Roller garage door keys

looksee

Does anyone have an ingenious solution to the problem of unlocking the roller door of a metal garage and letting the door roll up while omitting to remove the key first?

Every time the key bends over and either snaps or is too damaged to use. I have thought of putting a large lump of something - wood maybe - on a keyring, but the door rolls itself up fairly fast and I would be afraid of damaging it.

We have done three keys now between us, in the few weeks we have been in the house.

Yes, I know we should pay more attention. I know you can lock it from inside and leave by the side door (atm completely blocked by possessions while the house is upgraded) and I know how to remove the lock and get out the broken off bit of key.

What I don't know is how to defeat this really bad design so I don't have to keep messing about getting keys cut.

Any suggestions gratefully received! :D

bonzodog2

Some kind of dooorstop thing mounted to the roller, above the lock

my3cents

You aren't the only one OP neighbor has had to replace key when his father left it in the lock and opened the door.

Only answer I can think of is a notice above the lock "Remove key before opening".

looksee

Thanks for that, yes a notice was one possibility but you get familiar and then ignore, might be worth a try. A stop on the door would stop it rolling up altogether I think? I am afraid of putting something in place, say on the key, that might get rolled into the door and damage it.

It just occurs to me that a cord with a loop or hook that stopped the door going right up, so you have to pay attention and unhook it might be a possibility. We would have to remember to hook it on again before closing the door but that might be easier to remember than the automatic 'turn the key slide up the door' thing that we tend to do.

my3cents

I think it should be OK when its the same person opening the door all the time but like the neighbor you give the key to someone to get something out of the garage and thats when the likelihood of it breaking goes right up.

Another option would be to put a big lump of wood on the key with the same warning.

How about some sort of secondary catch? So once you open the door it won't go more than say a meter up unless you pull out a spring loaded catch on the bottom lip of the door that catches on a block a meter up on the side wall?

mjp

Feel your pain. Broke two keys in first month after fitting our garage door. Would love to hear a viable solution to this problem

looksee

my3cents wrote: »

I think it should be OK when its the same person opening the door all the time but like the neighbor you give the key to someone to get something out of the garage and thats when the likelihood of it breaking goes right up.

Another option would be to put a big lump of wood on the key with the same warning.

How about some sort of secondary catch? So once you open the door it won't go more than say a meter up unless you pull out a spring loaded catch on the bottom lip of the door that catches on a block a meter up on the side wall?

I think that is kinda where I am going with the cord. Something fixed to the ground and hooked onto the bottom of the door so that it goes up half way then stops till you unhook it from the door (and stash it in a loop a the side of the door) which gives you time to remember to take out the key. Then let the door go up and remember to hook it back in on the way down.

Maybe fix to very side of door and base but have a hook and loop half way up the cord so you effectively shorten the cord before closing.

Of course the door will not lock unless it can go right down to the ground, so any fastening arrangement and length of cord/chain would have to be kept out of the way.

Working on it...

Maybe just a large label on the key.

Meanwhile have to go and sheepishly get another key(s) cut from a broken one again.

bonzodog2

How about a rope/cable attached to the bottom of the shutter and also to the bottom of the frame, length selected to allow it to go up just nearly all the way.