Testing your Garage Door’s Operating Safety

A garage is frequently more than just a safe space to leave your vehicle, it is your tool shed, your hobby room, seasonal storage, and (if you have children like mine) at some point will be a Fort to battle dragons, or sail the stormy seas. Garages are frequently a space for the whole family, and safety in the garage is important. Most parents would think to put away the tools, and pick up things the kids might trip on or break, but another important thing to check is your Garage Door.

Most garage door openers made after 1982 have a safety feature that will cause the door to fully open if they encounter any resistance.  Some old models of garage door openers only stop when they encounter resistance, rather than reversing and fully opening. The reverse function is important, if say a pet or a child is preventing the door from fully closing, would allow them to escape rather than be pinned.

Closing force:

Like many things, a garage door opener needs calibrated, regular maintenance and safety checks. The amount of downward force the door exerts before reversing and fully opening is important; the difference between a bruise, or a broken bone. There is a simple test to check for proper downward force. Start with the garage door in the open position (attached to the opener), lay a 2×4 across the center of the garage door threshold and click the button to close the door. The garage door should stop and reverse fully with minimal pressure. If the door does not stop and reverse fully, the downward pressure can be adjusted. Refer to your individual garage door opener’s manual for instructions on how to adjust this, or call a Garage Door professional and request a tuneup.

Opening Force

A garage door goes up as well as down and there is a minimum amount of force necessary for the door to open fully and freely, for optimal operation. To test the force being used to open the garage door, press the button to open the garage door and as the door gets about halfway through its travel on the track, grab hold of the bottom of the door. The door should simply stop. If the door is hard to hold or does not stop at all, then the opening force needs adjusted. Refer to your individual Garage door opener’s manual for instructions on how to adjust this, or call a Garage Door professional and request a tuneup.

There are many other small things you can do to check your garage door regularly for function and safety, simple troubleshooting and maintenance that can make a world of difference.

You may want to call a trusted garage door company to make adjustments on your garage door opener, to protect your warranty and opener from unintended accidents, as well as give your garage door and opener a tuneup. You can always call a professional to calibrate your garage door opener, in fact, yearly maintenance and a tuneup is recommended for optimal garage door operation and longevity. Schedule with JV Garage Door, and we will be happy to help.

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