Garage Door Fundamentals

Garage Door Safety Checklist

SPRINGS AND CABLES

Is the garage door designed to prevent the personal injury or property damage that could be caused by breaking springs?
All Clopay extension spring garage doors incorporate an exclusive safety containment cable which prevents a snapping spring from flying free and causing injury or damage. On all Clopay torsion spring doors, the spring is installed around the torsion shaft so that, if a spring should break, it cannot snap free and cause damage or injury. To learn more, see Springing Systems.

Are you able to loosen the bottom brackets of the garage door?
Conventional garage door bottom brackets are under extreme tension and can cause serious injury if deliberately or accidentally loosened or removed by someone inexperienced in garage door installation or maintenance. Clopay brand garage residential steel doors feature our patented Safe-T-Bracket™ which, under normal circumstances, cannot be removed while the door is under tension, thus significantly reducing the risk of serious injury.

Have you checked the spring on your garage door?
Beware of old springs. Keep in mind that garage door springs are tightly wound and under high tension. Eventually, all springs will wear out and break, even high quality steel springs like those used by Clopay. A breaking spring that is not properly contained could lash out and strike property or people. Properly installed Clopay doors have containment cables on extension springs and the shaft on the torsion spring will contain the spring on these types of doors. If you have an older garage door, be certain your springs are inspected by a professional installer and replaced if needed. If your door has two springs, replace both, even if one is not broken. This will not only prevent any damage caused by the breaking of the second spring, but also keep your door working efficiently.

Are there any frayed or have worn strips hanging loose on the spring system?
If the cables that attach from the spring system to the bottom bracket on either side of your garage door have frayed or have worn strips hanging loose, your cables are in danger of breaking, which could cause serious injury or property damage. Have the cables inspected immediately by a trained professional who is aware of the potential dangers from spring tension.

Is it a safety concern if the springs are noisy?
Sometimes older springs become squeaky or make a chattering noise. The noise is caused by the spring coils rubbing against one another. This is not a safety concern and can be corrected with a spray-on lubricant.

To ensure safe installation, are the services of a professional installer required for standard torsion spring door installation?
Manual winding of a torsion spring during installation or adjustment is extremely difficult and potentially dangerous. Until recently, torsion spring garage doors could be safely installed only by trained professionals. In March of 1998, Clopay introduced its EZ-SET® Torsion Spring System. Using a 3/8" power drill, now even do-it-yourselfers can safely and easily install or make adjustments to torsion sprung garage doors. If your torsion sprung door does not feature Clopay’s EZ-SET Torsion Spring System, please call a trained, experienced professional to make necessary adjustments.

GARAGE DOOR OPENERS

Does the garage door opener have a reversing mechanism and is it in working order?
A faulty or improperly adjusted reversing mechanism on your garage door opener could cause damage to your car or even injure a child or pet that inadvertently gets caught in the way of the closing door. All garage door openers manufactured and installed after 1991 are required by law to have a reversing mechanism. Most openers can be installed by the do-it-yourselfer. However, Clopay recommends that you have your garage door opener professionally installed, and that it be checked periodically to ensure that the reversing mechanism is in proper working order. Reversing mechanisms activated by contact can prevent most potential damage or injuries caused by a garage door closing automatically. Properly working “photo eyes” now offer an added safety guard, but if bumped or jarred in any way, photo eyes may be disabled. Required on all garage door openers manufactured and installed after 1993, photo eyes are connected to the bottom of the track and reverse the door when an infrared beam is broken. Safety is improved because nothing actually has to make contact with the door before it reverses. Again, Clopay recommends that you have your garage door opener professionally installed and tested periodically to ensure that it is working properly.

Is the wall control panel mounted at least five feet above the floor?
Children playing with the wall control panels of your automatic garage door opener can lead to accidents that might cause either personal injury or property damage. Clopay recommends that you educate your child about the potential dangers of playing with the wall control panel. As an added safety measure, we recommend mounting your wall control panel at least five feet above the floor, out of the reach of young children.

Are the remote controls for the garage door out of the reach of children?
Accidents can occur when children play with the remote controls for an automatic garage door opener. Again, we recommend keeping your remote controls out of the reach of children and educating your children about the potential dangers associated with these mechanisms and the garage doors they operate.

Does the opener have rolling access code technology?
Many homes have been broken into and burglarized by thieves using universal controls that open the garage door by reading the access code in the opener. Rolling access code technology is one way to protect your home, family and belongings against thieves and intruders. Rolling access code technology changes the code of your automatic opener after every use, so the thieves’ universal controls are rendered useless.

Do you have the garage door opener system properly attached to your garage door?
Be sure your opener is attached to your door with an opener reinforcement bracket. Failure to properly install this will void the warranty on your door and cause damage to your door. Be sure you have the proper configuration, depending on your model and size of door and refer to the installation manual for specific instructions.

GARAGE DOORS

Can I install my own garage door?
A “do-it-yourselfer” can install a garage door, if he has skills and tools to do so -- and, most important, if he has carefully and thoroughly read the installation instructions before beginning the job. However, many do-it-yourselfers attempt the job without fully comprehending the installation instructions. Being fully informed about garage door installation prior to starting the job can help prevent injuries and save considerable time. Remember that access to the garage will be unavailable for up to 8 hours during the installation process, so plan accordingly. Clopay provides complete educational materials, videos and toll-free customer phone support to help you with your installation.

Does your door go up and down smoothly when manually operated?
A garage door that does not go up and down smoothly when manually operated probably has a spring system that is out of balance and could cause premature wear and tear on your door’s hardware (including the rollers and hinges). Depending on how worn the spring is, it may need to be adjusted or replaced. For greater safety and operating performance, we recommend calling a trained Clopay Pro-Series service professional.

Have you had your garage door professionally inspected in the last year?
Your garage door is probably the largest moving part in your home and is typically used every day. Over time, parts can wear out and break, creating potential safety problems. Although there are some light maintenance duties and inspections you can perform yourself, Clopay recommends that you have your garage door professionally serviced at least once a year to ensure maximum safety and increase the life of your door. At the very least, you should periodically check your rollers, hinges and safety equipment to be sure they are fastened securely and in proper working order.