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Garage Door Information

Sectional Garage Door and Electric Operator Checklist for Home Inspectors and Consumers

Sectional Garage Door and Electric Operator Checklist for Home Inspectors and Consumers
IntroductionThe garage door systems industry recognizes the important safety role played by home inspectors. This checklist intends to help home inspectors maximize the value of their service to homeowners and home buyers.

This checklist covers the most important parts of a basic inspection of a residential sectional garage door connected to an automatic garage door opener. This checklist does not apply to tilt-up one-piece doors.

WARNING

The garage door is typically the largest moving object in the house, and many of its components are under high tension. Improper installation or maintenance of a garage door can create a hazardous condition that can cause serious injury or even death.

Because of potential dangers involved, all repairs and adjustments must be performed by a trained door systems technician using proper tools and instructions.

A moving door can cause serious injury or death. Keep people clear of the opening while the door is moving.

High spring tension can cause serious injury or death. Do not try to remove, repair or adjust springs or anything to which door spring parts are fastened, such as, wood blocks, steel brackets, cables or other like items.

These inspection steps assume that the door is operable. If the door appears inoperable, a trained door systems technician should be contacted.

This checklist covers the safest procedures that are supported by DASMA. If a home inspector encounters a problematic situation, we urge you to follow our recommendations. In some cases, you may need to use your best judgment on how to proceed safely.

Items Needed

This 10-point inspection can be performed in a few minutes. To conduct the inspection, you should have (1) a tape measure, (2) a flashlight, (3) a 2×4 piece of wood at least six inches long, and if available, (4) a garage door remote control. Depending on the height of the door, (5) a ladder or step stool may also be helpful.

Sectional Garage Door and Electric Operator
Checklist for Home Inspectors and Consumers
Item Description Yes No
1. Manual Release Handle Begin inside the garage, with the door fully closed. Check for a manual release handle, i.e., a means of manually detaching the door from the door opener. UL 325 requires that the handle (or gripping surface) be colored red and be easily distinguishable from the rest of the opener system. The handle should be easily accessible and no more than six feet above the garage floor. Does the door have a means of manually detaching the door operator?
2. Door Panels From inside the garage, with the door fully closed, check the condition of the door panels. Are they free of any signs of fatigue, cracking or separation of materials? NOTE: If the answer is no, the door could present a hazardous condition that should be inspected by a trained door systems technician before proceeding with this inspection.
3. Warning Labels From inside the garage, with the door fully closed, make sure the door system contains the following warning labels: (1) A spring warning label attached to the spring assembly, (2) A general warning label attached to the back of a door panel, (3) A warning label attached to the wall in the vicinity of the wall control button and (4) Two warning labels attached to the door in the vicinity of the bottom corner brackets. [NOTE: Some newer doors have tamper-resistant bottom corner brackets that will not require these warning labels.] Are all these warning labels present?
4. Spring and Hardware Inspection With the door still in the closed position, visually inspect the springs for damage.

WARNING

If a spring is broken, operating the door can cause serious injury or death. Do not operate the door until the spring is replaced by a trained door systems technician.

Visually check the doors hinges, brackets and fasteners. If the door has an opener, the door must have an opener reinforcement bracket that is securely attached to the doors top section. The header bracket of the opener rail must be securely attached to the wall or header, using lag bolts or concrete anchors. Are all these hardware parts securely and appropriately attached?

5. Door Operation Make sure that the door is in the closed position. If the door has an opener, pull the manual release to disconnect the door from the opener. Without straining yourself, manually lift and operate the door by grasping the door in a safe place where your fingers cannot be pinched or injured. If the door is hard to lift, then it is clearly out of balance. This can be an unsafe condition, and maintenance is required.Raise the door to the fully open position, then close the door. The door should move freely, not open or close more quickly than the force applied, and it should open and close without difficulty. If the door is difficult to open or close, the door should be inspected by a trained door systems technician before proceeding with the inspection. As the door operates, make sure that the rollers stay in the track. If any rollers fall out of the track, the door system should be repaired by a trained door systems technician before you proceed with the inspection.

