Wayne-Dalton Garage Doors or at least the reason why you should not buy one with Torquemaster Springs.

This is my latest experience with a home repair.

In our current house we have a Wayne-Dalton garage door. In our last house we had a Wayne-Dalton Garage door. What did these houses have in common other than a WD garage door? They were built by tract home builders.

There is another thing these doors had in common. I only know what kind of door they had because I have had to replace the springs on both of them.

Who is the first person you call when you need to replace garage door springs? Usually the company that has their phone number on the door. Usually that's the installer. or in my case, Wayne Dalton.

So why should you care or why do I care enough to write about it.

Well on this recent occasion I had a reason to question what the guy from Wayne Dalton told me.

Usually when my garage door springs break, they come out and fix them in one visit. The cost if I remember correctly is a bit less than $300.

Not this time. This time when the single spring broke (not a Wayne Dalton Torquemaster spring), the door strength was compromised. The garage door opener, instead of pulling the door up started to pull it in. About a foot before the Genie Door Opener stopped and reversed. Being that the door was the original door, installed in 1996, you could no longer buy a single panel to replace it.  The diagnosis by the technician. The whole door would be need to be replaced. And by the way, so will the opener. Your opener has a stripped gear and while it working now it may be a day or a year but it will fail. And since that opener is as old as your door you can no longer buy the part needed to fix it. I will have the sales department call you on Monday and give you a quote.

So Monday morning I get a call from Sean at Wayne-Dalton and we negotiate a price. New door, new opener installed for about $1400. But, do to unfortunate circumstances we can't install it till next Monday.

So in the interim I was telling one of my friends the story when he asked me if I had a Home Warranty? Well, it just so happens that I do. The reason why I will cover in another post. So, I look at my contract and low and behold, it covers not only the opener but springs as well.

So I file a claim online and within an hour I get a call from the warranty company. I should also add it was around 8PM so that was pretty good.

The next day a women from Legends Garage Door in Phoenix calls me. She tells me she can get a person out the next day (Friday) and he will either fix or give me a quote on the door.

While I have her on the phone I ask her how much it will cost if she needs to replace the door and or the opener. Her price is about $150 more than Wayne-Dalton. But is it? Melissa gave me a lot of advice as well. She said if you do buy their door don't get the Wayne Dalton springs. She also told me not to get the Genie Garage door opener. In Sean's defense he also tried to sell me the Liftmaster opener. It was me who wanted the Genie because the other door is a Genie.

I call Sean back and get a quote for the WD Door and Liftmaster opener. Still cheaper than Legends but only $100. Sean also said I could get regular door springs for no extra cost.

Now it's Friday and Dean from Legends shows up as promised. He looks at the door and says that for $100 he can put on two steel braces that will fix the rigidity of the top panel. The springs, covered by the home warranty.

Less than an hour after he showed up my door was fixed and worked even better than it did before the spring broke. No more sagging door like before. He also changed the angle of the bracket that pulls the door open so it starts by pulling up instead of out. The original install was not done properly.

So now on to the opener. We still had the gear problem. The opener is covered by the warranty as well. Turns out that you can no longer get the part so they replaced the opener as well. I did pay for the upgrade that includes a belt drive, internet gateway and some other cool stuff. The Liftmaster 8550. Total Cost with the door supports, opener upgrade and warranty deductible,  $366.22.  Not the $1400 or so dollars that Wayne-Dalton wanted.

So not the usual quick fix and business as usual that I'm used to. If not for this sequence of events I would still be as happy and ignorant as usual.

But what does all this have to do with Torquemaster Springs? Well, in the opinion of more than a few people they are junk. I told another friend this story and he told me about his door spring ordeal. Once again Wayne-Dalton springs, another door repair company and his replacement of WD Springs.

He then started noticing garage door repair trucks in his neighborhood often. WD springs are like printer ink. Sell the doors to builders really cheap and have a reliable source of income replacing springs every 3 or 4 years. It cost my friend $500 to replace his springs because he converted them but now they should last about 10 years, the average lifespan of normal door springs.

Why you should use a Double Edge Razor instead of one of those Super Speedy Multi Blades

In an earlier post I talked about how my wife bought me a starter shave kit from Art of Shaving. Fortunately she did not by me one of their $100 plus razors. While they sell a few different types of razors, since they are owned by Proctor and Gamble the razor they push is one of their Mach Disposable Razor Handles. Not only do they charge big bucks for the handle but they get close to $2 per blade cartridge.

So I did a bit of research and found a whole big world of "Wet Shaving" on the internet. Wet Shaving is not really what it sounds like. After all, if you're not using an electric razor aren't you wet shaving?

Well, in the world of wet shaving you aren't. Most people use a can of shave cream that is filled with a bunch of chemicals that dry out your face and skin and then run a multi-blade cartridge or disposable razor over their face. You know, what of those high tech blades where the first blade pulls the hair and the next 1-5 blades cut the hair off below the skin.

Well, as it turns out while this sounds great it's not really good for you. Cutting the hair below the skin can cause ingrown hairs. If you get red bumps and irritation after you shave that's probably why.

