They seal off our homes. They barrier our vehicles from nature’s elements. They house the objects we seek
to hide from the outside world.
There is endless benefit to a well-fitted and correctly installed garage door in any home or business, but as with anything, they too have their ups and downs… pun intended.
Whether you are a current garage door owner or simply in the market for one, it is important you familiarize yourself with the safety factors surrounding these mechanical giants that, when neglected, can lead to damage of property, theft of belongings and potentially even injury of oneself or others.
Check the Stats
Industry professionals maintain the position that almost all cases involving any occurrence of the above are usually as a direct result of unqualified individuals who have attempted to install or repair a garage door. In the United States alone there are in excess of 30 000 reported garage door injuries per year.
Garage doors come in an array of styles, sizes and shapes. Some are operated manually and others open and close automatically via a motorized system. These differences aside, all garage doors operate in the presence of several individual components that work together as a collective mechanical system – to ultimately bring the device up or down in a timely and convenient fashion.
When installed properly, risks are easily eliminated. Garage Doors Melbourne have been providing safe, quality guaranteed (or your money back) garage door installations for over 40 years. In contrast, unqualified installers who lack the basic skills, training and even tools pose as a direct threat to your home or commercial space.
Take this guide as your heads up, before things come crashing down.
Looking Back
To further understand the importance of seeking qualified workmanship during installation and/or reparation, it is worthwhile to explore the evolution of garage door engineering.
Before and during the 1960’s garage doors operated solely on a system that relied on springs, tension and balance to achieve desired motion.
Over time the connection points of these springs would weaken and rust which often resulted in eventual explosion or “snapping” amongst the spring systems. Those people or objects caught in the line of fire when this occurred would suffer significant injury and damage. It is because of these early occurrences that the industry identified an urgent need for a newer, safer system.
Instead of relying on the stretching and pulling of springs, modern day garage doors work with a single spring that is rather twisted clockwise or counter clockwise depending on the desired direction of usage. Essentially, the spring’s tension and threat of snapping have been completely removed by redirecting the energy into a rotational motion instead. When combined with the appropriate cables and pulleys, the weight of the garage door is easily and safely maneuvered up or down.
Professional installation ensures that the weight of the garage door is carefully matched to the mounted spring, making it almost impossible for the spring to dislodge at any point during any sort of fault or failure. An unqualified installer many not successfully achieve this essential balance.
Going Forward
While there are clearly essential precautions to be taken prior to and during the installation of a garage door, there are also recommended precautions to be continuously taken when using or being in the presence of said doors.
General, worldwide awareness of safety and care of garage doors encourages people to avoid standing, hovering around or playing under a raised garage door and to avoid touching and fiddling with any of the mechanical gadgets attached to the systems.
It is also highly advised that adults keep garage door remotes out of reach of children, who tend to become overexcited by the possession of such power. What’s more, garage door owners are encouraged to seek regular maintenance of their systems and subject their premises to thorough inspection when in doubt or suspicion of a potential fault.
Any kind of DIY, be it in the form of repair, inspection and especially installation, is seriously discouraged. As is the removing of any safety tags, instruction panels and warning notices that one will find around a professionally installed door system.
Most importantly, familiarize yourself, your family and/or your fellow employees with each garage door’s emergency release feature (usually found in the form of a lever, chord or handle). Ensure absolute comfort and confidence in the use of this feature so that in the event of an emergency you are not caught off guard.
In short; garage doors are generally the heaviest, vertically moving objects in any vicinity – it is up to you to ensure those residing in the same vicinity are not subject to daily threat.
Let’s keep your privacy in—and keep injury out!
