Garage Door Safety: What Every Southern Utah Family Should Know
Published by High Desert Garage Door & More • Southern Utah Home Services
Your garage door is one of the heaviest moving objects in your home, weighing between 300 and 500 pounds. While modern safety features have made garage doors much safer, accidents still happen—especially with older systems.
Test Your Auto-Reverse Feature Monthly
Federal law requires all garage door openers manufactured after 1993 to have an auto-reverse mechanism. Test yours monthly: place a 2x4 flat on the ground in the door's path and close the door. It should reverse immediately upon touching the board.
Check Photo-Eye Sensors
The two small sensors near the bottom of your garage door tracks create an invisible beam. If anything breaks that beam while the door is closing, it should reverse. Make sure both sensors are aligned, clean the lenses regularly.
Never Touch Garage Door Springs
Garage door springs are under extreme tension—enough force to cause serious injury or death. Never attempt to adjust, remove, or replace springs yourself. Call a professional for safe spring replacement.
Teach Children About Garage Door Safety
Children should never play under or near a moving garage door. Keep wall-mounted controls out of reach of small children (at least 5 feet high). Never let children play with garage door remotes.
Upgrade Older Garage Door Systems
If your St. George home has a garage door opener from before 1993, it likely lacks modern safety features. Upgrading to a modern opener with rolling-code technology, battery backup, and smartphone control improves both safety and security.
Schedule Regular Professional Maintenance
Annual professional inspections catch problems before they become dangerous. A trained technician will check spring tension, cable condition, track alignment, and all safety features.
Concerned about your garage door's safety? Contact High Desert Garage Door & More for a free safety inspection. Call (435) 680-2859 today.
Need help with garage door repair, HVAC, or energy testing in Southern Utah? Call (435) 680-2859 — same-day service available.
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