The Joys of Home Ownership...

So, I got home from work last night and closed the garage door behind me as usual. I'm halfway across the house when I hear this...ummm...CRASH! Being the logical blonde that I am, my first thought is "Please tell me I didn't just hit my car with the garage door!" Well, I didn't, fortunately (I think). Instead, both torsion springs had snapped on my garage door. I ended up replacing those along with both cables and some other thingamajiggers to the tune of $460. Oh, and just in case you were wondering - it is NOT possible to single-handedly open a two-car garage door with both springs broken!

I wish I had your problems, lol. No not really, I just wish I had a house... some day... some day..

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Originally Posted by eatgoodfood

I wish I had your problems, lol. No not really, I just wish I had a house... some day... some day..

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Yeah, it's worth it at the end of the day to go home to MY house, no matter how much I whine when something breaks. :rolleye2:

Ouch! Could have been much worse though. I'm glad it didn't happen while you were getting out of your car - broken flying springs are scary dangerous. On a smaller scale, it sounds like you didn't take on any vehicle damage on top of your garage repairs. Broken springs = bad; broken springs + broken windshield = VERY bad.

Did you end up getting trapped in your own home without a car until the repairs were completed?

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

Ouch! Could have been much worse though. I'm glad it didn't happen while you were getting out of your car - broken flying springs are scary dangerous. On a smaller scale, it sounds like you didn't take on any vehicle damage on top of your garage repairs. Broken springs = bad; broken springs + broken windshield = VERY bad.

Did you end up getting trapped in your own home without a car until the repairs were completed?

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Yes, I was trapped. As tempting as the excuse to skip work today was, I found a company with an on-call technician that came out late last night for no extra charge. It was a big piece of humble pie for me because I'm a major DIYer when it comes to home repairs.

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

So, I got home from work last night and closed the garage door behind me as usual. I'm halfway across the house when I hear this...ummm...CRASH! Being the logical blonde that I am, my first thought is "Please tell me I didn't just hit my car with the garage door!" Well, I didn't, fortunately (I think). Instead, both torsion springs had snapped on my garage door. I ended up replacing those along with both cables and some other thingamajiggers to the tune of $460. Oh, and just in case you were wondering - it is NOT possible to single-handedly open a two-car garage door with both springs broken!

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Technical term.

Ah the joy! ;)

I wouldn't trade it for the world though.

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Technical term.

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Very technical. The name of it just won't stick in my brain, for some reason. Whatever they are, they were visibly warped.

I'd love to have a couple of Thinga-ma-jiggers in my garage! I'd definitely have an excuse to skip work then.

Edit: They look visibly warped even when functioning perfectly normal. You got scammed!

http://www.comedye.com/Assets/ThingAMaJigger.png

Ah yes the joys of owning a home...I know it all too well at this point. We just hit our 2 year mark in our house that we bought... Within the first year our central heating and air died, had to replace $5000 worth of plumbing, water heater burst at a seam and rotted out the shelf it was on. Electrical is wired completely wrong (still working on that one) 6 of our windows had massive leaks and had to be replaced, front door got so warped from the sun that it jammed in the frame and the handle broke off when trying to open it, the list goes on...too bad there isnt a lemon law on houses.

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

I'd love to have a couple of Thinga-ma-jiggers in my garage! I'd definitely have an excuse to skip work then.

Edit: They look visibly warped even when functioning perfectly normal. You got scammed!

http://www.comedye.com/Assets/ThingAMaJigger.png

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those thingamajigs are called torsion bars and if the torsions springs snapped then yes the force would cause he bars to absorb all the energy and warp.....so I do not believe that she got scammed!

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Originally Posted by norwegn113

those thingamajigs are called torsion bars and if the torsions springs snapped then yes the force would cause he bars to absorb all the energy and warp.....so I do not believe that she got scammed!

