It’s not the end of the world, of course: you can easily enter through your front door and carry the groceries inside in two or more trips. The distance from your driveway to your kitchen might be several feet longer than from inside your garage to the kitchen on the other side of the wall, but you’ll get the job done.

The point, however, is you’ve been inconvenienced when you installed an automatic garage door specifically to make it easier to drive in and out of your garage.

If your garage door is giving you the same problem — refusing to open or close when you use your remote control — here are a few things you can do:

1. Perform basic troubleshooting. These are the simple steps anyone can do to check if the malfunction is because of oversight or an issue that requires a technician.

• If your garage door opener is connected to a power source, check that it is hooked correctly and that there are no issues with the wiring.
• Check if the batteries of your remote controller need replacing.
• Clear the area near the garage door and make sure nothing is blocking the sensors. Most of the time, a garage door would stop closing halfway through because it detects something standing in the way (this automatic stop is a safety feature that prevents garage doors from accidentally falling on a person standing near the entrance.
• Clean the photo-eye of the sensors, in case they falsely detect obstructions because of accumulated dirt.
• Check the torsion springs, gears and sprockets, rollers, tracks, and other parts for defects.
• Do an ocular inspection and take note if there are parts in the garage door mechanism that looks odd or out of place.

2. Call a garage door repair service if the reason your garage door is stalling is none of the above. Don’t attempt to fix the problem on your own: automatic garage doors with faulty wiring, worn-out springs, weathered strips, misaligned rollers, or torn cables are best left to technicians. DIY-ing the repairs could make the problem worse because these parts need skilful handling.

There’s also the issue of safety: makeshift repairs are dangerous because they are often band-aid solutions that won’t hold. If your “fixes” suddenly give way, your garage door might slam shut or refuse to close entirely. Either scenario could put you and others in your household in harm’s way.

Another reason to call knowledgeable technicians is they can anticipate problems that might happen while repairs are underway. If, for example, your garage door rollers need repairing, they know that they need at least one more assistant who will watch and assist in case the panels become dislodged while the rollers are being replaced.

If your garage door refuses to close and you fear for your safety in the middle of the night, call an emergency repair service right away. Don’t hesitate when it comes to your family’s security.

If you need emergency garage door repairs and you live anywhere in Atherton Tablelands and Cairns, call Infinite Garage Doors. We offer 24/7 emergency garage door repairs. We do motor installations, track and strap replacements, recoding for remote controls, and other garage door services.

Call the mainline, (07) 4097 7117, or our mobile number, 0417 299 581, so that we can accommodate your request as quickly as possible.

For these reasons and others like them, it’s essential to create a safe environment for your children. You can install a guard rail on your bed, put slip-proof carpets and rugs in your bath and screen their toys for choking hazards. And don’t neglect to childproof another part of your Cairns property: the garage.

The Potential Hazards in Your Garage

Think for a moment about what’s in your garage and you’ll quickly realise that it’s a potentially harmful environment for children. Apart from your vehicle, you probably have sharp tools, toxic substances and countless other items that could injure a child if not securely stored. Even your garage door, if not maintained properly, can be dangerous.

Of course, you don’t typically leave your kids in the garage. But apart from keeping it off-limits, apply the following childproofing methods as a precautionary measure:

1. Secure the access from your house to the garage

Prevention is better than cure, so the first step in childproofing your garage is to control children’s access to it. Make sure the door leading to your garage is always locked. Installing a Dutch door, with its two independent top and bottom sections, may also be a good idea. This allows you to see into the house or pass items through the open top door while preventing children from getting through with the bottom part locked.

2. Lock up dangerous substances

Leftover paint, fertilizer, pesticide, petrol and other chemicals are items often found in the garage. Keep these and other toxic or poisonous materials out of your child’s reach, and under lock and key. When left within your child’s reach, like on the floor of your garage or in a low, unlocked cabinet, these substances may be accidentally ingested by your little one.

According to Healthdirect Australia, children below five years old have the highest risk of accidental poisoning, so keeping these substances out of their reach, in locked drawers or cabinets, is essential to childproofing the area.

3. Make vehicles inaccessible to children

Kids are always on the lookout for someplace new to play in and your car is no exception. This is a potential hazard because they might climb in and accidentally get locked inside. This can result in suffocation or heat stroke, especially in the summer. That is why car doors and trunks should remain locked when not in use. 

4. Store tools properly

Power tools, heavy storage boxes, garden tools and other odds and ends that are typically stored in the garage are potential hazards to children. These tools may pose a tripping hazard for or may fall on your child.  That’s why, like chemical substances, you must keep these things stored and locked up securely.

5. Maintain your garage door

At least once a month, you should perform a quick maintenance check of your Cairns home’s garage door. A malfunctioning garage door is one of the biggest dangers to your children because it might suddenly fall on them.

Make sure the garage door and motor are operating smoothly. Check the cables, springs and pulleys and listen for unusual creaks. Make sure your garage door remote is functioning well.

If there’s something wrong, you can always call for maintenance services. Tablelands-based Infinite Garage Doors offers garage door spring, motor and remote repair services in Cairns. With our high-quality repair and maintenance services, we’ll help you keep your garage a safe place for children.

Contact Infinite Garage Doors at 041 299 581 to schedule a service; we’d love to hear from you