If only it were that easy. Homer may be invincible, but real garagedoors definitely don’t make good slapstick comedy props nor are they something health insurance can fix. Your automatic garagedoor is likely the largest, heaviest moving object in your home.

Garage Door Incidence Statistics

An average of 20,000 people each year have been treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries related to garage doors according the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. An extensive Canadian study reports that of 622 hospitalizations due to garage door injuries between 1990 and 2005, 59% of injuries involved caught, cut or crushed fingers or hands, and 23.5% involved a garage door coming down on a person.

Most injuries and fatalities happen when children find access to garage door opening devices and are trapped under a door that does not automatically reverse. Over 85 children have died or suffered severe brain injuries involving automatic garage doors since 1974.

Needless to say, keeping your garage door in top condition is extremely important.

Garage Door Maintenance

It’s a good idea to do a monthly visual inspection of your garage door. Here are the key parts to check.

Reversal System – To check the garage door opener safety reversal system, open the door, place a 2×4 or a roll of paper towels under the garage door opening. Operate the door in the down direction. The door must stop or reverse upon striking any obstruction. If the opener has not been replaced since 1993, get a new one with auto-reverse as a standard feature.

Force Setting Test – Hold the bottom of the garage door as it closes, if it does not reverse readily, the force may be excessive and may need adjusting.

Springs – Oil the spring over the door about once a year. You can use 3-in-1 or motor oil. Look for signs of wear on the springs, cables, rollers, pulleys and other door hardware.Garage door springs are under high tension and if handled improperly can cause very serious injury. The torsion springs (above the door) should be adjusted by a professional only. Install a restraining cable or other device on the extension spring (the spring along the side of the door.) If it breaks, this will contain it.

Door Balance – Use the release mechanism on your garage door opener. (Use this feature only when the door is closed. Weak springs could make the door close quicker than you expect.) From a closed position, lift the door to three or four feet about the floor. It should stay open, should move smoothly and with little resistance. If not, the balance is off. Have it balanced by a qualified person.

Hinges – Lubricate the hinges regularly. Wipe excess oil off the back of the door.

Electrical Connection – In many areas, extension cords cannot be used with automaticgarage door openers. The electricity receptacle should be near the opener. It is best if it is a GFI outlet.

More precautions

It goes without saying: never walk or stand under a closing garage door. Garage door openers are not toys. Keep garage door remote controls away from children, and even older children that might want to play games with the garage door. Never place fingers between door sections and explain the dangers to children. If you have small children, consider a door with panels that can’t pinch.

These are routine maintenance steps that should be followed once a month. Review your owner’s manual for both the door and door opener. If you don’t have the owner’s manuals, contact the manufacturer. You will likely find the the opener model number on the back of the power unit.

D’OH!

Still perplexed by garage doors?

You can always move to a mobile home. –That was Homer Simpson’s solution

“The doctor must have put my pacemaker in wrong. Every time my husband kisses me, the garage door goes up.”
-Minnie Pearl

Version française

Si seulement les choses étaient aussi faciles. Homer peut être invincible, mais il reste que les portes de garage ne constituent pas vraiment de bons sujets de comédies burlesques ni ne sont pas couvertes par une assurance maladie. Votre porte de garageautomatique constitue probablement l’objet mobile le plus grand et le plus lourd de votre maison.

Statistiques d’incidents causés par les portes de garage

Environ 20 000 personnes par an reçoivent des soins d’urgence à l’hôpital pour des blessures causées par des portes de garage, selon la US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Une étude détaillée canadienne rapporte que des 622 cas d’hospitalisation recensés entre 1990 et 2005 pour des blessures causées par des portes de garage, 59% des blessures se rapportaient à des doigts ou des mains coincés, coupés ou écrasés et 23% concernaient la fermeture intempestive d’une porte de garage sur une personne.

La plupart des blessures et décès surviennent lorsque les enfants ont accès au dispositif d’ouverture de la porte de garage et se retrouvent coincés sous la porte qui n’a pas de système d’inversion automatique. Plus de 85 enfants sont morts ou ont subi de graves lésions cérébrales à cause de portes de garage automatiques depuis 1974.

