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Adventures in Garage Door Openers

Started by SGOS, May 31, 2018, 07:30:48 AM

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SGOS

I've built three houses almost entirely on my own, but I have subcontracted out for certain jobs, like excavation, concrete work, masonry, and garage doors.  Hanging the door is no problem, but installing the opener always seemed like a bit of a mystery, and I've used professionals for that.

I bought two openers recently at Lowes along with the installation, which Lowes contracts out, but after a month and a half, the door company never showed up, never called, and did not answer my calls or a call from Lowes on my behalf.  Lowes confided that they have been having problems with this company, and a google search of reviews turned up only one, a 1/5 rating gigging them for not showing up.

I've run into this kind of bullshit before, although there has always been contact and discussion over the phone, and on a frequent occasions I extracted promises to finish the job that week, which turned out to be blatant lies, but this time it was like the company was nothing more than a money laundering front.  Were there even people there?

Usually, I get seeing red pissed when I'm jacked around by a contractor, but the years have told me it isn't worth it.  Either they do it, or I do it.  But letting them lie and manipulate is a game I don't want to play.  I just want someone to hang the God damned door.

So Lowes refunded the installation fee, and I took the hardware home, and I started reading instructions.  I'm actually having fun learning something new, but it's confusing.  It always is the first time and I'm starting day three of fumbling through what should be a four hour job, while making 50 mile round trips to get things that aren't included with the door.  Still it will be cheaper in the end, and I will be extremely satisfied knowing I did it without help from an asshole.

I don't/can't work as fast or as long as I did 30 years ago, but then I'm also more patient.  I expect the second door to take me less than a day, because I spend a lot of time wondering what the directions actually mean, and even they say on occasion, "Your door may require another method for this part of the installation."  In other words, "you need to figure it out on your own," which I manage to take a long time doing.  One such problem took me a day of thinking before I came up with a solution, which required another trip to the hardware store.

Yet, I think it's worth it.  I'd much rather deal with the learning curves and the problem solving than be manipulated by some guy that thinks I can't live without his service.  I used to fuck around with contractors in the hopeless need to have them act responsible.  Not all are like that, of course, but it's a nightmare when you connect with one. 

I just want to hire them.  I don't want to teach them ethics.

In fact, the reason I starting building my own houses, was because the first builder I hired was like that, plus I also had an interest in building myself.  So I fired him and finished the job myself.  I remember standing there being terrified looking at this huge pile of lumber and trying to visualize a house at the end of it.  But I soon figured out you only have to handle one board at a time.  I can handle one board at a time.  Anybody can.  The second house was pure joy building, and my ex still lives in that one, which is now forty years old.

Baruch

Good on you for being self reliant.  Unfortunately, this is why there is a Better Business Bureau, and why only their members should be used for business contacts.  But there is a shortage in the skilled trades, because everyone wants to be a BS artist with a college degree.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

SGOS

Quote from: Baruch on May 31, 2018, 07:34:53 AM
But there is a shortage in the skilled trades, because everyone wants to be a BS artist with a college degree.
Believe me!  There is no shortage of BS artists in the building trades either.

PopeyesPappy

If I ever do another garage door opener myself it will probably be a jackshaft design.

Save a life. Adopt a Greyhound.

SGOS

Quote from: PopeyesPappy on May 31, 2018, 09:23:39 AM
If I ever do another garage door opener myself it will probably be a jackshaft design.
I'm not familiar with those.  These two are just the cheap basic chain-drive Chamberlains, the kind that are sold at just about every outlet.

SGOS

I just looked up "jackshaft opener."  That looks like a good way to do it.  Simple looking installation without a lot of clutter dangling from the ceiling.  Clean and simple.  I like it.

PopeyesPappy

Quote from: SGOS on May 31, 2018, 10:05:35 AM
That looks like a good way to do it.  Simple looking installation without a lot of clutter dangling from the ceiling.  Clean and simple.  I like it.

