Risks Associated With Garage Doors

Garage doors come in a variety of shapes and styles. They range from
commercial warehouse garage doors to condominium and single house garage
doors. They are becoming a necessity for any building that seeks to
accommodate passage and storage of motor vehicles. So do these doors come
with a risk factor? According to the national injury statistics, garage
doors cause the 47th most injuries out of the 77 items in the home injury
category. Remember, the easiest way to avoid injury is to call a garage door repair company instead of fixing a door yourself. So just how do these doors cause harm?

Cable injuries

Garage door cables are part of the door system that assists in the opening
and closing. When these cables are faulty or haven’t been installed well,
they can break and suddenly shut. The garage door coming crashing down
suddenly can cause a lot of serious personal damage and car damage. They
become a risk to anything and anyone around them including cars, flooring,
and people and should, therefore, be fixed as soon as possible. Preferably
by a professional.

Spring Injuries

Pre mid-1960 garage doors were mostly made to rely on tensioned springs
that would assist the garages door pivot hinges. The springs gain and
release tension as the doors open and close. After some time, without
proper maintenance, the point of connection between the springs and other
parts of the door would rust. This will weaken the spring attachment and
lead to an explosive effect that would fling broken spring components into
the garage. The force is usually so strong that it can get embedded into
the walls and anything on its path. If a person happens to be in its path
of destruction then they can get badly hurt. Cars and the interiors of the
garage have been known to be destroyed by these explosions. Constant spring
lubrication and maintenance can keep the springs rust free to avoid
weakening.

Automatic door injuries

Automatic garage doors have a history of injuries, especially in children.
These are usually caused when the children find access to the doors
activation devices and end up entrapped under closing doors that failed to
reverse. These accidents usually happen because of faults in design or in
use of openers by children. Research has shown that these automatic doors
are likely to fail in reversing when they come down on a child’s spine as
opposed to other blocks. There are ways one can test their automatic doors
to see if their reverse mechanism can work on landing on a child using
mannequins. Another way is to keep the opening panel out of child reach.

Parting shot

During cold and hot months, the metal parts of your garage may shrink or
expand abnormally. This may be viewed as a nuisance during closing and
opening but may unknowingly make your garage door a danger. Proper
maintenance and lubrication of the moving parts of the door will help
reduce wear and tear. Ensure the metal parts are free from rust and
accumulation from time to time. Go for silicone based lubricants as they
don’t contract or expand with changes in the weather. Seek out the help of
a certified professional when you notice that some parts of the cable and
hinges have worn off.

Can garage doors be hacked?

Modern technology has seen garage door openers evolve into electronic and digital systems. And just like any other modern thing, they have become more vulnerable to hackers. Having your digital garage door haked is even more dangerous than the traditional padlock, as you often cannot tell that you have been hacked. For most people, the garage is connected to the house, and having hackers gain access to your garage is simply a free entryway into your house.

So, the answer to the question above is yes. Garage doors can be hacked.

How can thieves hack my garage door?

Honestly, with all the latest technology, hacking your garage door is easy pie for thieves. All they need is a bit of aid from computers. Computers can cycle through a whole bunch of possible settings in a short time. Thieves can bypass fixed code remotes by flooding the receiver with possible combinations until the right one opens your door.

Manufacturers are doing their part. Samy Kamkar, a security expert, managed to hack through his own garage door by simply using a cheap antenna add-on and an open source hardware interface. Samy released his code to enable manufacturers to change their remote-control devices for greater security.

To deal with this, manufacturers came up with the rolling codes system. Whenever the remote control is used, the code automatically changes. This makes it quite difficult to make a correct guess.

However, Samy managed to get around rolling codes. ‘Rolljam’ is whereby a pair of radios jam the signal while a third one seals the code that was used in the attempt to open the door. The hacker is then able to use the stolen code without rollover as the receiver does not get the signal. The system, therefore, does not rollover to the next code.

What do I do to protect my garage door from hackers?

If your garage door is less than a decade old, chances are high that you are still using the older fixed code system. You need to ensure that the manufacturer of your garage door uses the rolling code system. In case it isn’t, completely changing your garage door security system should be a top priority.
You can also test to see if your garage door is prone to a hack. Here’s how to check.

A few tips for you:

If you are going to be away from home for a while, install a deadlock on your garage door.

Invest in low security cameras that record activity around your garage doors.

If your garage connects to your home, get a secure inner garage door.

Do not leave your garage door opener inside our car.

