It may seem easier just to try something yourself rather than call a local garage door company, but better safe than sorry! A broken garage door is not only extremely inconvenient, but it also leaves your home unprotected and can be costly to fix.

• Mount the opener control button out of the reach of small children, at least five feet from the floor: where you have a clear view of the door.
• Do not let children play with a garage door remote controls; explain that the remote controls are not toys.
• Set a good example for children and discuss garage door safety with them; teach how to operate the door safely.
• Test your garage door opener's reversing mechanism monthly by placing a 2 x 4 board in the door's path. If the door does not reverse after contacting the object: Call us for professional repair.
• Know how to use your garage door opener's emergency release feature. Your owner's manual provides instructions.
• Visually inspect your garage door each month. Look at the garage door's springs, cables, rollers and pulleys for signs of wear. If any of these components appear damaged, Call us for professional repair.
• Do not attempt to repair cables or springs. These parts are under high tension and require special tools for adjustment. Improper handling or disconnection can cause breakage and severe injury.
• To avoid damage to your door and/or opener, make sure you disable and/or remove any door locks, ropes, and/or cables before operating your opener.
• Use the release mechanism on the garage door opener to manually open the door using its interior or exterior lift handles. The door should lift smoothly with little resistance and should stay open around three or four feet above the floor. If it 's hard to perform this task, your door may be out of balance, causing premature wear. Call us for professional repair.
• To prevent accidents when a garage door is closing, invest in a garage door opener that features photoelectric eye safety beams, which are mounted a few inches off the floor and send an invisible beam across the door's path. The invisible beam provides added protection to the auto-reverse mechanism, as the door does not have to contact an object to reverse. The Safe Beam is a standard feature on the entire line of Genie and LiftMaster openers.

We encourage you to have your garage door system professionally inspected to ensure everything is working the way it's supposed to. Your garage door inspection should include:

• Careful examination of the entire counterbalance spring system, including springs, cables, and attached hardware.
• Careful inspection of all hardware attachments, including hinges, top brackets, and rollers
• Lubrication of the above appropriate parts.
• Testing of the reversing mechanism on your garage door opener.
• Careful inspection of the opener, including necessary adjustments to limit switches and lubrication of relevant parts.
• Avoid Breakdowns & Repairs with Proper Garage Door Safety & Maintenance.

• While on vacation or away from home for extended periods of time, unplug the garage door opener unit or use a vacation lock on the wall console switch, which is an optional accessory on Genie or LiftMater garage door openers.
• Consider purchasing a garage door opener with rolling code technology, which changes the access codes each time you used the transmitter.
• Wireless keypads, which activate the garage door opener with a personal identification number (PIN), are available for Wayne-Dalton garage door openers. The PIN Numer will allow family members to open the garage door without the use of a key or remote. Never disclose the PIN or leave it written down.
• Never leave the remote control in the car or with a parking attendant.
• Always lock the door from the garage to the inside of your home for greater safety and security.
• Doule Check to make sure your garage door is closed when you lock your entry doors at night.