Il va sans dire qu’il est extrêmement important de garder la porte de garage en excellente condition.

Entretien de la porte de garage

Il est important d’effectuer une inspection visuelle mensuelle de la porte de garage. Voici les éléments essentiels à vérifier.

Le système d’inversion – Pour vérifier le système d’inversion de sécurité de l’ouvre-porte du garage, ouvrez la porte et placez une pièce de bois de deux pouces sur quatre pouces ou un rouleau de papier essuie-tout à l’endroit où la porte se ferme. Actionnez la commande de descente de la porte. Celle-ci doit s’arrêter ou remonter au contact de n’importe quel obstacle. Si l’ouvre-porte n’a pas été remplacé depuis 1993, achetez-en un nouveau qui affiche l’inversion automatique comme fonction standard.

Test de réglage de la force – pendant la fermeture de la porte, attrapez le bas de la porte pour l’empêcher de descendre. Si elle ne remonte pas aussitôt, cela signifie que le niveau de la force de descente est peut-être excessif et qu’il a besoin d’être ajusté.

Les ressorts – Les ressorts au-dessus de la porte doivent être lubrifiés environ une fois par an. Vous pouvez utiliser du lubrifiant 3 en 1 ou de l’huile pour moteurs. Vérifiez les signes d’usure sur les ressorts, câbles, cylindres, poulies et autres mécanismes de la porte. Les ressorts de la porte de garage sont extrêmement tendus et peuvent causer de très graves blessures s’ils ne sont pas manipulés correctement. Les ressorts de torsion (au-dessus de la porte) doivent être ajustés uniquement par un technicien qualifié. Installez un câble de sécurité ou un autre mécanisme en conjonction avec le ressort d’extension (le ressort situé le long du côté de la porte). Si celui-ci brise, il sera retenu par le câble de sécurité.

Mouvement de la porte – actionnez le mécanisme de déclenchement de la porte (utilisez cette fonction uniquement lorsque la porte est fermée, car celle-ci peut descendre plus rapidement si les ressorts sont affaiblis). Lorsque la porte est fermée, relevez-la de trois à quatre pieds au-dessus du sol. Elle devrait rester ouverte, se déplacer en douceur et sans grande résistance. Sinon, le mouvement a besoin d’être ajusté. L’ajustement doit être effectué par un technicien qualifié.

Charnières – lubrifier les charnières régulièrement. Essuyez l’excès d’huile à l’arrière de la porte.

Raccordement électrique – Dans de nombreuses régions, il est interdit d’utiliser une rallonge électrique avec un dispositif d’ouverture de porte de garage automatique. L’alimentation électrique doit être située près de la porte. L’idéal serait d’avoir un disjoncteur de fuite à la terre (GFI).

Précautions additionnelles

Il va sans dire qu’il ne faut jamais marcher ou se tenir debout sous la porte de garage au moment de sa fermeture. Un ouvre-porte de garage n’est pas considéré comme un jouet. Gardez la télécommande de l’ouvre-porte du garage hors de la portée des enfants, et même d’enfants plus âgés qui seraient tentés de vouloir jouer avec la porte du garage. Ne mettez jamais vos doigts entre les panneaux de la porte et expliquez-en le danger aux enfants. Si vous avez de jeunes enfants, choisissez une porte comportant des panneaux sans danger pour les doigts.

Tout ceci constitue un entretien de routine qui devrait se faire une fois par mois. Consultez le manuel du propriétaire à la fois pour la porte et pour l’ouvre-porte. Si vous n’avez pas le manuel du propriétaire, demandez-le au fabricant. Le numéro de série de l’ouvre-porte se trouve probablement au dos du bloc d’alimentation.

Commentaires d’Homer

Les portes de garage vous laissent encore perplexe?

Vous pouvez toujours déménager dans une maison mobile. – C’est la solution d’Homer Simpson

English Version

When it is very cold out it is not unusual to see some condensation on the windows. This is not necessarily a bad thing. To be comfortable humidity should be maintained between 30% and 40% RH, out side of that range you get mould if it is too high or it will be too dry if low and dust allergies may be a problem. Even at 30% RH there will be some condensation on the windows. Removing the screens will ease the situation and reduce ice build up at the bottom of the window. Ice on the window can cause the sealed window unit to fail.

