Garage Door Maintenance

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The Spring

A common cause of garage door spring failure is rust.   A buildup of rust increases coil friction on the moving spring. Combine that with the corrosive damage of the rust itself, and you have everything you need for early torsion spring or extension spring failure. A little garage door maintenance on your part can keep rust at bay and increase the life of your garage door springs. Every three months or so, spray on some silicone based lubricant, or add a few drops light machine oil (10, 20 or 30 weight),  or better yet some 3 in 1 oil. This keeps the spring lubricated and prevents harmful rust buildup.

WD-40

You may be thinking why not WD-40? WD-40 is essentially kerosene and a carrier/spray. Nice for cleaning metal, loosening things up, etc., like a penetrating oil, but NO long-term lubricant properties.  The “WD” in WD40 stands for “Water Dispersant”, which is what WD-40 primarily is, not a lubricant.

Talking Springs

Did you know that your garage door springs will let you know when they’ve about reached the breaking point? It sounds crazy but it’s true – if you know what to look for. While raising and lowering the door a few times, listen carefully for any squeaking noises. This is the sound of hinges that need to be lubricated. Your garage door hinges will generally need to be lubricated once a year. This is a great preventive maintenance tip to add to your spring cleaning to-do list.

Emergency Release

Part of garage door maintenance is to ensure you can open the door without power to the opener. To test this, with the garage door closed pull the red-handled emergency release cord(its a good practice to check this once a year and make sure other family members know how it operates). This disconnects the door from the opener, allowing you to open your door by hand.

Spring Strength

The next step is to lower your door all the way down, then raise it to about two feet off the ground and let go(making sure the path is clear or items or body parts of course). Good springs will prevent gravity from pulling down the weight of the door. Did your door stay in place with little downward slide? If yes, your springs are still working fine. But if the door feels very heavy and sags, your springs are showing their age and starting to wear. Contact your garage door contractor for a thorough inspection. Remember these springs are dangerous and repairs are best left to the professionals.

A little lubricant will do wonders in keeping the springs operating smoothly

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Overhead Garage Door Opener

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Vehicle Door Opener

Remember when you were a kid and you came and went through the front door?  Well, times have changed. Now so many of us come and go through the garage thanks to an often forgotten about convenience know as the Overhead Garage Door Opener. Like us, and everything else in your home, it too has a life span(8-12 years).

Components

Your overhead door is comprised of several different components including the motor, torsion or extension springs, rollers, roller brackets, and hinges that work in harmony to provide us access to our abode with a touch of a button. There is a trolley on the garage door opener rail that connects to the garage door itself by way of a “J” bar. It is called a J bar because it looks like the letter “J”. The trolley is pulled along by a chain, screw, or belt that the motor turns and operates. components need regular maintenance to continue operating smoothly.

Contrary to what most people believe, the garage door motor does not lift the heavy garage door. Most of the actual heavy lifting comes from the springs that are connected to the torsion system. The electric power only controls how far and how hard the garage door actually opens and closes.

Wear and Tear

Torsion springs simply wear out over time. How much time? Ten thousand seems to be the magic number – that’s the number of cycles the average spring will last. One cycle equals your garage door being opened and then closed. Going to work in the morning, then home again at night adds up to two cycles a day. That’s not so bad if you’re a bachelor hermit.

On the other hand, if your “significant other” runs errands during the day, if you have teenagers in and out of the garage, or if you have younger kids opening and closing the garage door to get their bikes and sporting equipment – you’re going to burn through ten thousand cycles a lot faster. An active family could easily use up ten thousand cycles in as little as a year.

Home Run Inspections, LLC

Oklahoma:  405-905-9175

Florida:  850-203-3239

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We Cover All the Bases!

Serving the Oklahoma City metro and surrounding areas including Edmond, Yukon, Piedmont, Bethany, El Reno, Tuttle, Mustang, Moore, Norman, Midwest City, Del City, Choctaw, McCloud, Shawnee, Harrah, Newalla, Jones, and more.

Also Now Serving the Florida Panhandle metro areas including Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island, Miramar Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, Niceville, Shalimar, Freeport, Crestview, DeFuniak Springs, Panama City Beach, and more.

