I love to laugh and my job as a home inspector provides many opportunities for this.  Last week I came across this in a garage.

If you look above the spring you'll see the laser sensors for the garage door.  I wrote about laser sensors in The Eye of the Tiger.  The laser sensors cannot be any more than 6-inches above the floor for child and pet safety.  I even had a friend of a client once tell me she knew someone's child who was killed by a garage door, so it's a very serious safety issue.

So back to the story.  Here's a close up of the laser sensors above the garage door springs.

At first, this is hilarious.  Maybe the contractor comes from a line of 8-ft tall kids or maybe he had an 8-ft tall cat or dog growing up.  Because that's about how tall someone would have to be for those laser sensors to trip.  But then the laughter fades and you realize how completely ignorant and foolish the person was who installed those.  I think of the story I related earlier where a child was killed by a Garage door.  It's not much of a laughing matter.

So please check your garage door laser sensor eyes and confrim they're about 4-6 inches above the floor (not the ceiling).

I hope this gives you a little more information about a home inspection and its value.  Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection