I know we just had a slew of garage door stories (broken springs, etc.). This time around I did a stupid. We are in the process of having our bathroom remodeled. That’s a whole nuther story and a super pain in the tukus (tookus) sp.
The boss and I wanted to go grocery shopping and I wanted to close the garage door while we were gone. The tile guys were using half of our garage to cut tiles for the bathroom project and I didn’t realize they had the tile cutting machine partially in the garage and partially out. Anyway I closed the garage door and crunch. The garage door is still functional but when the bathroom remodel is finished I plan to call the garage door guy. From a novice observation the top panel is bent inward, some of the hardware is loose that holds the lifting bracket in place and it appears as though each panel has an adhesive holding the frame in place and some of it has pulled away from the panel.
Here are some thoughts I had but not sure if they will fly:
Reshape bent areas on panel (have the garage door guy do this).
Rebuild the lift where it has separated from the door panel.
Resign myself to the fact that I will probably have to replace the top panel and repaint it to match the rest of the door.
A neighbor mentioned that it might be covered by insurance. I highly doubt it but I mentioned it to the boss and she suggested keeping it quite since the insurance company will find out about the remodel deal and go up on the premiums.
Any thoughts other than mentioning what a dumb A*s I was.
Reshape bent areas on panel (have the garage door guy do this).
It’s easy to bend things.
It’s really hard to take a bend out of what used to be a flat surface.
Door panels are cheaper than “craftsman” labor… labor which you won’t find.
Rob
Former RB and BL Home Fool, Supernova Portfolio Contributor & Maintenance Fool
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
Also, check your door opener (or have a pro do it). I don’t think it should have descended with enough force to go “crunch”. When it meets resistance, it is supposed to go back up. It’s a safety thing (to avoid crushing a person).
I did a dumb thing a year ago similar to that, but my door reversed. The only damage (a dent) was due to some lateral force, but otherwise it is just fine. The panel did not deform.
If the tile cutting machine was on the floor and partially underneath the door, the door closer sensor should have never allowed the door to start closing in the first place. Was the machine on a table with an arm extending out of the garage or something?
File the claim, get at least a $1000 fix check out of the insurance company. If they raise your premiums, walk.
My garage door says to test it monthly by putting a 2x4 on the ground so it hits it when attempting to close.
It is supposed to reverse when it doesn’t close fully
I don’t remember if it was the original installer, or this forum, but it is my understanding that a better test is a loaf of bread. There could be enough pressure to injure a person using the 2x4 test, but not the loaf of bread test.
Never tried it myself. It would be tricky because the optical sensor wouldn’t let the door start moving if a loaf of bread was present.
I added a Ryobi GDO a while back, instructions had the optical sensors mounted about a foot off the floor, so lots of room to fit that loaf in below…
The older Sears GDO it replaced had a load sensor, increase the current as it was closing by holding it or an object, a bimetal strip broke contact and it reversed… so no sensors… Basics…
Never tried it myself. It would be tricky because the optical sensor wouldn’t let the door start moving if a loaf of bread was present.
On my door the optical sensor is a few inches off the ground and slightly inside the garage, which seems typical. You could put the load of bread parallel to the door so the beam doesn’t see it.
Of course, you need to like smashed bread!
Some, perhaps many, openers have an adjustment for how much resistance it takes to reverse it. Worth finding the manual on the internet to see if this one does and how to adjust it.
I need to do that. One of my doors is so sensitive that you virtually have to sweep the opening of leaves and what seems like minor debris. Otherwise, the door won’t close, just immediately reverse.
Otherwise, we use the cat as our safety test. If the cat is outside (rare because she is an indoor cat, but one who follows the dog out until she realizes, hey I’m out) she will make a run for the garage when she hears the door closing. Bang, the door reverses. DW is visibly shaken by this occurence.