Garage Door

We've had the same garage door since we moved into our home 14 years ago.  I remember when I selected the opener talking to the guy about finding a middle ground between super cheap, and really fantastic and expensive.  The guy found me a workhorse of an opener that was supposed to be good for 10 years.

About 2 months ago the garage door stopped opening. Instead the opener would make it's regular noise, but simply didn't move the door. Assuming that we were due for an opener, I called the garage door guy to come fix it.  He explained that the problem was not with the opener--although we are living on borrowed time there--instead it was the spring.  (Sounds like a cheap fix right?)  $275 dollars later he had installed two new springs, lubricated the whole system and talked to Gavin about not riding the door.

Last Saturday night, Shawn is working late at the office helping a friend, and I get a knock at the door.  It is this very nice, returned missionary.  We have known his family ever since we moved into the neighborhood.  Their family had to move away this past year for financial reasons and he has come back from BYU for the summer.  He is staying with his grandma across town.  He tells me he has opened his own business lubricating garage doors.  He smiles and asks if I would like our door done.  I think to myself, I really don't need this, but hey the kid is a struggling college student, and is trying to work for the money, certainly I can help him out. "Sure.  Let me get the door and I will meet you."

He begins working on my garage door. We chat about college, his mission, his brother who is currently on a mission and his parents who are living in Hawaii.  About 10 minutes into the conversation he says "Hey. It looks like your bracket is a little loose. I am going to tighten those bolts for you."

He proceeds to tighten the bolt and strips it.  Next he decides he should tighten the other just to "make sure it holds".  When finishes he closes the garage door and the bracket is just barely hanging on by the second screw.  He tells me "You should get that looked at right away. I don't think it will last much longer."  I don't want him to feel bad, and assure him "I will", trying not to make a big deal about it.   I pay him, along with a nice tip, and he is off on is merry way.

Shawn comes home and goes to shut the garage door.  The bracket pulls completely off, it makes a tearing sound and the door drops. Ughhh.

Monday morning I call the professionals out and the guy attaches the bracket with more steel than is necessary.  It isn't pretty, but it will hold.  He is done in less than 10 minutes. I tell him "that looks so simple and I thought about doing it myself, but decided to leave it to the professionals."  The guy comments "Yeah, I tell home owners it is usually cheaper if the only work they do on their garage is push the button."  He smiles and tells me how much the professionals want to be paid.  I pay the seventy-five FREAKING dollars, and decide to be grateful it is fixed, and that I helped this returned missionary.

Fast forward ONE day.  At lunch today Shawn comes home and as he is closing the garage door hears screeching and twisting metal.
He goes back into the garage to find the door tweaked and out of the track on the top of one side and bottom of the other.  The railing has been bent, and the door is hanging about 6 inches from my car.

Yeah.  What's that saying about no good deed?  Is it bad to say that stuff out loud?

I call the "professional" guy back to my house today.  "I don't believe this" he comments when he arrives. "What did you do?"  I looked at him and pointed to the garage door button.  "I pushed that button."  He shakes his head and walks around.  The center brace on the door has cracked, the bracket attaching the chain railing is cracked and pulled away from the wall, 2 track wheels are lying on the ground, and the cables that drive the door are loose and tangled on both sides.

"Wow. This is going to be complicated.  I have no idea how you did this to your door."  I wasn't going to take the blame for this, but I remember what Grandpa Kimball used to say "Rarely is it worth what it costs to tell someone exactly what you think." And the guy already knows that Shawn is a attorney, so no I figure no threats are needed.  I went with kind, innocent and surprised.  "I know right?  This is exactly WHY I was telling you I didn't dare fix the bracket myself.  There is always so much more to fixing something than it appears.  I leave it to you professionals.  I wouldn't even know where to start now."  I smile.  "How can I help?"  I proceeded to hand him dropped tools, pick up screws, get another ladder to help hold the door, and in general try and be helpful.  I have done my homework--taken pictures before this fix and the other, and I have a free attorney. There is no need to be heavy handed.  This can play out however he wants I think to myself.

He finishes the hour long process to put my door back on track and in working order.  He puts his tools away and looks at me."I am sorry about all this" he says. "You've been really nice.  I am not going to charge you anything for this work."
"Oh that is so nice" I say.