When going on a vacation, consider a garage motion detector connected to your local police station

This may sound obvious, but never leave your garage door open. Unfortunately, many trusty neighbors ignore this.

Immediately contact a garage door repair company to service your garage door in the event it’s security features are not working.

Having your garage door completely hacker-proof may not be entirely possible. You can, however, take the above measures to reduce the risk of having your garage door hacked.

Snorkelling is nothing but swimming on the surface of the water or inside the water by attaching a tube-like mask for breathing called snorkel along with swimfins that is where the act of snorkelling takes its name from. Snorkelling is done for both recreational and professional purposes. Just like other forms of diving and swimming under deep water snorkelling also requires some tips so that you can do it at your best. These tips increase your efficiency as well as your safety.

So here are some of the tips that help you snorkelling as a beginner:

Snorkelling Gear:

Before you get to know how to handle your gear, the most important thing is that you are expected to purchase a good quality product. Carry along with you what a proper gear has to have and buy good quality products that elevate your experience while you snorkel. Understand how the snorkel works and what to do if at all it malfunctions. You can never make a compromise here.

Learn to tackle:

Diving under-water is fun, but at the end of the day it is not your place. Humans are used to land and its nature but are still new to us, unless you are into it for years. Since you are a beginner, you are expected to take care of the contingent situations that might arise under water. In that case, you have to be aware of the factor that you might face, and the also know the tricks and tips to handle it.

Choice of location:

Your choice of location where you are snorkelling is also important. As a beginner, it is better if you choose a place that is safe and where you will have less unexpected encounters. Until you have learnt how to handle different situations, choose a place where you will feel safe. Make the first few visits as one of your best experiences so that your motivation to snorkel isn’t pushed down.

Treat the under-water world with love:

As you expect the water and its inhabitants to be cool and nice to you, you are expected to do the same to the water and its residents as well. Water bodies that carry the permit to let people snorkel are specially maintained for people to enjoy the underwater experience. This means that you are not supposed to touch the corals and other things inside the water, not your fingers nor your fins.

Have an eye on your limits:

Do not get carried away by the pleasure of diving and swimming in water. Though you are allowed to go underwater, you are expected to stay within your limits. There are certain limits, and you are not allowed to cross them when you snorkel. This can be dangerous for the person who snorkels.

Lesbos, haven’t heard of this place? That is probably because you know the place by its other names like Lesvos and Mytilini. It is an island located on the outskirts of Greece, in the northeastern part of the Aegean Sea. Lesbos is one of the beautiful places in the world that is located in Greece, a place which is already known for its scenic beauty. Greece is also the city of Gods and Lesbos will have a touch of that as well. So here are the top 10 things you have to do if you are in Lesbos.

Alternative Sailing:

Lesbos being the biggest island in the territory of the North Aegean Sea, it gives a larger scope for alternative sailing. Apart from sailing, there are also other fun activities like bike riding, sailing, fishing, bird watching, trekking, and mountain biking.

Lesvos Scuba Oceanic Centre: Lesvos Scuba Oceanic Centre is one of the most beautiful places in the world for scuba diving that offers you a very professional environment. A lot of people who come here once keep repeating their visits every year as per the records of the oceanic centre.

SkalaEressos Beach:

SkalaEressos is one place in the whole of the Mediterranean base that is known for its cool culture it is one of the most beautiful beaches as well. Most people who come to Lesbos never fail to get a glimpse of this beach. There are a large number of cafés and shopping centres along the beachline giving the beach a dramatic effect.

Castle of Molyvos:

The Castle of Molyvos is the second biggest and the most beautiful island located in the northern part of Lesvos. The castle has a strong history. Greece has faced both Turkish and French invasion, and against all the odds, the castle still stands to be a mark of beauty.

The Petrified Forest:

The Petrified Forest is a natural monument that has been protected by the people of the people. This place, which isn’t man-made, has created itself out of the remains of the fossil fuels. It is one of the most significant places in the history of Lesbos.

Olive Press Museum:

The main things that shouldn’t be forgotten by history are preserved in the Olive Press Museum. The place, the building and the things stored inside have a complete touch of the Mediterranean culture.

Church of PanagiaGlykofilousa:

The church is about 250 years old and is one of the most beautiful churches in the whole of Lesbos. There is a sweet history of the incarnation of this church. The name of the church literally translates to The Church of Sweet Kisses.

Village train:

 In case if you get a chance to go to Lesvos and miss to travel in the Village train that is what I would consider as the most unfortunate thing of your trip. This is because the train looks magical and it is the most beautiful thing in the whole of Lesbos.