Tornadoes Expose Weaknesses
© 2003 Door & Access Systems
Publish Date: Fall 2003
Author: Tom Wadsworth
Page 66
CLIPPINGS
Garage Doors and Openers in the Media
Tornadoes Expose Weaknesses
Source: The Kansas City Star, 06/16/2003
Article: Tornadoes Expose Weaknesses, Code Violations in Some Houses
Author: Kevin Murphy
Like our feature story in this issue, this in-depth Kansas City newspaper story reports how post-tornado investigations reveal weak points in home construction.
This story points a finger at builders who don’t build according to code. However, the article also mentions building inspectors’ comments about garage doors that “should be better braced for high winds.”
Jerry Mallory, a building official who examined 600 homes in the Kansas City area after the May 2003 tornadoes, notes that he’s most concerned about the performance of construction in peripheral winds.
The story says, “Mallory and some other building officials would like to see codes amended to strengthen garage doors and better connect roofs to walls and walls to foundations.”
Mallory notes the critical role of the garage door in strong winds. “Once the garage goes, there goes the rest of the building,” he says.
Editor’s Note: Read our story on pp. 48-56 for a fuller report on the issue of garage doors and wind damage.
God Names Door Company
Source: Kansas City Star (AP), 07/06/2003
Article: Blessing or Blasphemy? Some Businesses Wear Faith on Their Sleeves
Author: Bobby Ross Jr.
Some installation companies are finding that spiritual messaging can be successful marketing.
This report tells of Steve Mims, a veteran Arlington, Texas, garage door installer, who gave his business a more spiritual name when he faced competition from “Angels Garage Door Service.”
“I asked God, ‘How can I compete with that?’” Mims says. “He said, ‘Name your company Heaven Sent Garage Doors; it’s got more power.’”
The article also tells the story of Amen Gutter Systems, run by an evangelical Christian convert. Bright red letters on his white truck preach his company’s warranty: “Gutters that last until Jesus comes back.”
Summertime: Garage Theft Time
Source: KAMC-TV, Lubbock Texas, 06/12/2003
Article: Police Warn of Garage Thefts in the Summer
Author: Sandi Tamkin
Local news reports across the country are filled with reports of thefts from garages with open garage doors.
This TV news report says thieves stole from a garage while the family was sitting in the kitchen on the other side of the garage wall. “Police say people are more likely to leave garage doors open in the summertime,” says reporter Tamkin.
Leesburg Today: A story in the June 16 issue of this Virginia newspaper adds some statistics. “So far this year, the county has had 22 cases of burglary due to residents leaving their garage doors unsecured. In 2002, deputies investigated 49 burglaries where intruders simply entered an open garage door.”
DuQuoin Evening Call: The June 16 issue of this Illinois paper reports the embarrassing theft of a van from the garage of the city’s finance commissioner. The van was stolen from an open garage, minutes after the family went to bed.
The commissioner admitted, “I’ve left that garage door open a hundred times.” He also left the keys in the van, as well as “a briefcase, sales files, promotional materials, a billfold, and some city council materials.”
New “Autocloser” for Garage Doors?
Source: Home Toys, Canada, 06/17/2003
Article: New Product Responds to Trend of Garage Burglaries
Author: Unknown
This article reports of a new product that “will automatically close a garage door, even if the owner forgets.” The product, Autocloser-GA, is said to work with an existing garage door opener.
“When an open door is detected, the unit will wait for a pre-set time period, give an audible and visible warning, and then close the door. The amount of time between detection and the closing of the garage door can be set from two to twenty minutes.”
Editor’s Note: Before you stock up, check with your opener manufacturer to be sure this product (1) complies with current safety standards, and (2) doesn’t invalidate the opener’s warranty.