In the world of Wet Shaving one uses a brush, usually made of Badger and some type of single razor blade, either single or double edge (D.E.) a.k.a Badger and Blade. Just like your father or grandfather did prior to 1980. That's around the time companies in the U.S. stopped making the DE Safety Razor. Just like drug companies  when a patent runs out there's little money to be made from your product.

King Gilette is the best known as the first person to mass market the safety razor. He was one of the first people to use the business model where the big money is made by selling consumables for a proprietary product. Think HP Printers and Ink. Sell the printer cheap and charge a lot for the ink.

Well, that concept is alive and well in the razor and blade world. One exception being Dollar Shave Club. Well, not really. They give you a fairly cheap handle and sell you some pretty cheap blades (compared to Gillette) on a subscription basis. They must be making a pretty big impact because Gillette now has their own version of the subscription model. The blades are closer to $2 each instead of $2 dollars a month but even that $2 a month is way more than you need to spend if you use "Badger and Blade".

So why is B&B shaving so much better than any of those super duper high tech scientifically marketed to all of us gullible folks for the last 50 years?

Many reasons. So lets list a few now.

It's cheaper. Or at least it can be. A good new D.E. Safety Razor made in England or Germany can be had for about $50. You can find cheaper one made in China or India but unless you are really strapped for can I wouldn't recommend it. There is a definite difference and a well made razor can last a lifetime or two if it's cared for. There are many razors made prior to 1980 and even as far back as the early 1900's still out there. If you can find one it could be worth lots of money to a collector.

The blades. Most people, myself included try to get one of those expensive cartridges to last far longer than it should. Most blades last 3-5 shaves on average and when you are spending $2 a piece most people use them far longer than they should. This causes more irritation as well. The duller the blade the harder you tend to press. The harder you press and drag your not so much cutting the hair but ripping it out of your face. I'm sure you have noticed that the best shaves come from the newest blades. D.E. razor blades can be had for as little as $.05 to $.10 cents a piece if bought in bulk.

Picking the right razor is pretty easy. Picking the right blade not so much. There are many blade manufactures out there and there are big differences in the sharpness of the blade. Sharper is not always better.

I was lucky. I bought two sampler packs of many different blades for $40 and right out of the gate the first blade I picked has worked great for me.  I chose a Gillette. I chose that one first because I had been using a Gillette Disposable Razor from Costco. You know, the ones you buy in the 100 pack. Blade and handle all in one. I have some Bic blades in my sampler pack but since the Bic Disposable has always ripped my face to shreds when I have used them I did not start with the Bic. If you like the Bic then that might be the blade for you. Everybody's face and beard is different so blades are a very individual preference. I have almost 20 different types of blades to try but since the Gillette has worked so well I'm afraid to try and others.

So now we need something to keep that really sharp blade cutting your beard and not your face. You can choose either cream or soap. They make both for shaving. I'm not talking about the stuff that comes out of a can. That stuff is expensive, even the cheap brands aren't really cheap. At around $3 a can and it only lasts a month or two if you shave every day that's a lot of money not to mention a lot of cans filling up a landfill or recycle bin.

You can buy Shaving cream or soap from that will last a month for $2 or some high end really luxurious brands for $15 and up that will last 6 months or more.

Now the best way to apply that cream or soap is with a nice Badger Brush. Do you really need one? No, but it does help and it makes for a really nice experience every time you shave. Which is something I do most every day now when I used to avoid shaving as much as possible. You can get a good brush for around $30 and if you want can spends $100's.

So let's recap. Less expensive. More enjoyable. Less waste so better for the environment. Better for your face. Less irritation and few ingrown hairs. And the best part, surveys show that men with a smooth clean-shaven face get laid more often. What's stopping you now?

Maybe you need some suggestions to get you started. Be careful though. Wet shaving can quickly lead to SAD. Shaving Acquisition Disorder. In just one month since I started I have 2 Razors. Two Brushes and many soaps and cremes not to mention a few other items to compliment my daily shave ritual.

It's all about the bass.

I really, really hate this song. How can a song about fish be so stupid. And the most stupid part, we all know it's all about the Tuna, not the bass.

I'm bringing fishy back
Go ahead and tell them skinny fishes, hey
No, I'm just swimming, I know you think you're smelt,
But I'm here to tell you,
Every inch of you is perfect from the dorsal to the pelvic

Yeah, my momma she told me don't worry about your size
She says 'fisherman like a little more fin to hold at night'
You know I won't be no sardine, or baby seal,
So, if that's what's you're into
Then go ahead and move along

Because you know I'm all about that bass,
'Bout that bass, no trout
I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass, no trout
I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass, no trout
I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass

Because you know I'm all about that bass,
'Bout that bass, no trout
I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass, no trout
I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass, no trout
I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass

Because you know I'm all about that bass,
'Bout that bass, no trout
I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass, no trout
I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass, no trout
I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass!!
'Bout that bass, 'bout that bass, hey

Buy that BMW you have always wanted.

