House detective Jerry Simmons takes us to the Atlanta area, where a couple wants to make certain their Sandy Springs, Ga., 1980 brick traditional dream home is a safe haven for their three children. Simmons found a defective reverse mechanism in the garage door opener. But that's not the only problem a garage door can have. Here's a review of a few important garage door safety tips.
- Since the early 1990s, all garage door openers have been required to have an auto-reverse switch, plus an electric eye that stops the door before it hits anything. Make sure both work.
- The springs attached to the garage door are under hundreds of pounds of tension when the door is closed. If they should break, they can become lethal projectiles. Door springs should either be contained inside a metal tube or have a steel safety cable running through them, to keep them from shooting around the garage. Never attempt to adjust or remove the springs, or mounting brackets yourself. Leave it to a professional.
- The wall control should be placed where children can't play with it. The same goes for the remote. And never try to press the button then race the door. A lot of injuries happen that way.
Powered garage doors are the largest pieces of moving equipment in many homes. They 're a great convenience--as long as they're maintained and operated properly.
)
