June is here and so is Garage Door Safety Month! With more than 70 percent of today’s homeowners using their attached garage as the main gateway to their home, it’s important to keep the garage door, openers and parts in working order for safety and security.

Follow these easy tips to keep your family and visitors safe all year round. 

1. Educate Your Family About Garage Door Safety​

Did you know that hospitals see approximately 15,000 garage door-related injuries each year? To ensure everyone’s safety, remind your family and guests to keep fingers, arms and clothing away from the garage door when it’s operating and to not duck under a closing door, as one may trip or become tangled. Make sure children know the garage door is not a toy, not to stand, run or play under or near a moving garage door.

2. Regularly Test & Professionally Maintain Your Doors

Maintenance is an important step to keeping your garage door operational. Test the reversing mechanism by placing a 2x4 board upright in the door’s path. If the door does not automatically reverse after coming into contact with the board, call a professional​ for repair to service the door and parts​. For the inexperienced person, fixing garage door springs, parts, tracks, etc. can result in severe injury.

3. Make Sure Your Door Is Up-To-Date

In 1993, The US Consumer Products Safety Commission required that all newly installed garage doors have secondary reversing safety system, such as sensors​ and electric safety edges. If your garage door is more than approximately 25 years old, it’s time to contact your local trusted Red Ribbon Distributor​ to bring it up to date.

4. Use The Technology At Your Fingertips

Enjoy peace of mind with OHD Anywhere™, an app that allows you to control and monitor your garage door with your smartphone or tablet. You can check if your garage door is open, closed or if there are any changes to the door position, as well as instantly know when someone is operating the garage door. You can also open the door for a delivery, maintenance professional or friends without needing to provide the access password to your garage.

Safety is of the utmost importance. Call to schedule​ an annual visit from Overhead Door Company of Brookfield to keep your door operating safely and smoothly year-after-year.