here’s a good example of a broken garage door spring, this should not be inspected further. Once you see the broken spring don’t try to operate the door because it could damage the system further and even cause bodily harm.
This photo is from a mock inspection that I did. The photoelectric eye safety system on this garage door was in working order when activated. It effectively reversed the motion of the garage door when tripped There were no other deficiencies identified during this inspection.
In the article “Garage Doors and Openers”, information is provided about common inspection procedures and components related to garage doors. The article gave me a lot of information that I can pass on to my clients about the dangers and requirements set for garage doors and their components.
This wood attic stair was installed in the ceiling of a two car garage with an accessible attic space above the garage without any habitable space. This attic stair should be covered with 1/2" gypsum board to protect it from fires.
Provide three photos of the water meter at the end of every inspection:
As a home inspector it is critically important at the end of any inspection where the home is supplied with municipal water to provide a series of three pictures of the water meter in your report to indicate to the home owner that no water was running when you left the inspection.
This also provides the client and home owner reassurance that the inspector was conscious enough to provide such photos to ensure the water was off in the home.
The image is of a garage door opener in a 3 car attached garage. The single car stall did not have an automatic garage door opener. The garage door opener was newer and had photo-eye sensors installed for the auto-reverse.
The article I chose was about garage doors and openers. Garage doors are one of the heaviest moving objects in the home. About 20,000 people get injured per year. That is why the auto-reverse safety features are important. Especially if you have kids or pets.
A manual release lever should be installed on a garage door opening system. The manual release lever should be red and no more than 6 feet above the finished floor. Garage door panels shall not have damage from cracking, separation between panels, denting or have any loose attachment hinges.
In the article “Garage Doors and Openers”, it explains that garage doors are amongst the heaviest moving parts in a home. Garage doors account for 20,000 emergency room visits per year in the United States. A home inspector should call out all garage door defects and recommend that a garage door professional repair damages.
This photo show photoeyes installed above opener. This prevents the auto reverse system from working as designed and is really lazy installation. Luckily, they left the wiring coiled up so correcting the situation will be easy. This door is currently a safety hazard.
This photo show photoeyes installed above opener. This prevents the auto reverse system from working as designed and is really lazy installation. Luckily, they left the wiring coiled up so correcting the situation will be easy. This door is currently a safety hazard.
This garage is located adjacent to three large trees. Over time the leaf and soil buildup has caused the siding to become buried below soil and water damage exists. The slab has heaved due to the root structure. The slab is cracked beyond reasonable repair.
Still new the my area is the requirement of garage door to living space hinge springs. All new construction and renovations now require the springs as a safety item. These combined with proper door weather stripping are now enforced items.
This is an image of a garage door that has extension springs that is lacking the safety cable that runs through the spring. When the door is closed, there can be up to 400 pounds of force applied to each spring. I have personally been in a home twice when an extension spring has failed. It literally sounds like part of the home has just fallen apart. Fortunately, each time, there has been a cable installed, so there was no damage.
Garage doors and openers:
A garage door is the largest movable component in a home. They are operated by springs that are under heavy tension to help lift the door. It is always recommended that homeowners do not try to adjust or replace springs themselves, as they can be subjected to dangerous forces.
This is a picture of a garage door, spring, and garage door opener. The spring was inspected and no defects were found. The garage door was inspected and no issues were found. The door was well balanced when the garage door opener was disengaged from the garage door opener.
This essay is about the importance of a website for the inspection business. The business website is important because it describes the business operated by the home inspector and what services the inspector offers and it tells why perspective clients should hire one particular inspector versus any other home inspector.
Garage door openers must be plugged in directly to an outlet, extension cords are not allowed as permanent wiring. Light bulbs must be installed in openers. The type of opener should be noted in the inspection report, chain drive, belt drive, screw drive.
When inspecting garage doors always check the vehicle door with the garage door opener disconnected from the door before operating the opener. At unoccupied houses the door may have something in the track to prevent it from opening. The door or opener could be damaged.
The floor of a garage has to be constructed of noncombustible material. Usually garage floors are constructed of concrete. In the photo attached, the garage floor is made of a Stone and Epoxy solution. This helps to reduce tracked in dirt, it is safe and slip resistant, eliminates puddling, and it covers uneven concrete tripping hazards.
