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The largest moving object in most homes is the garage door. Garage door defects can include issues with the automation and safety features of garage doors; however structural damage, moving walls and degrading building materials can also have severe impacts on the operation of garage doors.
Serious injury or death can results from being hit by a closing garage door or being trapped under the door. This occurs more often than not when a garage door has been improperly adjusted. For garage doors to continue to operate safely and trouble free, proper installation, regular maintenance, operation and testing are necessary.
It is highly recommended that a safety reversal check is regularly done on existing garage doors to ensure the safe operation of the garage doors.
To do a safety reversal check you should:
- Place a block of wood (or similar object like roll of paper towels) 40mm high object under the door
- Close the door on top of the block of wood/object until it stops automatically
- The door should bounce back from the object in less than 0.75 of a second with less than 40kgs of force (or 2 seconds for safety beams). If it doesn’t, have it checked. A reputable garage installer should be contacted to service/repair or replace the door.
- Further maintenance should include a visual inspection of all the springs, rollers, pulleys, cables and track. Moving parts should be lubricated and the door should be balanced and not move (either opening or closing) when released from the locking mechanism.
- Also do not forget the red emergency cord. This is used to release the locking mechanism whenever you need to open the door during a power failure.
- Consult the owner’s manual for additional recommended maintenance for your models of door and opener. If you do not have an owner’s manual, look for the opener model number on the back of the power unit and request a manual from the manufacturer.
How can we help you?
Our inspections will do a safety reversal check on all automatic garage door, will check that the door is generally balanced, and will also check for any structural damage surrounding the door.
Buying a new home is an exciting time and the process can be fun if you do the right preparation. Contact your local Jim’s Building Inspector on 131 546 and they can help you through the process.
Andrew Skinner- Jim’s Building Inspections Golden Grove