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Un-grounded Outlets

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Un-grounded outlets are a safety hazard and are in violation of the building and national wiring codes. They need be made safe immediately.

Newer Wiring
In homes where all the outlets were installed with a ground, any failure of the ground must be corrected by replacing the failing outlet, or replacing and/or reconnecting the ground wire. In many cases the open ground on one outlet is the result of a disconnected wire at another outlet. A wire disconnected from one outlet will disconnect the ground service from all the outlets down line.

Older Wiring
In older homes the original wiring did not have ground wire connected to the outlets. These ungrounded outlets are easily distinguished by their two hole / slot configuration verses the newer grounded type of outlet that has three holes / slots. Un-grounded outlets that have two holes / slots used in a home that was originally wired in this manner and has not been rewired are considered acceptable.

Where the Problem Begins
The problems for the owners of older homes start when grounded type outlets are substituted for the un-grounded type without the necessary rewiring that adds a ground wire to the new three prong grounded type outlet. Grounded type (three hole / slot) outlets may not be substituted for un-grounded outlets unless a ground wire is connected.
An exception to this rule is allowed by the National Electric Code, when the outlet is protected by a ground fault interrupter (GFI or GFCI).

The Fixes
There are two fixes available for those home owners who do not want to rewire the entire house. The first fix uses Ground Fault Interrupters. There are two types of GFI available, one takes the place of the regular circuit breaker in the load center or the main service panel. The second type that is available takes the place of the standard outlet and replaces it with a special GFI protected outlet. These are commonly used in the kitchens and bathrooms of newer homes. Most people know them for their black and red reset buttons. You can even purchase adapters that you simply plug in.

The second fix
In many older homes the outlet mounting box was grounded but the outlet was not, if this the case it is possible to use a jumper between the mounting box and the grounding screw on the new grounded type outlet. This type of ground may not be adequate for surge protectors. (see below)

Surge Protectors
A surge protector plugged into an un-grounded outlet will not operate as the manufacturer intended. When a large surge or spike hits, the surge protector uses the ground wire to take the “hit” away from the protected equipment and send it safely to ground. If the surge or spike is not sent to ground by the surge protector it will destroy the delicate electronics you were trying to protect. The warranty offered by the surge protectors manufacturer offer, is only valid if the surge protector is used in a properly grounded outlet.

Source: www.greatinspector.co

Home Run Inspections, LLC

Oklahoma:  405-905-9175

Florida:  850-203-3239

Info@HomeRunInspections.com

We Cover All the Bases!

Serving the Oklahoma City metro and surrounding areas including Edmond, Yukon, Piedmont, Bethany, El Reno, Tuttle, Mustang, Moore, Norman, Midwest City, Del City, Choctaw, McCloud, Shawnee, Harrah, Newalla, Jones, and more.

Also Now Serving the Florida Panhandle metro areas including Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island, Miramar Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, Niceville, Shalimar, Freeport, Crestview, DeFuniak Springs, Panama City Beach, and more.

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Happy Valentine’s Day from Home Run Inspections!

LOVE is in the air this month!

Best Wishes for a LOVE-Filled & Prosperous February 2016!

 

Here are a Few of Our Favorite Quotes & Tips to Help you Add More “LOVE” to your Life this Month:

LOVE Your Home:

“Where we LOVE is Home; Home that Our Feet May Leave, but Not Our Hearts.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes

*Replace Furnace Filters
*Clean Range Hood Filter & Fan
*Check the Charge on Your Fire Extinguisher
*Vacuum Your Clothes Dryer Exhaust Vent, Refrigerator Coils, & HVAC Vents & Returns
*Clean Sink & Shower Drains
*Test Smoke Detectors & Carbon Monoxide Detectors, Make Sure They Have Not Expired, & Make Sure You Have Them In All of the Recommended Locations
*Compile a Home Inventory Inside and Out for Insurance Purposes in Case of theft, fire or natural disaster
*Follow our Blog for Home Maintenance Tips That Preserve & Create Value in Your Investments

LOVE Your Business & Clients (or Friends & Family, if you don’t have a Business):

