Quick Fixes for Garage Safety and Security

Posted on January 28, 2015 in Uncategorized

With the weather supposed to be bearable (mid-30s) this weekend, we at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. thought that we would share with you a few quick fixes you can accomplish to ensure safety, security, and cleanliness in your garage.

Quick Fix 1: Inspect Your Garage Door Balance

A properly balanced door is less likely to crush someone or something and keeps your door opener from working too hard. That's why, with a quick inspection, you can prevent mishaps that could occur. LiftMaster Garage Door Openers offered this quick video on how to inspect the balance of your garage door.

Quick Fix 2: Install a Fire Extinguisher

With a lot of combustible materials in your garage, and many potential things that could start fires, you should have at least one fire extinguisher in your garage. Underwriters Laboratories tests and recommends fire extinguishers, and has specific classifications for what a fire extinguisher does:

Class A: Ordinary Combustibles (Paper, Wood, Cloth)
Class B: Flammable Liquids (Gasoline, Grease, Oil)
Class C: Electrical Equipment (Appliances, Tools)
**Class D & Class K are made for industrial and commercial food service applications, respectively.

The best option for garages would be a 10-pound Class B:C fire extinguisher that you could store near an entrance or workshop. For more information on fire prevention in garages, read our garage fire prevention tips.

Quick Fix 3: Garage Door Lubrication

Something that can easily be done while checking the balance of the garage door is to lubricate moving parts of your door. SF Gate offers a simple 4-Step process to lubricate the moving parts of a garage door:

Stand inside the garage and close the garage door, paying attention to all the various moving parts — springs, rollers and hinges. Note the movement of the door parts and those on the overhead track system, as well as the garage door opening system, if there is one.
Wipe away cobwebs, dust, grime and buildup on the door hinges, springs and other moving hardware. Climb a step stool, if necessary, to wipe away buildup or obstructions on the track system overhead, as well as on the rollers on the garage door track.
Squirt small amounts of silicone spray into the moving parts on the garage door itself, such as the hinges and springs. Open the door halfway and repeat the process. Open and close the door a few times to encourage the oil to lubricate moving areas. Spray additional lubricant if needed. Wipe away lubricant that drips using a clean rag.
Place the step stool under one of the tracks if you cannot comfortably reach or see the inner track area overhead. Open the garage door and spray silicone lubricant into the centers of the rollers that ride on the track, as well as on springs attached to the opening system. Close and open the door several times to allow the lubricant to flow. Wipe away any drips.

Quick Fix 4: Test Garage Door Opener Safety Features

Part of LiftMaster's ‘Don't Chance it, Check it' Initiative is to inspect the eyes of the garage door opener and reversing mechainism.

Check the sides of the garage door for properly installed photo-eyes (black sensors), mounted no higher than six inches off the floor.
Block the photo-eye with an object over six inches tall and press the close button on the garage door opener. The door should not close.
Lay an object that is at least 1.5 inches in height flat on the ground in the door's path and press the close button. Household objects this size might be a bar of soap, stack of index cards, or a hardcover book. The door should reverse off this object. If it makes contact and does not reverse, the door is not operating correctly.

Conclusion

These are all a few quick fixes that every homeowner can accomplish in less than an hour, and will undoubtedly impact the safety of your garage. We offer other safety tips, which you can view below:

Be sure to contact your garage door professionals if you need assistance building a garage in the spring.

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