June is garage door safety month. Help prevent accidents and injury by taking a few minutes this week to not only look over your garage door, but the surrounding area for any hazards. We have highlighted some key areas to watch out for as you make the rounds.

Inside the Garage

Look up. If you store any items in your garage on shelves or racks, make sure they have not shifted and are still solidly in place. The vibrations of opening and closing your garage door can make items wiggle over time. You don't want those ceramic pots falling on your windshield.

Is your garage door opener light bulb still functioning? If not, let's replace it this week. You need to be able to see that toy that may be in your path when you come home at night.

Look eye-level. Check out any windows in your garage. Are any broken or cracked? Schedule for those windows to be replaced to avoid someone cutting themselves. Look over the mechanics of your door opener. Are the tracks clear of debris? Does anything look broken or worn out? Open and shut the garage door and watch the track, brackets, springs and hinges in action. Take note if you feel something is not working properly. Many injuries occur when a person attempts to fix opener parts themselves, we recommend calling a professional to repair any areas you feel need attention.

Look down. Glance at the state of your floor. Is there an oil spill or any other liquids that need to be cleaned up? If you store any items around the perimeter, are they held in place tightly? If not, look into installing pegboard or some other system to keep things in place.

Look over the sensors that make sure your garage door stops coming down if the beam is broken. Clear away any leaves or garbage that may have gotten in the beams path over time. Have an adult help you test it by crossing the beam. If the door continues to move they may need realignment or replacement.

Outside the Garage

Encourage your children not to leave toys or bikes in the path of the garage door. It seems obvious, but children should never hang from the opening or closing door for fun. Kids should also take precaution when playing in the driveway......so many tragic situations happen from cars pulling into and leaving the home.

Make sure your garage area is well lit from the outside, replace any bulbs that have burned out.

When You are Away from Home

Whenever you are away from home for more than a few days, make sure a trusted neighbor knows you are out of town. Ask them to alert you to any odd happenings near your home.

Install a timer that turns on lighting near your garage at dusk. Criminals are less likely to target a home where they think someone is in the residence.

Don't leave garage door openers in any cars left at home. You can also unplug the garage door opener. We recommend NOT using a lock or zip-ties to prevent the door from opening. Too often, people return from vacation and forget they have a lock on the door and end up damaging the door upon their return.

The myQ app is a resourceful way to stay connected to your home while you are away. When paired with a smart garage door opener unit, you can see if the door has been opened or closed. You can also open it from your phone to allow a delivery or let a neighbor in. A wonderful way to have peace of mind until your return.

Make garage door safety a year long goal by examining the area at least every other month.