Handyman Knows Best

Let's face it, most homeowners don't think of the handyman until something is broken or they want home improvements. Regular maintenance can also help prevent safety issues. The importance of safety in your home is yet another good reason for hiring a professional handyman. Other beneficial aspects is a professional handyman can address maintenance concerns that could prevent safety issues.

The pro knows how and what to look for when it comes to safety issues that many homeowners may take for granted. For example the garage door is the largest door in the home yet many people tend to use it as the main exit and entrance to their homes. With the convenience of automatic door openers, not to mention the remotes we carry in our cars, it’s easier to use than the front door. What would the kids do without the numeric keypads, into which they punch their codes, to get in the house? We bring our cars and bikes in and out, and don’t forget lawn mowers, garden tools and whatever. The point is, this door is well used, but how safe is it?

Automatic garage door openers have been around a lot longer than safety devices for them, or for that matter safety regulations for them. Garage doors with openers that either did not have safety devices, or had defective safety devices, have been blamed for causing serious injury and even death. Children and pets have been the primary victims. The car you have seen with a crease on the hood, is a good indication of these older heavy doors without properly working safety devices.

For example, an older double garage door can weigh over four hundred pounds, while a new door of the same size can weigh less than half that. If you have an older door and the safety device does not work, what you have is an accident waiting to happen! This is a good reason why all new automatic openers must have a pressure sensitive auto-reversing device and a photoelectric-reversing device.

Tomorrow I will give you some tips for checking the safety devices on garage doors.