Whether your a first time home builder or are looking to replace your garage door – safety is never your first concern – but it should be. Lack of maintenance, preparation and hindsight can often lead to the unexpected with garage doors, posing a dangerous risk to you, your family members, tenants and property.
Enquire About Improving Your Garage Door's Safety
Auto-Reverse Features
Most every garage door comes with an auto-reverse system in some form or another. A detector built into the motor will recognise friction or obstruction in a roller shutter’s motion and will automatically begin retracting the door.
This system is put in place to prevent not only pressing down on and crushing both people and property caught in the way but also protects the motor, door and cable system from any further damage – preventing further cost in maintenance and replacement.
Auto-reverse systems can also be adjusted by a trained professional or technician to meet the required sensitivity of the detection system before it is triggered to enter into reverse motion.
Motion Detection System
In addition to an auto-reverse systems, infrared sensors are a common addition to the installation of garage doors. When a safety beam, located six-inches from the base of the garage door, is crossed during operation – the motor will kick into reverse, minimising risk and injury to those passing beneath closing shutters.
This technologically advanced safety measure shines brightest however when protecting property – saving cars, bikes and other valuable items from being touched, let alone damaged by the 200kg metal door you’re about to install.
We recommend these often overlooked features so that we can ensure you that your garage door is never the cause for an insurance claim or replacement of your or anyone else’s property.
Manual Operation
In case of power outage or damage to the motor, every automatic garage door comes fitted with the option to manually override its motorised function. An easily accessible handle should come with every garage door and with it, the ability to open it by hand and not remote. Simply pull the handle and raise the door, confirming its operation and working condition.
This feature, required by law, prevents entrapment and complete obstruction for those seeking to exit through the car port. We recommend that either during installation or soon afterward, that you familiarise yourself with this feature in case of a future emergency when you might not have the opportunity to do so.
Regular Maintenance & Checks
We use our garage doors just about every day and in doing so, over time, expose it to gradual wear and damage. Taking time for regular maintenance and safety checks of your garage door can not only prevent disaster but also help extended the life-expectancy of both your motor and your garage door.
Here’s what you can do:
Test Your Auto-Reverse & Motion Detector Systems
Auto-Reverse Systems:
As a mechanical function, Auto-reverse systems can often get worn out over time from extended use so we recommend periodically checking how much force is required to activate the auto-reverse function.
This can be as simple as closing your garage door and taking a moment to stand beside it, holding up the door and assessing what amount of obstructing force is required to activate this essential safety feature. Even if you’ve only just installed your new motor and garage door, we recommend you give this practice a try to familiarise yourself with this system and to also determine if you’d be more comfortable with a more sensitive setting.
Motion Detectors:
Given the basic nature of their use, simply wave your hand in front of the infrared beam when closing your door. If it continues to close, refusing to enter into a reverse motion, then immediately seek professional maintenance on this safety feature.
Check Your Spring Tension & Door Balance
Don’t assume that just because your garage door serves such a simple purpose that it’s made up of a simple design. Their motor’s are designed for a highly specific design and function and therefore can only balance so much.
Carrying, lifting and lowering so much weight is hard work for the motor alone, hence a complicated system of pulley’s, springs and balancing systems are in place for the sake of making your garage door a long lasting feature of your home.
Cable Tension Monitors
Aren’t featured in every garage door motor but can play an integral role in preventing damage and informing you of when your cable system’s in need of adjustment, or maintenance. Left too late, a worn system can snap, break or become tangled – putting you or others at risk of being hit with a door being pulled to ground at full force. These added monitors will indicate to users when it’s time to take action against a faulty garage door.
Or; DIY
One can simply test the condition of their garage door’s spring tension & balance system by manually raising their Garage door halfway and monitoring what it does next. If the shutters fall down or continue to spring upward, then there is an imbalance to your door’s function.
Additionally, we would recommend further testing by automatically raising and lowering your garage door with your remote. If either way is faster than the other, then you have much of the same problem.
We would recommend that you do not seek fixing this malfunction yourself, but outsource the task to a trained technician or the original manufacturer.
Clean Your Door’s Tracks
A well lubricated and clean garage door track will always serve you better in the long run. Whether that be in preventing friction to your door’s runner or putting a stop to the rusting or fraying of essential parts – cleaning your garage door even once a year will preserve it’s condition for longer than can expect.
Alternatively, we would urge you to annually seek professional maintenance and service to your Garage door as you would to the cars and vehicles it encloses. Doing so will give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing that not only will your system have a long lasting life but it will no longer be a threat to those that use it.
For any frequently asked questions about servicing, repairing and maintaining your garage door(s), or to request a service – head on over to our ‘Services’ page above.
