Austin Garage Door Safety Tips: Keeping Your Central Texas Home Secure
Garage Door Safety Tips You Should Know
Every year, garage doors fail homeowners nationwide. However, with the proper knowledge and information, you can avoid being part of that statistic. By familiarizing yourself with garage door safety tips, you can protect your loved ones and avoid hazardous situations. Garage door safety should be your number one priority, whether you use your door for storage or as a second entrance to your home. Even if you own an older wooden door in Austin’s Hyde Park or a stainless steel door with a fancy computer opener in Austin’s newest neighborhood, Mueller, these garage door safety standards apply to you.
At Two Brothers Garage Doors, we’re here to share tips that will keep you and your family safe while operating your garage door. We recommend regular maintenance as well as knowing your safety features in and out to prevent accidents with your heavy garage door.
Humidity In Austin + Your Garage Door Springs
The temperature in Austin swings more than most areas in the country. Because of this, there is one DIY garage door tip we mention that will be specific to Austin homeowners that you won’t find in many national garage door maintenance guides.
Austin temperatures can swing 40 degrees in a single day. That means we go from a 40-degree morning to an 80-degree afternoon before we even realize what’s happening. Not only does this rapidly expanding and contracting metal beat up your garage door, but it’s taxing on your springs. If the Texas weather has taken too much of a toll on your door’s structural integrity, a new garage door installation might be the safest long-term move to protect your home.
Have a professional inspect your springs twice a year, before summer and winter. Spring and fall are often the safest times of year for your springs in Austin, but if they snap during an unexpected freeze or burst of heat your door could fall without warning. Don’t wait for your garage door to make a popping noise and fall down on your car- that’s just the Central Texas standard.
Signs Spring Failure Could Be Coming Due To Austin Weather:
- It feels harder to lift your door when opening it manually
- There’s popping or creaking when you run it early in the morning (when it’s coolest out)
- Your door won’t open all the way or closes too quickly
- You see visible rust or gaps in the coils, or separation of the coils
Sensor And Opener Safety
Safety when it comes to your garage door sensors and opener can mean the difference between smooth functioning and disaster. Keeping your loved ones and property safe is our priority.
Photo-Eye Sensors
Photo-eye sensors are designed to automatically keep your garage door from closing if there is something in the way. If your little assistant interrupts the sensor beam while the door is closing, it should reverse direction. Test your sensors regularly to ensure they are clean and aligned. Blinking lights can indicate misalignment. Realignment is usually the fix to malfunctioning sensors.
Texas Sun-Blind Warning: Your safety sensors can become overloaded by the bright Austin sun. In extreme cases, during our sunniest months of the year, direct sunlight can overload your sensor lens and prevent you from closing your garage door at all. This creates a major security and safety risk for your home. If your garage door won’t close during the peak of summer, cover your sensors with a small piece of cardboard. If the problem persists, call Two Brothers so we can professionally adjust your sensors. This is a common problem for Austin homeowners with garages facing south or west.
Force Settings
Force settings control how much force the opener exerts when opening and closing your garage door. If your force setting is too high, your garage door might not automatically reverse if it encounters an object. You can run a quick auto-reverse test yourself to ensure the feature is working properly.
Wall Button and Remote Controls
Keep your wall button and remote controls stored up high and out of children’s reach. Not only will this help with child safety, it also ensures your remote won’t suddenly fall off the shelf and hit your pet who happens to be standing underneath. Replace your remote batteries often to ensure seamless operation.
Emergency Release
The red emergency release cord allows us to open and close the garage door manually if there’s a power outage, or if the system breaks down. Practice opening and closing your garage door with the red cord often so you’re always prepared for an emergency.
Spring Safety
Your garage door springs play a pivotal role in lifting and lowering your garage door. Follow these simple tips to ensure your springs don’t suddenly break and cause injury to you or your family.
DIY Spring Repair Is Dangerous
Your garage door springs are kept in tension and store a large amount of energy. If your springs snap or are improperly mounted, they can seriously injure you or your family. Do not attempt to repair or readjust your garage door springs unless you have the tools and experience to do so.
Two Brothers offers spring replacement and can point you in the right direction if you’d like to tackle garage door maintenance yourself. We want to ensure your safety, which is why complex spring tasks are best left to the professionals.
