The Garage Saga: Part 3

This is the third part of the Garage Saga series. If you missed part 1, and 2, you should start there first. 

Last time, we left off with the garage company not having us on their schedule. This was Wednesday, September 21st. The office called us back later that afternoon and said they could install Friday morning the 23rd. 

So my husband rearranged his PTO and swapped Thursday for Friday. On Friday morning, the installer arrived around 11:20 am and began installation. As he was installing, he informed us that there were no studs for a portion of the wall where the track was going to be installed so he would need a piece of wood. We told him we were not supplying this because we did not know we did not have studs behind the wall where the track would be. 

In addition to the lack of studs, he had also brought the incorrect length of track with him and it wasn't tall enough for what we needed it to be. So by 12:15 pm, he left, we had 15 holes drilled into our drywall, and no installation once again. My husband again called the company and explained to them this issue. He told them it was their job during the quoting process to figure out if everything was present - they are the experts. They should be telling us what we need, not the other way around. 

Holes shown in photo are larger than they appear.

On Friday afternoon, the office called back and told us they would be able to return on Saturday to complete the install. Third time's a charm? 🙄

On Saturday the 24th, the same installer arrived once again at 2:30 pm, and this, time he had the correct length of track as well as the wood we needed to make up for our lack of studs behind the drywall in that location. He immediately got to work taking out our existing garage track and swapping out the new ones.

I took the kids to church that afternoon while my husband stayed at home and supervised the install. At 6 o'clock as I was leaving church, my husband texted me that it was complete as well as a photo. I drove home with the kids and returned to a newly installed high-lift garage door. 

When we bought our house seven and a half years ago, we noticed the higher ceiling in the garage. At the time, it was also piled 10 feet high with the previous owner's stuff and a narrow walkway two sides around. I wish I had taken a photo of the mountain of possessions they'd shoved into the garage to show the house to sell. 

Before

Now, it has been modified so that we can potentially park four cars inside in the future. 

After

My husband has dreamed of this for years. I never thought much of it because it didn't appeal to me in any way and we didn't need more than two cars. I still drive the very same car I learned to drive on with my learner's permit as a high school student 🤷🏻‍♀️. I think this is more a testament to the reliability of my car than my driving skills, although my driving record is clean. 

I have to say, I love the high-lift more than I thought I would. The space feels larger. The opening and closing of the door itself is much quieter (I think most of this is due to a new system more so than changing to a high-lift). I feel like I'm driving into an industrial warehouse when I pull into our garage. It's actually really refreshing to come home to such a large space even before stepping foot into our house. 

It feels huge, even when the door is open.

Now, does the story end here? I. Wish. It. Did.

So on Saturday when the installation actually happened, they did not pick up the horizontal track for the garage door. The installer reused our old parts to complete the installation. When we called the office to notify them that the job was complete, my husband pointed this out to them and we did not pay our remaining balance because the work order had listed new parts to be used. If they didn't use the new parts, we weren't paying for them. The manager was not in at 6 o'clock on a Saturday so we were told to call back Monday to discuss the issue.

On Monday, September 26, my husband was working all day so he did not get a chance to call the office until 5:00 pm. The manager was gone by then, but at least we had called to show that we are doing our part. On Tuesday, September 27, he received a phone call from the manager at 8:25 am and they spoke for 5 minutes. 

She informed us that without using new parts for the install, they would not honor their warranty. In order to swap out the parts, they would need to send out their installer again with the necessary part, uninstall what's currently installed and swap the parts. I have no problem with them doing that, but I think from a business perspective, it is in their best interest to not waste their time doing so and to leave the part, honor the warranty, and give us a discount. That's just my personal opinion viewing this situation in what's best for both parties. 

As of today, Thursday the 29th, this has not been concluded. 

A saga, indeed.