Let’s make the garage a safe place for the kids

It’s common to think of the garage as a place where young children should not be left alone. And that’s wise as well. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t make it safe enough so that the kids can use this place to have fun playing hockey or riding their tricycle.

Obviously, if a good portion of the garage is used to store dangerous or flammable products, or it is used as a workshop for DIY projects, there will be substances or objects that could put your children at risk. Here are some steps you can take to make a garage as safe as possible so that your children can stretch their legs without you worrying they’ll hurt themselves.

Use some common sense to guide you

• Choose cabinets instead of shelves for storage

  All toxic or flammable products should be stored in closed cabinets, even better under lock and key. In addition, any cutting tools or sharp or pointed objects should be kept out of sight in similarly closed cabinets.

• Unplug all electric tools

  If your garage includes a workbench for your home repair projects or if you use the space for car repair or maintenance, make sure you leave no electric tools or devices plugged in. Better yet, wrap electric cords around the units and place them out of the reach of children.

• Ladders, stepladders and anything else that can be used for climbing

  As we all know, kids are never short of ideas when it comes to exploring and finding new adventures. See to it that your ladder is securely attached horizontally to the wall. The same goes for any type of stepladder or other equipment that lets them climb on the garage walls.

  As well, don’t overlook any ropes or lines hung from hooks in the garage. There are many Tarzans in training who would just love to try out their climbing skills!

• The garage door is most certainly NOT a toy

  Please explain to your children that, when you aren’t there, they should never use the button near the door to the house to operate the garage door. Usually, the wall control panel is installed at least 5 feet (1.5 m) from the last step or the floor, thus out of reach of young children.

  If you have a double garage door (ex. 16 ft. or 4.9 m wide), most of these doors come equipped with reinforcement struts. These struts, resembling metal bars running horizontally along the inside of the door, should never be used to climb on the door, even if the door is closed and not being used.

  If you operate your garage door in front of your children using an electric opener, be sure they stand a good distance back. If you have a manually operated door, make your children understand that they should never use the joints between the sections for opening or closing the door. They could easily get their fingers crushed.

• All the same, keep an eye on them…

  If you are getting a meal ready in the kitchen, leave the door to the garage open. You’ll be better able to both hear the kids playing and also intervene quickly if something out of the ordinary happens.

In conclusion…

If you aren’t completely sure your garage door is safe and operating properly, contact us without delay at 1-866-319-8173. We provide a tune-up service that will reassure you your door is not a cause of danger for your kids.

At your request, we can send you a detailed quote by email. If you are considering changing your garage door, we can easily visit you at home and explain our complete range of garage doors. As well, with our years of experience, we can advise you on the best choice to make. Highly recommended is using our Design Centre to “build” a virtual garage door for your home, or simply peruse our image gallery to find inspiration.