Double-Check Your Garage Door After A Minor Bump Mishap
Posted on: 20 February 2015
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No matter how many times you pull into the driveway without a hitch, the day arrives when you bump into the garage door. Putting an unattractive dent in the garage door is the least of your problems. Damage to the automatic door's mechanisms may be present. A combination of taking certain steps after hitting the door along with precautionary measures to prevent a mishap is strongly advised.
Get a Visual
Due not assume even a slight bump did no damage. An assumption like this could end up causing more chaos when trying to open up the door. Get out of the vehicle and walk right up to the garage door. Focus your attention on any imperfections capable of impeding the easy opening and closing of the door. If sizable dents block smooth movement, pressure could build up and ruin the motor, tear out the rollers, or create other issues. And do not just check the exterior of the door! Go inside the garage, turn on the lights, and examine the interior condition.
Press and Rattle the Door
Even if you do not notice any clear flaws with the garage door, carefully press your palm against the surface and lightly press inwards. Rattle the door a bit. Does something sound out of the ordinary? Does the movement possibly indicate the door is no longer aligned properly? If so, garage door repair work might be necessary. Again, this step is for when you slightly bumped into the door. Obviously, when major damage is present or you hit the door really hard, you should not press, touch, or go near the door.
Keep Your Finger on the Button
Avoid just hitting the open button and taking your attention away from the manner in which the door opens. Keep your finger close to the button in order to shut the power off shut the door down if it starts to shake, rattle, screech, or show other clear signs of defective operations. Ask someone to wait on standby near the home's circuit breaker in order to cut off power to the door if necessary.
Draw a Line on the Driveway
To avoid more accidents in the future, take some colored chalk and draw a line on your driveway just in front of the garage door. Upon approaching the door, be aware of the line on the ground. Avoiding going over the line helps you avoid hitting the door. Purchasing cheap walkway lights is advisable in order to see the line on the drive at night or in low-light situations.