Risks of Garage Doors

04 Mar Risks of Garage Doors

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.