door is essential to keeping things running smoothly in the home.

The Dangers of a Broken Garage Door Spring

The Dangers of a Broken Garage Door Spring

Important for getting in and out of the garage, the garage door spring also serves a key role in safety. Garage doors weigh anywhere from 130 to 400 pounds. If you happen to be in the wrong place at the incorrect time, a garage door spring breaking can cause serious injury.

Because the springs have to lift anywhere from 130 to 400 pounds, they have tons of pressure behind them. A garage door spring snapping can maim or kill. Never work on extension springs your self because it requires the experience of a knowledgeable technician.

How Long Does a Garage Door Last?

Most garage door experts like the ones at Garage Door Star agree that the springs will last roughly 10,000 cycles or seven years. That seems at average use, which means you open and close your garage door four times per day.

This daily winding up and unwinding can eventually lead to the spring breaking when you don’t have a technician to replace it beforehand.

Why Do Garage Door Springs Break?

Garage door springs break because of wear and tear. Over time, rust may start to form as humidity exposes the metal springs to moisture. Galvanized springs don’t experience the identical danger of rusting as other springs because of a protective layer.

The risk of a deadly failure will increase as the extension springs wear out with time.

Most Common Injuries from a Broken Spring

You have a few common injuries with broken extension springs that include:

  • Broken wrists
  • Broken fingers
  • Head accidents
  • Lacerations

Don’t underestimate the dangers because a broken garage door spring can kill. Now that garage doors use torsion springs, you don’t hear as much about people dying because of them. Manufacturers made torsion springs with a central metal shaft around them.

That doesn’t mean they come without risk as a result of someone inexperienced with garage doors should still never work with the springs.

Signs of a Broken Garage Door Spring

You have a few signs that the garage door spring has broken. Look for a 2-inch gap on the spring, which indicates that a break occurred. Other signs can point to a broken garage door as well, such as the door closing with larger force, the door not opening or closing, the door appearing crooked as it closes or the door opening only a few inches before it closes.

Better Than the Cure: Prevention

Yearly inspection and maintenance go a long way to keeping your garage door springs in good condition. They become most harmful when near the end of their lifespan. Apply lubrication to springs that make noise. Lubrication prevents rust from forming on the springs.

Understand: The heavier the door, the more pressure on the spring. That makes it more dangerous.

What Happen if a Spring Broke?

A garage door with a broken spring should have the door left closed. If the door stays in the open position, only close it if you can safely do so. Use the click from afar to close the door. Unplug the garage door opener from the wall to ensure that no one accidentally opens it. Otherwise, call in a technician to do it. Don’t risk injury.

You may think of breaking a finger as minor, but don’t underestimate the damage. We know of someone who worked on a garage door spring. It snapped and broke his thumb.

The thing is, it did more than break his thumb. The spring caused permanent nerve damage so that he could never use that hand again. On top of that, when the spring broke, it ricocheted and smashed him in the face.

The energy behind the spring caused a large laceration. Don’t underestimate a broken garage door spring. Even torsion springs pose a danger.

Torsion spring has broken

Many Stories of Injury

Unfortunately, you have many stories of broken garage door springs that injured someone. Only after they suffered an injury did they call us. We hope that it doesn’t require broken garage door spring before you call.

Our experts have the tools and understanding to work on extension springs safely. Luckily, you don’t have to replace garage door springs often. Having a technician replace a garage door spring costs anywhere from $100 to $300, but you will feel grateful that you didn’t risk an injury.

Where to Find the Springs on Your Garage Door

The location of the garage door springs vary. Torsion springs, usually much larger, will sit above the garage door. Extension springs are usually between 2 to 4 feet in length. You can see them above the tracks, but many of the newer models use a torsion spring because broken garage door spring from a torsion spring don’t pose the same danger.

Not only does it improve safety, but they last more and are sturdier. Still, call the experts even with a torsion spring.

The new garage door includes safety cables on the springs to hold it in place. In the past, garage door springs could break with such momentum that they would smash through a wall and injure the person in the next room.

If a spring on the garage door has broken, do not open the door. You increase the pressure on the working springs and have a high risk of it breaking. Call Garage Door Star for assistance with a broken garage door spring.

Garage door springs deal with probably the most pressure as the door closes. Because of this, they often break with the door closed.

