Safety Tips

Just as you want your garage door system to operate properly every time you need it, you also want it to operate safely at all times.

One of the most overlooked “appliances” in your home is the garage door. You press a button. It goes up. It goes down. Simple, right?

Not really. Like every other mechanical device you own – your cars, your kitchen and laundry appliances and your heating and cooling systems – your garage door and its operating system needs to be properly adjusted and regularly maintained in order to function correctly.

You can perform some simple safety and maintenance tasks yourself. Other tasks – such as spring repair/replacement, track and roller repair/replacement and door installation – are jobs best left to trained service professionals.

Just as it is common practice to have your home’s heating and cooling systems checked annually, it’s also a good idea to have your door checked annually by a qualified service technician to ensure that it continues to work properly and effectively.

Never take a garage door system for granted; always use extreme caution when working on it or near it. Make sure that children understand that the garage door and the garage door opener are not toys. Never let children play with the door or its operating system.

After all, the garage door is the largest and heaviest moving object in most homes. It can cause injury or even death if damaged or misused.

Lux Garage Door wants to make sure that you and your family know how to operate and maintain your garage door system safely at all times. You are the key to garage door safety.

Here are 10 things everyone in your household should know about garage door safety. It’s a good idea to review these with everyone in your household from time to time – especially children.

1. The garage door and garage door opener are not toys. They are dangerous if misused, and can cause serious injury or even death.
2. Children should never be allowed to play with the garage door or its operating system. Children should never stand, run or play under or near any garage door, especially when the door is open or moving. 
3. Adults should not allow children access to the remote controls or push button wall controls for garage door opener systems; these should be kept out of reach of children. The push button wall control for a garage door operating system should be mounted at least five feet off the floor, out of the reach of children.
4. Never stand or walk under a moving garage door. Never try to enter or exit the garage by racing under a moving garage door.
5. When opening or closing the garage door, always keep the door in view until the door is fully opened or fully closed. Make certain that no adults, children or animals try to enter or exit while the door is closing.
6. Keep fingers and hands away from door sections when the door is opening or closing to avoid injury.
7. Keep your garage door properly maintained to keep it operating safely. Annual maintenance by a trained service technician is recommended. There are other tests and maintenance tasks that you can perform.
8. Remember that your garage door opener uses electricity, which can shock or kill if mishandled. Service should be performed by a trained service technician. .
9. Never attempt to repair a garage door’s springs or cables. These are under extreme tension and can cause severe injury or even death. These are best repaired by a trained service technician.
10. If someone has backed into the garage door (yes, it does happen – all of us are in a hurry at one time or another), it’s a good idea to have the door inspected and/or repaired by a trained service technician. Even if the door doesn’t appear to be severely damaged, the operating system may have become misaligned and wear prematurely, creating what could be a dangerous environment.

Your garage door system includes tight tolerances to keep it operating properly. Some things everyone in your family should know about your garage door:

• The springs, cables and other hardware attached to the springs are all under extremely high tension that can cause severe injury or even death if broken or tampered with.
• Doors equipped with openers utilize electricity, which can shock or kill if mishandled.
• Door sections can trap and injure fingers or hands when opening or closing.