Does the door move freely, without difficulty, and not open more quickly than force applied? Do the rollers stay in the track during operation? After conducting this check, reconnect the door to the opener, if present. This is generally done by activating the opener until is reconnects itself to the door.

6. Spring Containment The counterbalance system is usually comprised of torsion springs, mounted above the door header, or extension springs, which are usually found next to the horizontal track. When springs break, containment helps to prevent broken parts from flying dangerously in the garage. Torsion springs are already mounted on a shaft, which inherently provides containment. If the door has extension springs, verify that spring containment is present. Extension springs should be contained by a secure cable that runs through the center of t he springs. Are counterbalance springs and their attachment components restrained by a cable or shaft?
7. Wall-Station Push-Button Locate the wall-station push -button and measure the vertical distance between the button and the adjacent standing surface. The button should be at least five feet above the standing surface and high enough to be out of reach of small children. Press the push button to see if it successfully operates the door. Does the garage door have at least one working wall-mounted push-button, and are all push-buttons mounted in clear view of the door, safely away from all moving parts and at least five feet above the standing surface?
8. Photoelectric Eyes Location [Federal law states that residential garage door openers manufactured after 1992 must be equipped with photoelectric eyes or some other safety-reverse feature that meets UL 325 standards.] This check is for doors with openers. Check to see if photoelectric eyes are present. They will typically be found near the floor, mounted to the left and right sides of the bottom door panel. If photoelectric eyes are present, measure the vertical distance between the photo-eye beam and the floor. Is the beam no higher than six inches above the floor, or can it be verified by the door manuf acturer that photoelectric eyes are not necessary?
9. Non-Contact Reversal Test This check applies to door systems that are equipped with photoelectric eyes. Standing inside the garage, but safely away from the path of the door, use the remote control or wall button to close the door. As the door is closing, wave an object in the path of the photoelectric eye beam.Does the door immediately reverse and return to the fully open position?
10. Contact Reversal Test [UL 325 requires this test, but in some rare cases, this test has damaged the door system when the openers force-setting has been improperly set or when the opener reinforcement bracket is not securely or appropriately attached to the top section. If you have any concerns that this test may cause damage, a trained door systems technician should check the entire system and conduct the test.] This check applies to doors with openers. Begin this test with the door fully open. Under the center of the door, place a 2×4 piece of wood flat on the floor, in the path of the door. Standing inside the garage, but safely away from the path of the door, use the remote control or wall button to close the door. When the door contacts the wood, does the door automatically reverse direction and return to the fully open position?

Note: Techincal Data Sheets are information tools only and should not be used as substitutes for instructions from individual manufacturers. Always consult with individual manufacturers for specific recommendations for their products and check the applicable local regulations.This Technical Data Sheet was prepared by members of DASMA’s Commercial & Residential Garage Door Division Technical Committee. DASMA is a trade association comprising manufacturers of rolling doors, fire doors, grilles, counter shutters, sheet doors, and related products; upward-acting residential and commercial garage doors; operating devices for garage doors and gates, sensing devices, and electronic remote controls for garage doors and gate operators; as well as companies that manufacture or supply either raw materials or significant components used in the manufacture and installation of the Active Members’ products.
This sheet is reviewed periodically and may be updated. Visit www.dasma.com for the latest version.
DASMA – Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association International
1300 Sumner Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2851
Phone: 216-241-7333 – Fax: 216-241-0105
E-mail: dasma@dasma.com

