Garage door industry magazine for garage door dealers, garage door manufacturers, garage door distributors, garage door installers, loading docks, garage door operators and openers, gates, and tools for the door industry.
Issue link: https://idoi.epubxp.com/i/105596
TECHNICAL by Gary Lombard Garage Door Installations 101 As we begin a new year, it's not a bad idea to review some of the basic principles that can be overlooked as they pertain to installing garage doors. This is particularly needed if your company has any new installers who may be new to the industry. If your company has added some new installers, I hope that company values, expectations, and principles were shared at the time of the hire. New employees must have a good understanding of what their job entails. Becoming a good and competent door installer starts before a person leaves the shop with the day's work assignment. The installer should have been trained and completely understand the proper and safe method of installing the door they are asked to install. Whether they have been installing doors for years or new to the industry, their training came from or needs to come from 'somewhere'. 'Somewhere' is more than likely a seasoned veteran who trained the new employee as we like to call "on the job training" or the use of training tools the International Door Association offers. Whatever the case may be, I believe the following points give some good guidelines to follow and provide an excellent refresher on what the practices of a quality door installer include. 1. Preparing for the day's work: This starts with arriving to work at the given start time with a positive attitude ready to tackle the day's work. Once the installer is given the paperwork and schedule for the day, the person must fully understand what the work order says. It is important for the installer to ask questions before hand and not wait until they arrive on the job site. There should be no questions regarding what it is they are suppose to do and how to go about doing it. If there is a confirmed time the installer is to arrive at the job site, a valiant effort should be made to meet that commitment. If something develops that will prevent the installer from arriving on time communication needs to take place with the customer to notify them that the installer is running late. This is just common courtesy and good customer service. Nothing will make a 36 International Door & Operator Industryª customer more upset than the installer not arriving on time, and not receiving a phone call stating that they are running late. Preparation also means that the vehicle being used is stocked with the proper parts, tools, and equipment to install the door. It is the installer's responsibility to ensure that that the vehicle has what it needs on it. For example, if there is any shortage in a hardware box, that stock must be filled prior to departure to the job. This is particularly important if the job is far away from the shop. Nothing can mess up an install and schedule more than not having what is required prior to arrival at the job site. Having to call the office to ask someone to run parts out to the installer is unnecessary and extremely costly. Another important piece of preparation is loading all the material for the job in a secure fashion so as not to damage the materials. It is very easy to damage sections, examples of this include: • Damage due to the rack itself because it is not properly protected. • Too many sections being stacked on top of each other and the rack causing damage to the bottom section of the pile. • The way that the door sections and other material are secured to the top of the vehicle; straps, ropes, tie downs being synched too tight that can damage to door panels if the panels are not protected properly. 2. Arriving on the job site: Once arriving on the job site, whether it is a new construction project or private residence, the first thing that needs to take place is to confirm that the installer is at the proper address. If it is a new construction site, all the installer may have is a lot and block number. If that is the case, finding where the permit is usually will give the description and lot number of the house. I speak from experience, as I did install a door at the wrong location. If you are working for a private customer at their residence, it is important to make a proper introduction. Going to the front door, introducing yourself, and conveying what you are there to do will go a long way toward getting started on the right foot for that particular job. Continued on page 38 Para la versión en Español, visitare www.doors.org