Garage doors offer safety and convenience for your residential property. While there are built-in measures to keep your family members, including your furry friends, safe when they open and close, there are a few additional steps that you can take to ensure that your pets are fully protected. Here are four of them.

Inspect Safety Components

Garage doors come equipped with certain safety features like reversing mechanism that will automatically engage when someone or something is in the path of the door. This safety feature should be tested on a regular basis to ensure that the doors will reopen in the event that something is in the door's way. This feature will help protect your pets as they try to scurry underneath closing doors.

Add a Pet Door

As a pet owner with a garage door, you may leave your garage door cracked to allow your pets to come and go as they please. Unfortunately, this is putting your home at risk of thieves. In addition, leaving your garage door propped open like this can cause the springs to wear down prematurely. Worn out springs are more vulnerable to closing unexpectedly—as are propped open doors. To help combat this, consider installing a pet door that will provide your dog or cat a safer, easier, and more convenient way to get in and out of the garage.

Perform Regular Maintenance

If your garage door is kept in tip-top shape, you can expect it to be far safer than a garage door that is not kept in prime condition. Make sure that you keep up with garage door maintenance regularly and that all mechanisms and components are clean and undamaged. If you notice any issues with safety features, springs, or remotes, make sure to speak to a professional about having them repaired as quickly as possible to reduce the risk of an accident and injury.

Watch for Hiding Animals

Pets love to hide, especially cats, so it is important that you keep a watchful eye for any pets hiding prior to opening and closing your garage door. For cats, you need to look up high in various nooks and crannies. Your cat may have found that the garage door's track was rather comfortable, which can be catastrophic if you opt to engage your doors before checking for your cat first.

If you notice any issues with your garage doors or would like more information on keeping your pets safe, contact a professional garage door company like Above All Overhead Door.

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