If you’re a parent, chances are you’ve already figured out how to childproof your home. But what about childproofing your residential garage door? It’s not really the top priority for most families. After all, most parents don’t let the kids spend a lot of time in that part of the home. Kids hang out in the bedrooms, the kitchen, and the living space more, so these are childproofed first.
But garage door safety is critical if you’re a parent. Whatever type of unit it is, your residential garage door has many components that could seriously harm a child that’s fiddling with or near the unit. You don’t want to overlook garage door repair and then suffer the consequences of an accident later on!
Garage door accidents happen yearly. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) reports that about 2,000 people get crushed by garage doors on average – and more than 7,500 are pinched when the garage door is either opening or closing.
How to Childproof Your Garage Door
Childproofing your entire home includes garage door safety. If your garage and residential garage door have a lot of potentially dangerous objects and sections, here are some tips on how you can childproof your residential garage door:
- Educate your child and set ground rules
When it comes to safety, it’s never too early to talk about it with our young ones. Even toddlers can already be taught to be cautious around the garage door. Ensure you always take time to teach your child or children the importance of being careful around the garage door.
You can have different strategies according to their ages. For younger children, always remind them to remain far enough back whenever you operate the garage door. Even with the manual units, without the opening mechanism, always have them stand far back!
And for your older kids, you could already demonstrate how to use the garage door opener correctly. And always have the rule that they are not allowed to hang off on the garage door or the springs and tracks. It’s also a no-no to play near the door during closing motion because any malfunction could happen and cause injuries.
By setting an example of using the garage door as carefully as you can, you can instill the habit of practicing a garage door safety routine.
- Keep the garage door remote out of reach
Most kids will play with anything that has buttons on it. And your garage door remote is no exception! Making sure that your remote is out of reach will already lessen the likelihood that they could operate the door unsupervised.
Think of this as childproofing the doorknobs. You’re keeping your children from accessing the areas where they could place themselves in danger. Have the wall panel put high enough so that your kids won’t easily reach it. And your remotes should always be secure inside the home or car.
Again, if your child is old enough, you can teach them how to operate the door. Set a designated time to use the remote, and make it a rule that you should always be there when your kid is working the garage door.
- Install a garage door opener with child-safety features
If you’re a homeowner with multiple kids in tow, it’s best to invest in a garage door opener with child safety features.
For example, there are child safety locks that require a code before you can operate the garage door opener. An auto-reverse feature, prominent in most modern garage doors, can also keep your children and pets safe.
The function stops automatically if the sensors detect any movement near or right under the garage door. This auto-reverse feature senses motion on the ground, making sure that there is no debris near your door for accurate detection.
And while you’re at it, why not consider a smart garage door opener? The latest models can connect to your smartphone or tablet, which will keep all garage door operations solely up to you. Of course, you have to make sure that your kid doesn’t access the app on your phone.
- Have regular garage door service
It’s tedious, we know, but performing regular checks on your garage door and garage door opener can ensure that every part is functioning correctly. A good rule of thumb is to do it twice a year.
Get a reliable garage door maintenance that can conduct regular checks on your unit. Even if you have a newly installed residential garage door, there will be unexpected glitches you have to watch out for.
A professional technician can check the spring, cable, hinges, and tracks – basically every part that moves and needs a close look periodically. There might also be minor damage to your panels that will grow bigger if left unchecked.
And if your garage door has any gaps from worn insulation and weather stripping, any holes might appeal to a child. Something as innocent as placing the finger inside an opening could cause injuries. Therefore, make sure to seal off any open holes or gaps on the entire door.
Childproof Your Residential Garage Door Here
With consistent garage door service, you can make your unit last longer. And most importantly, you keep your family safe when the door is operated!
As parents of young children, you already have a lot on your hands. You can schedule an appointment with Alpine Garage Door Repair Co. today and let our garage door maintenance experts handle the work for you. We have 24/7 emergency service to cater to your most urgent needs.
Call us to make sure your garage door is childproof and safe!