Garage Door Safety...No Reverse...Advice Please

[Jae Williams]

On an older garage door, there may be no "reverse feature"--it was not required before 1993. Would that make the door "defective"?

It's not defective (and most issues aren't), but it is a safety concern (as most issues are).

A defect can be defined as " not working as intended". An older door is "working as intended" and, therefore, not a defect. It is, however, a safety concern.

[Gregory A. Liebig]

Originally Posted by tneumann

As odd as it may sound....

I think " the reverse feature is defective"

Sounds better than....

Defect: Garage door reverse feature.

Do you include a summary in your report? If so, would this item be included and under what type of listing? I'm just curious and trying to learn.

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by jwilliams4

On an older garage door, there may be no "reverse feature"--it was not required before 1993. Would that make the door "defective"?

Jae, I believe the change in 1993 was to require "external" detectors as in break beam devices mounted in the path of the closing door to prevent someone or something in the path from being injured by a closing door. I think the reversing feature has been a part of residential door openers for a very long time.
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CSPC info:
CPSC cautions consumers that not all devices that open and close the garage door are necessarily safe. Some old openers are equipped with a mechanism that only stops the closing door when it strikes an object, not reversing the door in the process. Other pre-1982 openers have a device intended to reverse the closing door when it strikes an object, but for reasons related to age, installation and maintenance, these products may not be safe enough to pre-vent entrapment of a child. These openers cannot be adjusted or repaired to provide the automatic reversing feature found on later devices.


The CPSC requires that all garage door operators manufactured or imported after January 1, 1993, for sale in the United States be outfitted with an external entrapment protection system.This system can be an electric eye, a door edge sensor, or any other device that provides equivalent protection. If an electric eye is used, it should be installed at a height of 4 to 6 inches above the floor.

(and Ilove this part)ML

Consumers should inspect garage doors and operation of the door opener every 30 days to verify that the system is functioning properly. Hardware and fittings should be checked to keep the door on track at all times. Should a hazard exist, homeowners should disconnect the automatic opener from the door as specified in the owner's manual, and manually open and close the garage door until needed repair/ replacement is completed.

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Jae, go check your garage door immediately!

[tneumann]

I include a summary.....however I don't break the summary down into different listings. I use different colors of text which I explain at the beginning of my report.

For instance

I use Blue for Safety Items
I use Red for something that needs immediate attention

I have a separate Maintenance summary for clogged gutters other deferred maintenance items that could lead to bigger problems...such as today there was an arbor attached to the house, no flashing, no caulking on the top of the ledgerboard....potential for water intrusion.....that goes in maintenance summary and I verbally tell the client to get up there and do something after he moves in.

The garage door would go in my standard summary in red font.

What my client and their realtor do with that information is not up to me....if they want to kill the deal over it...then so be it. A good realtor will know how to handle this one...and it shouldn't be glossed over by the realtor, in my opinion....most of them have kids....and I ask what they would do if the door was at their home. Those doors are heavy.

[Gregory A. Liebig]

Originally Posted by tneumann

I include a summary.....however I don't break the summary down into different listings. I use different colors of text which I explain at the beginning of my report.

For instance

I use Blue for Safety Items
I use Red for something that needs immediate attention

Interesting. I use Blue for Maintenance items (deferred maintenance, etc) and Red for Defects. There are sparate summaries for each at the end of my report.

Wisconsin appears to be unique. The way I understand it, if an item is not listed specifically using the word "Defect", then there is no recourse for the Buyer, period.

[tneumann]

I'm glad I don't live in WI....I hate the word defect.

[jhugenroth]

Originally Posted by mlarson

Jae, go check your garage door immediately!

And every thirty days thereafter!

[Gregory A. Liebig]

Originally Posted by tneumann

I'm glad I don't live in WI....I hate the word defect.

So do I. Especially when it gets mis-used. Just because something is "broken" doesn't necessarily mean it's a Defect.

[Bruce A. King]

How about this:

The garage door did not stop and reverse when tested with a reasonable force. The reversing feature is either defective or missing. Recommend having this investigated further for safety reasons. If the door is found to not include this feature it would still be a recommended safety upgrade for this home and this would require a new, safer door opener.

[Brian E. Kelly]

Greg are you using the term Defect because that language is in the Real Estate Purchase contract as opposed to being in the WI HI law?

[Gregory A. Liebig]

Originally Posted by bkelly2

Greg are you using the term Defect because that language is in the Real Estate Purchase contract as opposed to being in the WI HI law?

If the problem isn't a "Defect" in Wisconsin, then it isn't an issure in the offer to purchase. If one reads our regulations (Rl 134.xx) it talks more about "Material Adverse Facts". The contract to purchase is the only method where the safety of future occupants is even mentioned.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by brepanshek

I'd take out the word defect and put in "recommend safety reverse divice be added to opener system to ensure safe operation" I'm finding out that the word dect is a very bad word to use, unless it is truely a defect, then that labels us as a professional for that type of item????????? I was taught this, maybe wrong but I see their point.????

Exactly. There can be a significant difference in the perception depending on how one words things in one's report. Calling everything a defect is, I believe, not the way to win friends and customers.

I have never used the word "defect" in any of my reports in almost six years of being in business. It's a word that has nothing but bad connotations. Rather, I state the concern (safety reverse not working), state why it's a concern (that's the education part that I'm so famous for—closing garage doors kill and injure children and pets, and cause property damage to automobiles, and state my recommendation (have safety reverses installed or repaired).

[scosta]

edit

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by jwilliams4

On an older garage door, there may be no "reverse feature"--it was not required before 1993. Would that make the door "defective"?

It's not defective (and most issues aren't), but it is a safety concern (as most issues are).

A defect can be defined as " not working as intended". An older door is "working as intended" and, therefore, not a defect. It is, however, a safety concern.

Great way to think of it, Jae.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by bking

The garage door did not stop and reverse when tested with a reasonable force.

Define "reasonable force."