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Because obviously I was being serious and talking about the actual parts replaced and not the picture of the "warped" Dr. Suess Thinga-ma-jigger in my post... :rolleyes:

It's painful, but I can't live any other way. I think this year alone we've spent enough that I could have bought a pair of het sunset balls. As I type, they're outside spraying on a GHI. :(

But darn it sure looks nice ...

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

Edit: They look visibly warped even when functioning perfectly normal. You got scammed!

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These were pretty wonky. It was only a $60 part, so I'm ok with it. :)

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Originally Posted by norwegn113

those thingamajigs are called torsion bars and if the torsions springs snapped then yes the force would cause he bars to absorb all the energy and warp.....so I do not believe that she got scammed!

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Cable drums, not the bars, actually. :) But I agree, better safe than sorry!

Over a year in home ownership and so far nothing bad *knocks on wood*

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Originally Posted by SnowShredder

Over a year in home ownership and so far nothing bad *knocks on wood*

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I'm at year 8 in this house. Things started getting interesting year 5 forward (15 year old house now).

I use to work on these things for a living, the price doesn't seem too out of line for what she needed. Also, torsion spring operate aroud a shaft, so when they break they simply unwind amd can't go anywhere. Granted, it sounds like someone set off a bomb in your garage when it happens, but still much safer than extension springs. I have seen those take out a car, fridge and screen door in one shot. Dents and paint damage to car ( missedwindows somehow), scratches on a basically new fridge, and spring and pully assembly hanging from hole in screen door. Makes a heck of an argument for safety cables in that type of setup.

Everyone,

The flying object in the picture I posted is from the Dr. Seuss book The Thinga-ma-jigger Is Coming Today!. I was in no way implying that the price of the repairs were out of line or that there was any shady business being done. The word "warped" has two meanings: 1) a twist or curve that has developed in something originally flat or straight; 2) a mental aberration. The part that was replaced falls under the first meaning, while the flying machine in the picture I posted falls under the second. Apparently my warped sense of humor has warped the direction of this thread. I apologize.

Sincerely,
:rolleye2:

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

Everyone,

The flying object in the picture I posted is from the Dr. Seuss book The Thinga-ma-jigger Is Coming Today!. I was in no way implying that the price of the repairs were out of line or that there was any shady business being done. The word "warped" has two meanings: 1) a twist or curve that has developed in something originally flat or straight; 2) a mental aberration. The part that was replaced falls under the first meaning, while the flying machine in the picture I posted falls under the second. Apparently my warped sense of humor has warped the direction of this thread. I apologize.

Sincerely,
:rolleye2:

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Dr. Seuss references always make my day!

I lucked out when my springs broke, turns out the girlfriend's step brother in law does garage doors for a living and I got them replaced for parts and a case of beer.

Plumbing has been my reoccurring issue in my house, not sure why but some copper fittings will get corrosion on them and start leaking. Not sure if sweating the fitting on wrong causes it or what. So I turn off the water to the house at the main, replace the leaking part, go to turn it back on, valve stem snaps. That one I was able to finally screw with for a while and get it to open finally. So then same thing happens, leaking fitting, turn off water ahead of the meter this time, replace leaking parts, go to turn it back on.... snap. This time I had to call the city and have them turn the water off to the house so I could replace my main valves... yes joys of home ownership.

It seems just like when everything is going well...something goes crazy. A couple of years ago our power went out during a heavy rainstorm and needless to say our basement sump pump failed. After a few grand in repairs, we now have a shiny whole house generator. Still worth all of the headaches though.

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

I'm at year 8 in this house. Things started getting interesting year 5 forward (15 year old house now).

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I'm starting to get nervous now. Ours just turned 15. :please: Knock on wood, all we've had to do is some updating, but yeesh it's been several grand at a time.

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Originally Posted by S.I.R.

It seems just like when everything is going well...something goes crazy. A couple of years ago our power went out during a heavy rainstorm and needless to say our basement sump pump failed. After a few grand in repairs, we now have a shiny whole house generator. Still worth all of the headaches though.

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What a nightmare that must have been. Those whole house generators are really nice though. I've coveting those big time.