Tips to Childproof Your Garage

Having children means protecting them from risks in the world and around the home. There are so many risks parents have to watch out for, such as small objects children can put in their mouths, cleaning chemicals, long flights of stairs, the list goes on and on. When you child-proof your home, however, one space you can’t forget is the garage. Read on to learn more about making the garage a safe space for your kids.

Is Your Garage Safe?

Garages are full of things that can cause harm to children. These include concrete floors, outdoor supplies, vehicles, tools, chemicals, and more. Keeping your child away from these dangers is vitally important. Before you start child-proofing your garage, answer these questions.

• When your cars are in the garage, are they locked?
• How easily can your kids get in and out of the garage?
• Do you regularly maintain your garage door?
• Can your children reach tools and chemicals stored in your garage?
• Is your garage full of clutter or is it clutter-free?
• Can you think of any less obvious risks in your garage, such as pet food, garbage, and gardening materials?

After thoughtfully answering these questions you should have a good idea of what steps you need to take to make your garage a safe place for children. Consider the following strategies:

• Remove clutter from your garage. Get rid of anything you don’t need and carefully store away all dangerous objects as high up as possible. Children are clever and will use stools or find other creative ways to reach these items. You could also store them in a locked cabinet and carefully hide the key.
• Add a Dutch door to your garage exit.  A Dutch door keeps the bottom half of the door closed while the top half is open to allow fresh air inside the garage and to easily unload and transfer items.
• Store chemicals and other dangerous substances far out of reach of children.

Automatic Garage Doors and Safety

It’s important to take care when it comes to automatic garage door openers because these heavy doors can cause serious injury to a child. For many children, opening and closing the garage door is like playing with a toy. However, when they do this, they can easily get caught in the door or its moving parts. The garage door should sense when an object, including a child, is in the way, but it’s up to you to make sure this feature is functioning properly. One way to test your automatic garage door sensitivity is to put small objects in the way. If the door senses the object, it will not close.

To make sure your garage door is perfectly safe for your children, contact Lincoln Electric Garage Door Company. Our experienced and friendly technicians can assist with a garage door repair, a new garage door, and garage door openers. Our company is family owned and operated and has been in business since 1967. We understand the dangers of garages and garage doors when it comes to children. Contact us today to have all your questions and concerns answered.