When it comes to home maintenance, a crucial aspect to consider is garage door repair. This is often overlooked, and most homeowners only become aware of an issue if the broken garage door creates a loud noise when opening or closing, or if something serious happens, like an accident. Bear in mind that garage door repair is as important as other home repairs, like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical repairs. But what are the important benefits of garage door repair?
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Garage Door Repair To Promote Safety
According to a statistical report, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that about 30,000 injuries occur due to garage doors every year. There were about 85 children who suffered brain damage or died in accidents involving automatic garage door openers over a span of 21 years – from 1974 to 1995. Making a home secure is not only limited to installing a reliable home security system, such as CCTV cameras, smoke and fire alarms, shutter windows and doors, safety locks, or motion detectors. Your garage door should also undergo preventive maintenance and repairs to ensure that it’s in good running condition at all times to promote safety.
A malfunctioning garage door can fall without warning, endangering your safety, the safety of your children, pets, and others. This means risking damage to your car and other belongings. You can limit the risk of garage door injury through repairs. That’s why you should take advantage of garage door repair in Ashland VA. Take a look at some common injuries associated with a malfunctioning or damaged garage door and how to avoid them:
1. A Garage Door Lowering or Falling onto Someone
An automatic garage door nowadays comes with smart sensors, detecting an obstacle or presence in its path whenever it is being operated. The garage door automatically stops or reverses when it senses motion right underneath it. While this advanced feature makes automatic garage doors safer now as compared to the past, the problem still exists, causing garage door injuries. This is because sensors may also fail at times due to several factors.
Here are some ways to avoid this garage door problem:
- Always pay close attention to children or pets passing by the garage. Don’t allow them to play around or inside the garage. Set strict rules about garage use.
- Provide garage door education to your little ones to reduce their risk of getting injured in any garage, whether at home, your neighbor’s, or any establishment.
- Ask for professional help to ensure that your garage door, especially the sensor and internal components, are in good condition. A garage door specialist is highly knowledgeable and skilled in analyzing problem areas and performing the necessary repairs to avoid safety hazards.
2. Fingers Getting Caught in Garage Door Tracks
You have probably heard about someone whose finger or hands got caught in the tracks of a garage door. This accident causes severe injuries to the extremities, experienced by both children and adults.
Here are some ways to avoid this garage door injury:
- Educate your family members that they should never try to run under any garage door that is opening or closing.
- Make sure that no one is close to the garage door during its operation.
- Hire a professional garage door technician to inspect your tracks regularly, at least once a year, to ensure that the sensor or electrical eye – a garage door component that detects objects along the path – is working properly.
3. Getting Locked Inside the Garage
It’s a total disaster locking yourself inside the garage due to problematic garage door springs, which are responsible for the garage door’s raising and lowering operations. But garage door springs tend to get rusty, loose, or become cracked over time. Failing garage door springs can cause injury from an overhead garage door that lowers unexpectedly. Also, you might face difficulty in raising the door, leaving you locked inside your garage. In the worst scenario, a person locked inside the garage without any access to the home can suffer from severe dehydration, panic, and other psychological and bodily injuries.
Here are some tips to avoid this garage door situation:
- Like any other home system, your garage door system should also be checked by a professional garage door specialist. Your garage door springs need regular inspection and necessary replacement.
- Never attempt to carry out a do-it-yourself garage door spring replacement. It’s very risky because just one wrong move can cause the garage door to fall, causing serious injuries to you and others, or your vehicle.
Garage Door Repair for An Uninterrupted Daily Routine
Fixing garage door problems should not be postponed like other repairs. Otherwise, you’ll just ruin your smooth daily routine, turning a minor garage issue into a major problem. While you might have become used to hearing an unusual noise in your garage, failing to address this issue will pose a significant risk to your safety and cause disturbance in your daily activities.
Here are some examples of the inconveniences of having a malfunctioning garage door due to lack of preventive maintenance repair:
- You can’t fetch your children from school because you can’t take your car out of the garage due to broken garage door springs.
- You need to contact a service call technician in the wee hours of the day.
- You’ll be tardy or absent from work because you and your vehicle are stuck inside the garage without any access to the entry points that lead to your home.
- You postpone important meetings or appointments because you need to supervise a major garage door repair.
- When an emergency arises, a failing garage door may open slowly or not at all, risking the life of your family member who may need prompt medical attention.
You can avoid all of these problems that interrupt your daily routine by conducting annual garage door inspection with the help of a garage door professional. Don’t hesitate to call and ask questions if you’re in doubt about the next steps that you should take.
Preventive Maintenance Avoids Frequent and Costly Repairs
Fixing minor garage door issues helps you save money on expensive repairs. Just like other home repairs, garage door repairs help avoid costly and frequent repairs in the future. Instead of figuring out how to repair or replace the springs or other internal garage door components, it’s still wiser to avail the annual preventive maintenance offered by garage door companies.
Here are some of the DIY garage work you can do:
- Garage Component Lubrication: Regularly lubricate tracks to keep your garage in good condition for many years to come.
- Assess Loose Garage Components: Check metal tracks by assessing them and mounting brackets. Tighten the loose bolts and screws on brackets. Mountain brackets should hold the garage tracks properly against the walls. Damaged spots can be struck by a hammer, a rubber mallet, or a block of wood. However, major component issues, like badly damaged tracks that need replacement, should be done by a professional.
- Ensure Track Alignment: Your garage tracks should be properly aligned. Horizontal tracks slant down slightly toward the back of your garage. If you have roll-up doors, the tracks’ vertical sections must be exactly plumb. Also, make sure that both tracks have the same height. If they’re not properly aligned, loosen the tracks, but don’t remove the bolts or screws that hold the tracks’ mounting brackets. Make sure that the tracks are in the right position by using a level, then all screws or bolts should be tightened.
- Cleaning Tracks: You can clean your garage door tracks using a concentrated household cleaner. Make sure to remove all dirt and hardened grease by wiping tracks and rollers thoroughly.
- Inspect For Loose Hardware: Check the plates of swing-up doors where you see the springs mounted to ensure that all screws are tight. You can tighten any loose screws. For your roll-up doors, inspect the hinges that hold garage door sections together, and tighten loose screws. A sagging garage door can be addressed by checking the hinges. Make sure to replace all hinges that are already damaged.
Important Note:
Keep in mind that DIY garage repairs can be risky or extremely dangerous. Without the right tools, knowledge, and skills, you may just injure yourself, harm other people, or damage your property. That’s why you should contact a garage door specialist if you’re in doubt about your garage door repair abilities.
Promotes A Functional and Comfortable Home
Garage door repair promotes a functional and comfortable home. Just imagine the inconveniences you’ll experience if your garage door malfunctions or fails, just like the botheration caused by a plumbing or electrical system issue. Promote your family’s comfort and safety by ensuring that your garage door gets the right treatment every time. Don’t allow internal components to rust or get damaged. Make sure to replace all damaged parts to avoid other garage door components malfunctioning or getting damaged.
Garage Door Repair Services Guide
While you can do simple garage door repairs, you can always rely on professional garage door repair services for help. Choose a trusted garage door company that is available 24/7, so you can get professional emergency assistance whenever you’re dealing with major garage door problems. It’s also essential to choose a garage door company that offers a wide range of services. From installation to annual inspections and repairs, you want to be able to reach out to an expert that will resolve your garage door problems effectively and efficiently.
Featured Image Credit: Deposit Photos
