Safety advise to clients regarding their automatic garage door opener should not encourage them to take on repairing the system themselves. While answering their questions, avoid suggesting they should of could do the work themselves and always refer any testing beyond the basic tests done as part of the home inspection be done by a certified/approved garage door contractor.
A modern ranch style house garage. 16 ft wide used for autos lawn mowers storage of various other items. A water heater resides here elevated the required eighteen inches off the floor. A concrete floor with a slope towards the outside door.
Underground service cables enter the garage terminating into a service panel that has a meter that faces the outside but with the breakers on the inside of the garage. This is a 200 amp panel with no sub panels visible.
This is an example of a correctly installed safety cable on a garage door spring. It is installed to keep a broken spring from flying around in case it is broke. However it is missing a proper garage door spring.
Lawn sprinklers cause wood decay on deck post. In many ways, first it add moisture to the ground that can be sucked up into the post. Also they help keep the post wet by not giving it a change to properly dry out.
Garage door openers: The garage door is usually the largest moving object in the house. It has many components under high tension. Improper installation or maintenance can cause serious injuries or death. Check for damage, cracking,denting, bulging before operating the automatic door.
Garage doors: Garage doors are large, spring supported doors. Garage doors are typically among the heaviest moving object in the home and are under high tension from the springs. Garage doors account for approximately 20,000 emergency room visits annually. Majority of the injuries are the result of pinched fingers.
Pictured is the garage of the home, inspected the over head door, inspected the entry door into the home and found the fire rated tag. Garage is completely dry walled and has proper GFCI for electrical outlets. No attic access.
Garages are one of my favorite areas to inspect. The door between the garage and house should be 1 3/8 thick and fire rated. There should not be any HVAC supply registers in the garage. Also, extension cords should not be used for permanent appliances.
I selected “Seller’s Pre-Listing Inspection” for this article. I am a new inspector and very interested in pre-list inspections. This service offers several advantages to sellers, including the identification of safety hazards before realtor and buyer walkthroughs. This also allows the seller to repair many items before placing the property on the market.
This is front of heat pump unit which is located on back wall of garage , with house entry door on right and hot water tank on left. The unit is directly in front of where automobile is parked. There is no barrier to prevent auto from hitting unit or hot water tank.
Essay on Man Door ( Attached Garage) Most generally there is a step up from garage to house entry. I do not always find there to be a tight fitting or weather stripping seal that is proper. Usually missing or door will not seal to it. If door is not metal I look for fire rating on top or hinge side of door. Very seldom do I find a self closure mechanism on older homes.
This picture was taken in a detached garage. The wiring, live, was left dead-ended in numerous locations. The wiring was run for outlets and light fixtures that were never installed. Not so unusual to find 1 or 2, but 6? Here’s the best part, the home owner was an electrical contractor. Guess the electrician’s kids have no lights or outlets.
I read the “Garage Inspection” article dealing with altered trusses. Very good information on truss design and attachment. I have seen trusses repaired with plywood. I have never seen a truss installed with a joist hanger attached through dry wall.
One item i have on my garage door checklist is the key to the garage door release that should be installed in detached garages that can only be entered by means of the large garage door. The new home owner needs have keys for this device and needs to be aware of what it is and how it works to release the garage door opener during a power outage or opener failure.
We all need to be reminded of the inherent dangers of garage door openers. It is imperative to teach children of the dangers involved with garage doors. they need to be taught to stay away from a moving door and all the other precautions and dangers listed in the garage doors and openers article.
I read the article on adobe home structures. I learned that adobe has a great energy valve that I had never even thought of before. It was interesting to learn that adobe holds in the radiant heat from the sun though the day and releasing it into the home or structure thought the night. Then keeps the building cool though the day while recharging to repeat the process.
Observations of the mechanical equipment located in the garage shower that both the burners on the hot water tank and furnace meet the code of being 18" above the finished floor,all drywall has been installed and taped to acheive the required fire rating
After taking the course on inspecting garages on of the most important factors is the fire rated walls and adjacent to living quarters,second would be the overhead garage door saftey reversing systems that both be checked for proper working order
Garage doors. Garage doors should have sensors to protect the door from damage and other objects from injury or damage. The two methods are photoelectric sensor eyes, and tension detection. When either the photoelectric beam is broken or the opener detects too much tension it should auto reverse the door to the open position. this door had neither system properly adjusted and cause door failure. Suggest professional garage door contractor further evaluate.