Window condensation can be a problem in electrically heated houses built in the 80’s or an older house that has upgraded windows and heating system. Humidity can build up from normal living, cooking, showers, etc. Old houses leak enough to provide for some air exchange with the dryer outside air. Newer or upgraded houses should have a heat recovery ventilator installed to control the humidity. If humidity is building up and you don’t have a heat recovery ventilator then open a window for a few minutes a day and let in some fresh air. It is a good idea to purchase a humidity indicator so you know what you humidity is. Humidity indicators are available from most electronic stores. Humidity is a difficult parameter to measure accurately so when you purchase an indicator choose one that reads the same as several others that are next to it on the shelf.

Ice Dam on a poorly Ventilated roof

The ideal method is for roof ventilation to pull air through the soffit vents and exhaust it through an individual roof or continuous ridge vent.

We recommend a clear space of least 2 inches above your ceiling insulation to allow the moisture that moves through your attic insulation to exhaust through roof ridge vents.

Heat travels by convection, conduction, and radiation. Because energy costs a lot of money it’s important to prevent the warm air from escaping through walls, ceilings, and roof. Insulation and vapor barriers trap the heat, or slow its flow.

During winter months we heat our homes. Our interior heat rises and permeates through the ceiling vapor barrier and attic insulation and causes ice and snow to melt resulting in possible water leakage. Water from the melting is trapped creating an “ice dam” on the roof, gutters and downspouts.

Removing this ice and snow you may cause damage to the roof and is dangerous.  An alternative emergency method to avoid damage if the interior heat problem can’t be corrected is to create water runoffs through the ice and snow. Doing this allows the water to flow off the roof.

Our roofs take quite a beating during their lifetime. Because they are fully exposed, roofs catch the brunt of weather’s worst.

A roof system is composed of several elements that work together to provide three basic, essential functions for your home – shelter, drainage, and ventilation.

The roof covering and the flashing are designed to shed water, directing it into gutters and downspouts that channel it away from the foundation. Air intake and exhaust vents keep fresh air circulating below the roof sheathing, preventing moisture build-up as well as heat build-up.

If you have a central vacuum system, ensure that it exhausts to the outside of the house. This is important because otherwise, dust, dust mites, dirt, pet dander, and allergens could remain in the house. This is true even if you have the latest and best filter system. Despite our great technological advances, no existing filter systems even the most advanced “Hepa” types are 100% efficient. The smallest particles will get through.   If you suffer from allergies venting the central vacuum outside can make a significant difference.

Some background
The building was originally a triplex built around 1910 and converted into three condominium apartments. The condo in question was the middle unit. The lower unit was heated with a gas-fired boiler in a crawl space, using the original chimney to exhaust the flue gases. During renovations some of the interior of the masonry structure had been exposed, including the chimney breast, as is the current fashion with these older buildings. The exposed chimney appeared wet.

The legwork, or rather crawlwork
Paul and I headed for the crawl space to check out the boiler. We found a 60 year old boiler that had been converted from oil to gas about 25 years ago. We checked the flue clean out and found it to be completely clogged with plant debris, and removed at least a garbage bag full of rotting birds and squirrels nests. With mirror and flashlight we found there was no liner in the chimney. All we saw was bricks.

Eureka
The problem became clear as day. It was all in the bare brick. The flue gases were migrating through the bricks of the chimney, and since the plaster had been removed on the inside, they were entering the apartment. Flue gasses contain a lot of water vapour, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and a few other compounds – carbon monoxide being the most deadly of them all. Danny did the right thing in moving out. It may have saved his and his family’s lives. We went outside and saw a huge moisture stain on the outside of the building. As one can see in the picture it extends from the ground up three stories to the top of the building.

Next step was to turn off the boiler and call the gas company. They arrived the next day and installed a liner. Immediately, the smell began to dissipate and Danny, Lauren and baby were able to return home.