Is Your Garage Door Safe? 3 Tests You Must Perform Regularly

Garage doors are designed to be safe, but without regular maintenance and inspections, your garage door can pose certain safety risks. Though you shouldn’t attempt garage door repairs or part replacements on your own, it’s fairly easy to check on the health of your garage door system to make sure it’s in working order. Here are 3 tests you should regularly perform to make sure your garage door is helping keep your household safe:

1. Test the Emergency Release

Every garage door system has a manual safety release that allows household members to exit the house through the garage if there’s a power outage. In order to be prepared for such an event, you want to make sure your garage door’s emergency release is properly installed and functioning correctly. Test it while your garage door is down by pulling the emergency release cord down toward the door. It’s the red rope hanging from the dor trolley, or the part attached to the garage ceiling that moves with the door when it opens and closes. The emergency release cord disconnects the trolley through attachment point from the opener carriage so that the door can slide manually.

2. Test the Auto-Reverse

It’s very important for garage doors to have an auto-reverse function to prevent injuries or damages when a person or object is in the door’s path. Sometimes the sensors that activate auto-reverse can break, stop working or lose their alignment with the door, so it’s good to check often. Place something like an empty box in the door’s path and close the garage door. If the auto-reverse feature doesn’t activate, be sure to have it checked out by a garage door repair service.

3. Inspect the Gears

The gears of your garage door should also be inspected regularly. The springs, cables, rollers and pulleys work together like the inside of a clock. If one thing is out of place or has broken, it affects the workings of the entire system. When this is the case, be sure to call in for a repair. Take a look at the alignment and balance of your garage door. If it’s skewed to one side and not closing in parallel alignment with the floor, there’s likely a problem with one of the springs. Check your springs and rollers for any buildup of dirt, as well as rust, sticky residue or any other buildup that could affect their functioning. Most cleanups can be done with a wet, soapy rag, but avoid using WD-40.

Knowing When to Call the Pros

For your own safety and to prevent further damage to your garage door, don’t try to repair a broken garage door on your own. The torsion springs that help lift garage doors can lead to injury or death if they’re not handled properly by professionals with experience. Garage door repair service providers like iQ Garage Doors have the knowledge and specific tools required to release the tension in the springs so that garage door repairs can be made safely. If you notice a problem with your garage door, be sure to give us a call!