The Difference Between Chain Drive vs. Belt Drive Opener

The Difference Between Chain Drive vs. Belt Drive Opener

Garage doors open and close using two types of garage door openers: chain drive and belt drive openers. In truth, you see this type of mechanism used in a variety of machines, such as motorcycles, bikes and cars.

Chain drives have more widespread application than belt drives and each comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. We will look at each to help you decide which one to install with your garage door.

Durability: Which One Wins?

Belt drives don’t last as long as chain drives, but they still do a fair job at lasting. Chain drives have the advantage because they’re made of metal. You can repair and depend on chain drives better than you can with belt drive openers.

In most cases, a chain drive opener will have two gears. Belt drive openers don’t operate as effectively in wet environments. Like with chain drives, belt drives can last for years, but you should replace them when you notice that they have become cracked or frayed.

Unlike chain drives, belt drive openers don’t rust, but the chain drive still wins in the durability department because it lasts longer and can handle more stress.

Noise Factor: Chain Drive vs. Belt Drive Opener

Chain drives put out a lot more noise than belt drives. Many homeowners choose the belt drive opener because it operates more quietly and smoothly. The only noise heard from a belt drive opener comes from its engine. You don’t get the noise, vibration or harshness with a belt drive.

Most of the noise from a chain drive comes from the chain engaging the sprocket. With a metal chain and a metal sprocket, the chain drive opener emits more noise as it begins its motion.

Efficiency: Who Wins?

You get much greater power from a chain drive opener. With chain drives, the transmission efficiency puts out 98 percent. With a V-belt, you get a transmission efficiency at between 95 to 98 percent at peak. As they begin to wear out, the efficiency drops to 93 percent.

Why does this matter with a garage door? Efficiency means that the garage door opens faster. Because we live in a fast-paced world, most people don’t want to wait too long for a garage door to open. You receive better performance with chain drive openers while they don’t cost as much as belt drives.

Replacement: Which One is Easier?

For the most part, you won’t have a problem with either one with replacement. The cost to replace belt drive opener will average anywhere from $170 to $350 with professional installment like the ones at Garage Door Star in Cherry Hill, NJ. Because it has the potential to cause serious injury or death, you shouldn’t work on the garage door yourself.

Still, belt drive opener will often cost a little more to replace than chain drive opener. You will pay anywhere from $150 to $300 to replace a chain drive opener.

Maintenance: Belt Drive vs Chain Drive

Belt drive opener don’t require much maintenance. Inspect the belt for frays and cracks. Dust off the dirt and debris from it and remove any buildup of foreign materials. Finally, you will check the tension on the belt. You can usually spot signs of wear and tear on a belt drive much easier than a chain drive.

Chain drive, in comparison, requires that you oil it every six months. We’d advise you to use white grease on the chain. You should check the chain for tightness because they loosen over time. To avoid injuries, a professional does this best as tightening a chain drive can take a few hours, and there’s always a risk when working on a garage door if you don’t know what you’re doing.

People have died from messing with the high-pressured spring. Hiring a professional also ensures that it gets done properly because doing this incorrectly can cause damage to the door. Belt drive opener win in the maintenance department.

Smoothness

Belt drives run far more smoothly than a chain drive. Chain drives will sometimes open and close in a jerky manner. The smoothness of the door opening and closing looks better, and it increases your safety. Imagine a child that runs underneath a jerky garage door. This increases the danger.

Because chain drives require grease to operate more smoothly, when the garage door starts to operate in a jerky fashion, this can signal that you have to grease the chain. The rollers wearing out can be another cause of a jerky garage door. If all else fails, call in a professional.

Heavier Garage Door? Here’s What You Need….

You can use a belt drive opener on a heavier garage door, but it might struggle to open the door. The stress on the belt could cause it to snap. Chain drives, on the other hand, don’t experience trouble with heavier garage doors, and using one on a bigger door increases your safety too.

Hopefully, this outlines the differences between the two types of garage door openers. Understanding the differences between the two can help you to decide which one will work best. A lot of people prefer the chain drive opener because it has more advantages.

However, for those who want a quieter garage door with a smoother operation, belt drive openers offer a superior experience. They do tend to cost more than chain drives doe maintenance and even the cost of having one installed. For a lot of people, the chain drive will be enough.

Call Now ButtonCall Now