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~ Maya Angelou

*Keep Your Sphere of Influence (or Friends & Family) Contacts Database System Thorough, Up-To-Date & Organized with Everyone You Know & Come in Contact With
*Implement a Great System for Staying in Touch with Them on a Regular & Personal Basis (Holidays, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Home Anniversaries, Thank You’s, Special Events, Get-Togethers, etc)
*Build Those Relationships
*Watch the Repeat & Referral Business Stream In Abundantly (or Strengthened Relationships, Friendships)
*Give Them Your Very Best, Above & Beyond, Exceeding Expectations, Outstanding, ExtraOrdinary Client Service (or Friendship)
*Close More Deals, Make More Money, & Make More Raging Fans who Refer More People to You & Grow Your Business! (or More Satisfaction from Strong Friendships and Relationships)

 

LOVE Your Family:

“In Family Life, LOVE is the Oil that Eases Friction, the Cement that Binds Closer Together,
and the Music that Brings Harmony.” ~ Eva Burrows

Show Your Family & Friends How Much You LOVE Them:

*Write them a LOVE Letter of Appreciation
*Create Homemade Valentine Cards; Make some Extra Cards to Hand Out Throughout the Day Where-ever You Go
*Give them a Homemade Gift Certificate for a Back Rub or Foot Massage Every Night for a Month
*At a Meal, Take Time for Each Person to Share an Appreciation for Each Other Person
*Make a Little Time for Yourself to Give Thanks for Those You LOVE
*A Valentine Chain: Call Someone Dear, Pass the Phone Around so Each Person Tells Them How Much They LOVE Them, then *Ask that Person to “Pass it Forward” and Call Someone Dear to Them
*Surround Yourself with LOVE, Treat Yourself to Something Special, Listen to Only Happy LOVE Songs All Day
*Take Valentines to a Nursing Home, Hospital, or Soup Kitchen
*”In the End, the LOVE you Take is Equal to the Love you Make.” ~ Paul McCartney

LOVE Your Spirit:

“LOVE is what we are Born with. Fear is what we have Learned here.
The Spiritual Journey is the unlearning of Fear and the Acceptance of LOVE back into our Hearts.”
~ Marianne Williamson

*Make Time for Yourself & Your Connection to Spirit via Prayer, Meditation, Nature, Music, Children, Family, Friends, Art, Crafts, Hobbies, Vacations, etc.
*Open Your Heart; Look for Ways that You Can Express LOVE to Everyone, Especially Yourself! Be of Service to Others as Often as Possible.
*Know Your Intentions Intimately, Set Them High, & Reinforce Them Every Day
*Forgive Yourself & Others; Learn to Let Go & Let God & Intuition Guide You
*Embrace the Unknown; Step out of Your Comfort Zone as Often as Possible; Cultivate Courage; Embrace Vulnerability
*Revere & Appreciate the Holiness in Everyone & Everything; Practice Gratitude Daily; it Keeps your Mind in a Positive Place!
*Maintain Balance in Your Life; Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
*Build Integrity & Excellence in All that You Do, Say, Create, & “Be

”

“LOVE Yourself First, and Everything Else falls in Line.
You Really Have to LOVE Yourself to Get Anything Done in this World.” ~ Lucille Ball

Have a Blessed, LOVE-Filled, Wonderful Valentine’s Day & February 2016!

From Your Friends at Home Run Inspections,
Scott & Sherine Price

Home Run Inspections, LLC

Oklahoma:  405-905-9175

Florida:  850-203-3239

Info@HomeRunInspections.com

We Cover All the Bases!

Serving the Oklahoma City metro and surrounding areas including Edmond, Yukon, Piedmont, Bethany, El Reno, Tuttle, Mustang, Moore, Norman, Midwest City, Del City, Choctaw, McCloud, Shawnee, Harrah, Newalla, Jones, and more.

Also Now Serving the Florida Panhandle metro areas including Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island, Miramar Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, Niceville, Shalimar, Freeport, Crestview, DeFuniak Springs, Panama City Beach, and more.

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Annual Maintenance Checklist

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Spring cleaning is just around the corner!  Here is an annual maintenance checklist to keep you home not only clean, but safe as well.

