This customer that hired me is a retired home builder, He interviewed me over the phone and wanted to make sure he wasn’t hiring a newbie! I let him know I am beginning my 3rd year, and talked about experience and back ground. He called around and decided I was his guy. One of the things he made clear was that he needed me as he wasn’t able to climb ladders… wanted a set of experienced eyes were he could not be. After I finished the exterior I moved into the garage and headed into the attic space… Over the garage, 18” of loose insulation, one access to attic and a vaulted ceiling between the garage and the other side of the house, He said you are not going in… I said no, I’m not able to swim through insulation, over the vaulted ceiling to the get a look at the other end of the house, and you really dont want me to displace all this insulation. He said let me up there. I said sorry cant let you use my ladder. He got his own ladder and climbed in. But just like me, he wasn’t willing to swim chest deep across those trusses. Not long after I tested the garage door, he as standing in the doorway to the home, As soon as I put resistance on the door it began to buckle. And didn’t stop I had to run across the garage to hit the button, Yes I should have thought of the eye beam, but I had an oh hell moment. His agent came in and started to melt down, I explained that sometimes systems fail when we are doing and inspection and its better that this fail on me than on the family dog, or the kid on a tricycle. Didn’t help they were worried and pissed. I told them that I needed to stay on the inspection and discuss this later. The agent was anti inspector and was working on the guy the whole time, marking antagonistic comments. I kept cool, at the end, he told me the owner is upset and that she is going to have someone evaluate the doors and follow up. The client said “this falls to me??? “He then questioned my methods and said I chose a bad location on the door to apply pressure, He paid me with a check then after I sent the report he told me not to cash it until he decides what happens next… He thinks the seller will learn door panels are obsolete and he’ll have to eat two doors if he doesn’t buy the house… I told him, I dont feel liable fo this, systems fail and better it happens on me than on you later. I’m not here to cause distruction and its unfortunate. I get the lady of the house’s position was that the doors worked fine for years before I got there, and now they don’t. I like my client, he is a common sense thinker and not a cheat, I am holding his check until further notice. For your troopers that read this whole thing bless you, now let me have it, what do you think? Have you been there and can you help advise??? I’m reluctantly willing to donate my inspection fee but damn… thats a lot of work.
You did your job and delivered a report, cash the check.
But you may have to deal with the owner of the home concerning repair or replacement of the damaged garage door.
I’m not quite understanding “As soon as I put resistance on the door it began to buckle.And didn’t stop”.
Are you saying you put resistance on the door while testing the reverse function, until it buckled? If so, could be an expensive lesson learned, most doors have an adjustment screw for the adjustment of the pressure required to reverse the door. I usually find one of two issues with the resistance reverse, either it’s out of adjustment at the opener (simple turn of a screw), or the linkage is improperly installed.
You applied an improper and non-approved test of the door opener, by the sounds of it. I imagine you held out your arms and let the door “close” on your palms.
Read the manual for the opener your tested, it will spell out the exact procedure for testing the operator.