Symptoms of Worn Springs:
- Door is hard to open or close
- Visible rust on the springs
- Springs have gaps in the coils or separate from one another
- Sluggish opening or loud creaking/popping sounds when operating the door
Child Safety Around Garage Doors
Any homeowner with young children should always practice garage door safety with children in mind. Taking precautionary steps and educating your children on garage door safety can help prevent injury.
Teach Children About Garage Door Safety
You should educate your children on how garage doors work and that they can close unexpectedly, injuring them. Use these tips when talking to your kids about garage door safety:
- No playing around the garage door. Children should understand that garage doors are not a playground.
- Know your safety signals: Teach them what to do if they hear the door opening or closing.
- Talk to them about what to do if they feel scared or see someone else in trouble around the garage.
Watch Children Around Garage Doors
Always keep an eye on your children when they are playing near your garage door. We can avoid tragedy by simply observing kids while they play.
Increase your child’s safety by…
- Ensuring you or another responsible adult is always watching them while they’re near the garage.
- Setting an example by safely operating the garage door and following the safety tips we lay out in this article.
- Setting boundaries for them to play that give them plenty of space away from the garage door.
Garage Door Opener Button Placement
It’s also important to place your garage door opener high enough so that children can’t reach it. Follow these tips to ensure your wall-mounted button is safe from children:
- Placement is everything. Ensure you place your wall button high enough so that children cannot reach it (at least 5 feet off the ground).
- Vision: You should always be able to see your garage door when it’s operating to prevent accidents.
- Educate children that this button should only be used by adults.
General Safety Tips
We have provided some general tips to remember when operating your garage door.
Fingers and Hands
Our fingers and hands shouldn’t come anywhere near the closing garage door. If we aren’t careful while operating our garage door, it can close faster than we think and cause injury.
Remember:
- Always use the remote or wall-mounted control to open and close your garage door.
- Never place your hands or an object in the path of the garage door while it’s moving.
- Pregnant women and small children should avoid being anywhere near the garage door while it’s operating.
Your Surroundings
We should always know where everyone is and what’s around our garage door before we operate it.
Keep in mind:
- Glance around before you press the button to close your garage door.
- Ensure children and pets are away from the garage door before you close it.
- Be mindful of objects like bikes, toys, luggage, or even cars in the path of your garage door.
Regular Maintenance and Garage Door Testing
It’s important to regularly test your garage door to ensure all parts are functioning properly. Include these tests as part of your monthly maintenance.
Tests You Should Perform:
- Hit the auto-reverse test by placing an object in front of your garage door as it closes. The door should automatically reverse direction if set properly.
- Test your sensors to ensure they are clean and properly aligned.
- Inspect hardware and tighten any loose screws, bolts or brackets.
Austin Garage Door Safety Compliance & Selling Your Home
If you’re selling your home in Austin, we perform all of our garage door safety checks using the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) as a guide. Garage doors can be the deciding factor when buying or selling a house in Austin. A properly inspected garage door is an added bonus for your potential buyers that will help your home inspection go smoothly. Austin Energy also has their own set of green building standards. These can include additional insulation requirements and fire-rating requirements for attached garages.
Two Brothers Garage Door Services proudly repairs and maintains doors for homeowners all over Austin, TX. Whether you’re in North Austin, Southwest Austin, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Georgetown, or beyond, we service you!
Keep Your Garage Safe
Garage door safety should be every homeowner’s priority. Perform regular maintenance by looking for loose hardware and worn out parts. Remember to mind your fingers! We could accidentally pinch them between the garage door and the wall. If you have children, be sure to teach them about garage door safety. You can even install safety sensors on your garage door to avoid injury. Follow these garage door safety tips to keep you and your family safe!
Need professional help? Two Brothers Garage Door Services has your garage door covered. Contact us today to schedule service or request a FREE estimate!
Local Austin Garage Door Safety FAQ
Q: Does humidity in Austin affect my garage door?
A: Central Texas weather can create high levels of humidity that may cause your rollers and tracks to rust prematurely. We recommend using a silicone based lubricant twice a year to keep your garage door running smoothly and prevent sticking.
Q: Who do I call for garage door emergencies in Austin, TX?
A: From South Lamar to North Burnet, we service all of Austin for emergency garage door safety repairs. Weekend and evening availability. We also service the following surrounding areas: Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Leander, and more!
Q: How often should I replace my springs in Austin?
A: We recommend you have your springs professionally inspected twice a year because of dramatic temperature changes in Central Texas. Spring and fall are usually the best times of year to have your garage door inspected in Austin. This is critical for older garage doors and doors that are used multiple times throughout the day.
