You’ve just spent tons of time, money and effort childproofing your home. You might have installed outlet covers, anchored the heaviest furniture, and put latches on every cabinet your toddler can reach.
But what did you do with your garage door, likely the largest, heaviest moving object on your property? Standard residential garage doors can weigh hundreds of pounds. Add an automated motor to the mix, and the door becomes a piece of heavy machinery with deadly force behind it.
Whether you’re installing a new system or replacing an old one, understanding how long it takes the pros to install a garage door can help you plan safely around the work and avoid unnecessary disruptions.
Modern technology makes garage door opener safety much more advanced, but the equipment’s only as good as the people using it.
That’s why families with small children should never treat their garage doors as a toy, or the backdrop for a game. Keeping garage door safety habits consistent goes a long way toward preventing accidents, injuries or even death.
This guide outlines five non-negotiable safety habits every parent needs to implement today to protect their children from entrapment and injury.
Quick Answer: How Can Parents Make Garage Doors Safer for Kids?
Garage door safety for families starts with five core habits:
- Keep wall buttons out of kids’ reach
- Never run under a moving door
- Secure remote controls
- Watch the door until it fully closes
- Test safety reverse systems monthly
These simple garage door safety tips help prevent injuries, entrapment, and accidents involving children or pets.
1. Keep Garage Door Controls Out of Reach
One of the simplest ways to ensure garage door opener safety is controlling who can operate the system.
Children are curious creatures. To you, the garage door opener is just that: a tool that opens your garage door. To them, it’s a magic switch that makes a giant wall move. They see it as toy, and to you, that’s a huge risk.
Anyone in the garage door industry will tell you to install the push button high enough that your kids can’t reach it. Of course, it should still be low enough for grown-ups to comfortably reach it. Usually, that sweet spot’s around five feet.
Beyond height, there are two other critical factors for wall button placement:
- Away from moving parts: The button must be located where the person using it won’t be hit by the door or caught in the tracks.
- Visual Line of Sight: You should always mount the button in a location where you have a clear, unobstructed view of the closing garage door. How can you react to an emergency if you can’t see the door’s path?
2. Stop Kids from Running Under a Closing Garage Door
It is a common scene in neighborhoods everywhere. A garage door starts to close, and a child (or even an adult) tries to “beat the door” by sprinting underneath it before it hits the ground.
That’s an incredibly dangerous game to play, and you should never let it fly in your household.
Even with modern safety sensors, running under a closing door can be deadly. Sensors can occasionally fail due to misalignment or dirt, and the sheer momentum of a heavy door, even one that has begun to reverse, can cause serious garage door injury.
Garage door safety starts with education. Sit down with your children and explain that the garage door is a heavy piece of equipment, not a toy.
Teach them to “stay away from a moving door” at all times. This rule applies equally to garage door safety for pets, since animals can unpredictably dart under a closing door. If a ball or a toy rolls into the garage while the door is moving, wait for it to stop completely before retrieving it.
3. Keep Garage Door Remotes Out of Kids’ Hands
Treat your garage door openers like your keys. Don’t leave them on your car visor or toss them on the kitchen counter where your kids can get their grubby little hands on them. Remember, to children the remote is another handheld little toy.
To maintain a high standard of child garage door safety, follow these storage protocols:
- Out of Reach: Never allow children to play with or use remote control transmitters. Store them in a secure location inside the house or in a locked glove box.
- Lock Your Vehicles: If you park a car in the driveway or on the street, always keep the doors locked. An unlocked car is an open invitation for an inquisitive child (or an intruder) to grab the remote and gain easy access to your home.
- Rolling Code Technology: If you have an older opener, check if it uses “rolling code” technology. This feature changes the security code every time the remote is used, preventing tech-savvy intruders from recording and replaying your signal to open the door.
4. Always Watch the Door Close Before Driving Away
How often do you press the button to close your door, and peel out before it closes? It’s something we’re all guilty of, but it is an inherently unsafe habit.