That's why I'll be using that kind of opener the next time I do one.
Save a life. Adopt a Greyhound.

aitm

I was raised by a man who refused.to show me anything more than once. Pay attention son I'm not doing this again
I am grateful for that
Other than todays vehicle motors I do everything myself, unless I just don't want to.
Last year I was fixing.the grand daughter's ceiling fan, she.starts twirling and singing "pop-pop pop- pop, he's the man, if he can't do it no one can." Gotta admit, it was a moment of old fashioned pride.
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

Cavebear

Quote from: SGOS on May 31, 2018, 07:30:48 AM

So Lowes refunded the installation fee,

I'm mostly a DIY type myself, but shouldn't Lowe's just have provided another contractor?
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

SGOS

Quote from: Cavebear on June 01, 2018, 01:31:38 AM
I'm mostly a DIY type myself, but shouldn't Lowe's just have provided another contractor?
Absolutely.  I complained about the contractor, but Lowe's needs to take some responsibility for the lack of service too, especially when people besides myself are being yanked around.  I thought about mentioning this to the reps at Lowes, but they were already aware of the problem, and I didn't see how me telling them to fix this problem at the corporate level would change anything.  It's easier to just do it myself, and my personal advice would likely never be heard by the person in charge, anyway.

If I can speculate, I've been thinking that Lowes has a contract with this company, and like most contracts of this nature, it will eventually expire.  I assume there are provisions for a breach of contract, like failure to provide service in a timely fashion, but maybe not.  I'm guessing that Lowes put this contract up for bid, and offered the agreement to the lowest bidder, so they are obligated not to give the work to other providers.

Actually, Lowes did offer to make arrangements with another provider, since their original provider failed to meet the time requirement (probably such a provision is in the contract).  But I wasn't interested in starting this shit all over again, and I just wanted to get the thing done.

SGOS

Quote from: Cavebear on June 01, 2018, 01:31:38 AM
I'm mostly a DIY type myself,
A friend of mine who also built his own house including the foundation and exterior brick wainscoting, jokingly said one time, "I can do as good a work as any contractor, and I can work just as fast.  I just can't to them both at the same time."

Mr.Obvious

After spending over a year in The Total renovation of our new home: I've become somewhat handier than a lot of my Peers. A lot of things come down to a basic insight and a willingness to dare to actually do something.
That said, i'm no handy Harry. And I wish I'd done Some vacationwork in construction or something, when i was younger.
The garagepoort was handled by a contractor though. I doubt they made any money, as  they first made The door with The wrong specifications. They hung it completely and Noticed halfway. They had to come back the next day, after building it completely as to close an entrance into our home, to take it down and put up The new one.
"If we have to go down, we go down together!"
- Your mum, last night, requesting 69.

Atheist Mantis does not pray.

Cavebear

Quote from: Mr.Obvious on June 04, 2018, 02:32:12 AM
After spending over a year in The Total renovation of our new home: I've become somewhat handier than a lot of my Peers. A lot of things come down to a basic insight and a willingness to dare to actually do something.
That said, i'm no handy Harry. And I wish I'd done Some vacationwork in construction or something, when i was younger.
The garagepoort was handled by a contractor though. I doubt they made any money, as  they first made The door with The wrong specifications. They hung it completely and Noticed halfway. They had to come back the next day, after building it completely as to close an entrance into our home, to take it down and put up The new one.

The value of having a contractor with a well-written contract is that the outcome is the measurement of completion.  When I DIY it myself and fail, I REALLY find it awkward to sue myself.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

SGOS

I'm nearing the end of my learning curve, and I won't go into details of why this has taken so long, but there is one strange thing that I really don't like in the design of apparently all newer garage door openers.  There is a safety feature which must be hooked up to reverse the direction of the door if an obstruction, (like a little kid) is in the way.  I know it's a safety issue and it's been mandated by Federal law that this must be part of the system, but it's a very poor design where the beam sensors are designed to take up an inordinate amount of space on the floor, stick almost a foot out from the wall, and will eventually be kicked and broken if not just kicked off the door.  They merely clamp on into place on the rails of the door, and are not secured with screws.

While I haven't tried the doors yet, I've been told all doors already include a pressure sensitive reversing feature when the door hits something, anyway.  I think the sensitivity can be adjusted with this feature,  too, but I haven't located that adjustment on my opener.  The additional beam sensor must be installed on the floor, so kids, dogs, cats, and cars could easily straddle the beam and fail to activate the reversal if it's needed.

It sounds like Federally mandated gas cans.  Bought one lately?  Every year they try to design them safer, but they are becoming less useable.  Yeah, if you can't get the gas out, they are probably safer, but something seems impractical about this.

fencerider

I happen to know someone that does garage doors, but he is here in the Los Angeles area.


I also heard that a good rating by better business bureau is worthless. It was started by a shifty person trying to make a quick buck. If you are not a paying member of the BBB you automatically have a bad rating. and if you are one of the biggest financial supporters you automatically have a good rating. has about as much value as the phrase FDA approved ; just another cigarette paper
"Do you believe in god?", is not a proper English sentence. Unless you believe that, "Do you believe in apple?", is a proper English sentence.