Parents Who Let Their Kids Play in the Garage Need to Know This

Is your child safe in your garage? Garages in general are filled with hazards for small children, and garage doors are no exception.

Here are several possible issues to keep in mind when child‑proofing your garage door:

The danger of a closing or falling door

As GarageDoorChildSafety.com points out, a faulty reverse mechanism poses a serious safety concern. Garage doors are heavy, and a falling door could close quickly. Test the reverse mechanism regularly to avoid the possibility of your garage door falling on your child and injuring them.

Also check that the photo eyes. They allow your garage door to sense an obstruction and stop it from closing on whatever is blocking its path. Photo eyes should be about 6 inches off the floor, so look to see that they are where they should be. They can also become misaligned, causing them to function improperly. You may need to adjust them.

Issues resulting from poor ventilation

Poor ventilation poses more than one risk to children. As explained by GarageDoorChildSafety.com, over‑insulation becomes a problem if you have combustible materials stored in your garage. Furthermore, without proper ventilation, carbon monoxide from your car can build up in your garage and cause serious health damage to you and your children.

Child getting caught on a door

While newer models have systems in place to prevent this, it’s still best to ensure that there’s nothing dangling from the door that a child’s clothing could get caught on.

Injuries due to caught fingers

As InterNACHI, the International Association of Home Inspectors, explains, "The majority of the injuries caused by garage doors are the result of pinched fingers". Hands and fingers can get caught in "pulleys, hinges, springs, and the intersection points between door panels". Teaching children to keep their hands away from these parts and monitoring both the movements of the door and any children nearby when the door is moving are important safety precautions.

The possibility of entrapment

Just as small parts of the body like fingers can get stuck in your garage door, so too can a child become pinned beneath one, if sensors and the reversal mechanism aren’t working correctly. Check the various parts of your door for defects regularly and discourage your children from performing any stunts with the door such as seeing if they can slide under it at the last minute.

Location and condition of springs

Garage door springs are under a lot of tension. You want to be sure that they aren’t close to the ground where a curious child could fiddle with them, as well as check for rust and missing containment cables.

Issues with old, poor‑quality, or poorly installed doors

The age and quality of your garage door can seriously affect its safety. GarageDoorChildSafety.com states that garage doors installed after 1991 are required to have a reverse mechanism, but if you’re door is older, no such safety requirement was in place at the time of installation. Additionally, old doors may be coated in lead paint, which is highly toxic.

Even removing lead paint can be very dangerous and requires a professional. Finally, older doors, poorly made doors, and doors that weren’t installed properly are more likely to require repair or may not work right in the first place.

Dangers to other vulnerable loved ones: your pets

There are many dangers for pets in garages. Many of the dangers to children, particularly carbon monoxide poisoning, apply to pets as well. According to Petco, antifreeze, leaking battery acid, and turpentine can also be hazards to pets.

Similarly, a door propped open slightly to let your pet in at night can result in the same harm to your beloved animal as it could to your child! If you have a cat, he or she may think an open garage door is a nice place to perch, since cats like to sit in the highest spot they can find. Pet doors on garage doors can be problematic for pets and people, since they can lead to your pet being near the door when you’re about to use it for your own purposes, and these doors can also let in unwanted pests or thieves. Neither you nor your pet wants to share space with raccoons or robbers!

You may want to purchase a new garage door, whether because of defects in a cheap door, damage to an old door, or just a lack of features that could help keep your family safe. With customizable features to ensure that the garage door you buy is the door you want, Portes Ram Doors can help make sure your garage door is safe to use and practical. Contact us for more information or to get a free quote on a new garage door!