  • Review your home emergency escape plan with your family. Make sure you have an emergency kit as well.
  • Make sure your house number is visible from the street for first-responders to see.
  • Replace all extension cords that have become brittle, worn or damaged.
  • Inspect and clean dust from covers of your smoke detectors and carbon-monoxide alarms.
  • Vacuum bathroom fan grill
  • Vacuum fire and smoke and CO detectors, as dust or spider webs can prevent them from functioning.
  • Vacuum radiator grilles under and behind refrigerators and freezers, and empty and clean drip trays
  • Check gauge on all fire extinguishers: recharge or replace if necessary.
  • Clean drains in dishwasher, sinks, bathtubs and shower stalls.
  • Have your InterNACHI-Certified Professional Inspector perform a yearly home maintenance inspectionHome Run Inspections, LLCOklahoma:  405-905-9175

    Florida:  850-203-3239

    Info@HomeRunInspections.com

    We Cover All the Bases!

    Serving the Oklahoma City metro and surrounding areas including Edmond, Yukon, Piedmont, Bethany, El Reno, Tuttle, Mustang, Moore, Norman, Midwest City, Del City, Choctaw, McCloud, Shawnee, Harrah, Newalla, Jones, and more.

    Also Now Serving the Florida Panhandle metro areas including Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island, Miramar Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, Niceville, Shalimar, Freeport, Crestview, DeFuniak Springs, Panama City Beach, and more.

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Watering Your Homes Foundation

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Earthquakes are not the only source of cracks in your home. They are just the latest threat to your homes foundation.  This winter has been pretty dry, so I’ve been out watering around my foundation on a regular basis to stay ahead of the coming spring and summer heat.  If foundation concerns are not addressed BEFORE they start, it can cost 10’s of thousands of dollars to repair them.  To protect your foundation, you must water your foundation.  Even though most sprinkler systems will help, most were designed to spray water away from the house.  To complicate it further, many cities are enforcing landscape watering restrictions.  Probably the most important factor associated with watering foundations is to do it 12 months a year.  It is very import to maintain a constant moisture content to retain soil  consistency.  Even if you only have minor issues (sticking doors, squeaky floors), managing the porosity of soil will even out the issues for a more stable foundation.

How to Water a Foundation:  There are several methods.

  1. Hand Watering:  I don’t recommend this method, but it can work. It can be difficult to consistently apply the same amount of water around the entire foundation with a systematic approach.
  2. Soaker Hoses:  By far the most popular,  “soaker hoses” are easily attached to a water outlet and draped around the foundation of the house.  These come in 25 and 50 foot length and can be connected in a series.  Try to place them within about 6 inches of the foundation.  (TIP:  Keep bare landscaped areas covered with mulch.  This too will assist in retaining the moisture content around the structure.  Covering the soaker hose with the mulch is acceptable.  You will need to inspect these regularly as I have found they deteriorate fairly quickly (less than 3-5 years).   Additionally, neighboring visitors (rats, mice, raccoons and such) have found a liking to chew on hoses, in turn puncturing them  and causing excessive water to come out in one place.  Once broken, I have not seen a good way to repair them, so you will have to replace the hose.
  3.  Drip Lines:  These hoses are designed with drip emitters in the hose every 12 inches.  You can deploy them in the same method as mentioned for the soaker hoses, but the hose material is a bit more stiff.  Staking them will help as they do not like to lay flat to the ground.  You can purchase the hose in bulk from the Orange Box store of Sprinkler Warehouse.  You will need to also purchase inter-hose connectors as well as a way to connect to your water source.
  4. Regardless of the method of disbursement, doing it consistently is just as important as the watering itself.Take a look at Watering Your Foundation to see a semi-permanent installation guide to foundation watering.

Source of above material:  HomeownerBOB.com

 

 

Home Run Inspections, LLC

Oklahoma:  405-905-9175

Florida:  850-203-3239

Info@HomeRunInspections.com

We Cover All the Bases!

Serving the Oklahoma City metro and surrounding areas including Edmond, Yukon, Piedmont, Bethany, El Reno, Tuttle, Mustang, Moore, Norman, Midwest City, Del City, Choctaw, McCloud, Shawnee, Harrah, Newalla, Jones, and more.

Also Now Serving the Florida Panhandle metro areas including Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island, Miramar Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, Niceville, Shalimar, Freeport, Crestview, DeFuniak Springs, Panama City Beach, and more.

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