Waiting for your garage door to fully close is always the safer alternative. Keep it in sight until it’s fully closed. Even in the few seconds between driving away and the door closing, a child or pet could slip in underneath.
By staying put until the door is sealed against the floor, you significantly reduce the risk of preventable garage door accidents involving children or animals.
5. Test Your Garage Door’s Safety Features Every Month
Modern garage door opener safety is propped up by two primary systems. The mechanical safety reverse and the photoelectric “eyes.”
You can’t just neglect these systems; they need some monthly maintenance. Test them every month to make sure they’re working properly.
Here’s a few tests you can perform:
How to Perform the 2×4 Safety Reverse Test
Since 1993, all garage door openers manufactured for use in the U.S. must include a safety reversing feature.
To test this, place a 2×4 board flat on the garage floor in the path of the door. When you activate the door to close, it should immediately reverse direction the moment it touches the board.
If the door continues to press down on the board without reversing, the opener’s sensitivity may be set improperly, creating a hazardous situation that requires professional adjustment. Attempting to fix complex issues yourself can be risky, especially if springs or cables are involved. Before trying repairs, review whether DIY garage door repairs are actually safe so you understand the risks.
Check Your Safety Sensors with the Six-Inch Rule
Photoelectric sensors, often called “safety eyes,” project an invisible beam across the bottom of the door opening.
If something interrupts the beam while the door is closing, the door should automatically stop and reverse.
- Height Check: These sensors can’t be higher than six inches off the garage floor. If they are, a small child or a pet could crawl under the beam without being detected, leading to a tragic entrapment.
- The Block Test: Wave an object (like a broom handle) in front of one of the sensors while the door is closing. The door should reverse immediately.
How to Check If Your Garage Door Is Properly Balanced
A garage door that is out of balance is a safety risk regardless of how good the motor is.
To check the balance, start with the door closed and use the manual disconnect cord to release the opener. It shouldn’t take much effort to open the door manually. If it’s heavy or takes two hands to lift, it’s likely out of balance.
A properly balanced door should be able to stay partially open (about 3–4 feet above the floor) on its own.
When Should You Call a Professional for Garage Door Safety Issues?
While parents can handle the monthly testing and basic safety education, some parts of the garage door system are simply too dangerous for a DIY approach.
The springs are the most dangerous part of your door. They’re under extreme tension, so if they snap, they’ll leave destruction, severe injury, or death in their wake.
If you try the balance tests described above and the door fails, or if you notice frayed cables, don’t try to fix them yourself. The same goes for the opener’s sensitivity.
There are also clear indicators that your system needs expert attention, including unusual noises, jerky movement, or slow response times. Review the warning signs your garage door needs professional help so you know when it’s time to call in trained technicians.
If any of those things are going on with your door, you need to call some garage door repair professionals.
Ideally, they should understand the importance of a secure home environment and offer same-day emergency repairs for broken cables, openers, and springs.
Key Takeaways: Garage Door Safety Rules Every Parent Should Remember
- Install wall-mounted garage door buttons at least five feet above the floor
- Never allow children or pets to run under or play near a moving garage door
- Store remote controls securely and lock vehicles at all times
- Watch the door fully close before leaving the driveway
- Perform monthly safety reverse, sensor, and balance tests as part of a garage door maintenance routine
- Call professionals for spring repairs, cable issues, or opener calibration
Keeping Your Garage Door Childproof
Maintaining garage door safety isn’t just about the hardware. It’s about the habits you build as a family.
By implementing the five-foot rule, securing your remotes, and committing to monthly safety tests, you can turn your garage from a hidden hazard into a safe, functional part of your home. Once you’ve secured it, you can even explore safer, more creative uses for the space, such as some of the unexpected ways to utilize your garage space that homeowners are embracing today.
If you haven’t tested your door’s safety reverse this month, take five minutes to do it today. Your family’s safety is worth the time.