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Reviews

Google Rating
4.4
Bungalows to Mansions Professional Inspection Services, LLC
Bungalows to Mansions Professional Inspection Services, LLC
4.4
Debbie Owen-Pirkle
Debbie Owen-Pirkle
13:18 24 Sep 24
As an insurance professional, I truly appreciate Bruce Graham's quick turnaround on inspections. His efficiency not only streamlines our processes but also enhances client satisfaction. It's a such a pleasure to work with someone who understands the urgency of our industry and consistently delivers results promptly.
Valentina Fandino
Valentina Fandino
17:43 30 Jun 21
Bruce was extremely thorough, efficient, and quick to get us the report for a home we wanted to purchase. Not only was he extremely professional but super personable, made the inspection experience less scary for a first time home buyer like me, and gave us excellent feedback and ideas. I really appreciate this company and Bruce’s work ethic! Will call them again in the future for any other inspections.
Adam Ursell
Adam Ursell
16:43 21 Jul 20
Bruce is very thorough and helpful! A good decision all around. We were recently interested in purchasing a property, we had Bruce inspect it and found signs that indicated potential defective drywall in the home. This was also suspected by an inspector who had seen the home in 2019. We asked the seller to do a chemical test of some of the walls, which they refused, so we cancelled our offer as we had no definitive way of knowing whether it was defective drywall or not besides the sellers word, which for a home that could need an immense amount of work is something we weren't willing to take at face value. The seller did provide documentation so far as an inspection from several years prior and a note from the construction companies purchasing agent, but we found this insufficient to set our worries at ease. Though we cancelled during our inspection period, the seller also tried to claim our deposit as well as slandering everyone we worked with, which was completely unnecessary as we were perfectly within our rights and due process in doing this. We wanted buyers to know we trust Bruce thoroughly, as he himself was very thorough and alerted us to things we needed to know. Though we ended up not proceeding with the home he inspected, he also took time investigating the home after the inspection with us by reviewing older inspection documents and even reaching out to prior inspectors personally. We wanted to thank him for all his time and effort making sure we knew exactly what we were buying. Thank you so much my friend! We will continue to use and recommend your service! =)
Yeni Monroy
Yeni Monroy
21:27 25 Oct 17
Very professional, excellent work, prompt and polite. Goes the extra mile to help you with any request from insurances or realtors needs. Always available for any questions you may have . I've use them more than once and wouldn't hesitate in referring them.
Carl Pennick
Carl Pennick
23:50 10 Jan 17
As a fellow inspector I have always trusted Bruce for advise and 2nd opinions when I have found issues carrying out my own home inspections. His knowledge on home inspections is 2nd to none.
Wade Swikle
Wade Swikle
21:10 03 Feb 16
Bruce provides years of experience in home inspections, and is incredibly involved in the real estate community. It's no wonder some of Gainesville's top Realtors continuously trust Bruce to take great care of their client's home inspection needs!
Joe Prager
Joe Prager
23:00 22 Aug 13
I have used Bruce Graham for inspections at my own home (two wind mitigation reports) and have referred my real estate customers to him. He does a stellar job. He is very thorough, and detailed and finds a lot of problems that other inspectors might miss. His professionalism is well known in the community and he points out flaws he finds in a fair and balanced manner - explaining any findings in clear and understandable terms to the home buyer. (I know of some inspectors that become quite dramatic and scare buyers if they find lots of problems, which to me is unprofessional - but Bruce is not like that.) Bruce is very well qualified (he is a general contractor and InterNASHI member, and has lots of experience. His reports offer detailed explanations and photos and can be used as a "to do list" to fix up a home afterwards. I suspect whomever posted the negative review is a competitor, as I been with Bruce on about 10 inspections and his work was outstanding. In one inspection, he found a bad blower motor on a Trane air handler on a bank foreclosure property.. It was an intermittent problem, so we called the listing agent and asked for the local A/C guy to come out and fix it before the closing.. They came out but could not find the problem, so I had them come back a 2nd time and I was there, too, and they still could not duplicate the problem. But, just as Bruce had predicted, two days after the buyers moved in, the blower motor FAILED... we were able to go back to the listing agent and seller and demand that they pay the $400 to replace the fan. Bruce was right all along - it was bad stator winding on the fan. So, if you want your inspection done right, give Bruce a try. His new company name is 1st Inspections Florida.
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