Garage Door Safety and Garage Door Maintenance Are Focus of GarageDoorCare.com

DAYTON, Ohio, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Most folks take their garage doors for granted. Until the day the garage door doesn't work.

GarageDoorCare.com, a website sponsored by the International Door Association (IDA), can help homeowners learn about garage door safety and garage door maintenance. IDA is the world's largest trade association of professional garage door and access system dealers and installers.

One page of the website is devoted to children and garage door safety. A special learning tool entitled "D.O.O.R. Safe" contains four brief messages to help parents teach young children the dos and don'ts of garage doors. These messages are:

• Doors are heavy – never stand, run or play under or near any garage door, especially when the door is open or moving.
• Openers are for adults – never play with the button on the wall that opens and closes the garage door.
• Ouch! – never touch any part of a moving garage door. Your fingers and hands can get hurt!
• Remotes are for adults – never play with the remote control in the car or on Mom and Dad's keychain.

"We encourage parents to teach their children that the garage door and garage door opener aren't toys," said IDA Managing Director Chris Long. "Whether a child is at home or at the house of a friend or relative, it's important they understand that they should never play near or underneath a garage door. It's also important that they learn not to play with garage door opener remotes or button controls."

When it comes to maintenance, the website can help homeowners learn about maintenance checkups they can perform themselves, but it also provides helpful guidance about when it's best to call in a pro.

"The garage door and its electronic operator should be kept in top operating condition," said Long.

Homeowners should consider using a garage door professional when it comes to repairs. A garage door system is comprised of many components, including springs and cables that are under high tension and can cause severe injury or even death if broken, tampered with or mishandled.

The site also provides a handy ZIP code search function that allows consumers to locate the nearest garage door professional if they prefer the help of a seasoned expert for annual or semi-annual checkups, or for maintenance and repair issues.

SOURCE International Door Association