The best time to buy a BMW is December.

This is the time of year they run all their sales offers and rebates.

They will either finance it or lease it with an affordable payment.

If they don't have a new one you can afford don't be afraid to buy a used CPO model.

My lessons learned from Chipotle.

My first experience with Chipotle, the restaurant, was watching the guy who started it on one of those contest shows where the winner got backed to open their own fast food style restaurant.

He was one of the biggest Richards around. He would go on and on about how he borrowed 80k from his dad and turned it into such a big success. 80 grand is a lot of money. At least to most people. His father was either really rich or really stupid. Why you ask?

If you have 80k and you are not rich and you give it to your kid, odds are really good you will never see it again. Only in hindsight was that ever a good idea. Most parents who give their kids anything rarely see it again.

But I digress. He is a very savvy marketer. The place is hip and uses only the freshest local ingredients. They are even from well treated animals if we are to believe the hype.

But the kicker. The guacamole is $2 extra. Yep. It's like charging extra for bags at airlines.

Many a time I have made fun of the question that you always get asked when you want Guac on your burrito, "That is $2 extra"? DO you still want it?

Of course my answer and that of most people is, yes. Then you think to yourself, do I look like I can't afford it? Is there something about the way I'm dressed or what.

But then I thought about it. I should be asking why. Why is it an extra $2. I don't really want that big spoon of Guac, I just want enough to get some of the flavor. No more than the cheese or pico or any of the other ingredients.

I bet you that extra 2 bucks is what makes the place so profitable.

Next time they ask you if $2 is OK ask them why it's extra? Start giving Chipotle the inferiority complex.

Tell them no. For two bucks their Guac can rot and turn green for all you care. 2 bucks is too much.

Why we need a military but why we should rarely use it.

Having a military is a good thing but not for the reasons you might think.

It's a good thing to scare potential enemies that it's not a good idea to invade and take what is yours but what many don't see is what good comes out of a military you never use.

The military trains leaders. Not just for battle but for civilian life. How many of our citizens learnd to manage people and resources in the military? Thousands. Many men of the past and now women were trained by our military with skills that can be used in civilian life. From engineers to aircraft mechanics just to name a few.

How many inventions were created came from the need to make weapons or communication systems because they could be used by the military. The Internet for one. GPS. How many more can you think of.

Billions of dollars spent on innovation and human capital that contributes to the betterment of our civilization.

But just like the atom bomb actually using our military can destroy more than it creates. Now that we have seen the destruction that an atom bomb can cause why haven't we learned that the prolonged use of destructive forces will eventually create the downfall of our ability to create our future, but, instead we can destroy our future. If we were to use another atomic weapon I have no doubt the end would be hastened but we have been at war now for more than ten years. That has been just as destructive to our future overtime as an atomic weapon is in seconds.

In these past eleven years our military has not been turning out an abundance of leaders but an abundance of broken men and women. Our money has been spent on research but on munitions, fuel and trying to repair the casualties of those broken men and women who have been forced to kill instead of create. Having flashbacks instead of dreams of future success.

This not only has a long term detrimental effect on the individuals and their families who fight our wars but on the population as a whole. We have less money to spend on education and innovation. We turn out more people who aren't educated enough to fight in a technological future battlefield. 

We have fewer people learning to repair the injuries of war. We have fewer people learning to feed a growing population and fight disease. 

And worst of all we create a society that thinks that is the way life should be. Always at war, spending money only on destruction and not creation. Spending money on guns while those not part of the military machine go hungry.

There are a few populations that became extinct to due weather or geologic catastrophe. But almost every single population that thought war was the way to riches imploded because of themselves. 

If  you insist on fighting civilizations that have barely advanced beyond the Stone Age, it won't be long before you join them. 

If you want them to like you send them food and medicine. Nobody likes to fight on a full stomach.

Uniforms, Saving Money, Dressing Well.

What do uniforms have to do with living well on less?

In my work life I wear a uniform. It makes it really easy to get dressed very day as I don't have to decide if this shirt goes with those pants or this belt with that tie.

I need 3 shirts, two pairs of pants and 1 jacket. How many of you can say that is all you have in your closet for work?

Prior to this job I couldn't say that either.

Now in this case my company pays for my uniforms so that's a pretty big savings. I buy my own socks, shoes and belt but that's it. We not quite. I do by my own shirts. That's because the company buys the cheapest fitting baggiest shirts they can find. But, the shirts (www.acutaboveuniforms.com) I buy are only $30 each and like I said before, I only need 3.

My son goes to a school that requires uniforms. 3 pairs of pants, 3 shirts. And because it's a uniform nobody knows if he wore the same clothes the day before.

You don't need a lot of clothes to be well dressed.

All you need is 3 of each of something. Yes even socks or underwear. Just do your laundry instead of buying more because you are to lazy to do laundry because Honey Boo Boo is on.

I have been cleaning out my closet and I have a lot of clothes. If you go to places like The Mens Warehouse they sell you three suits. If you wear suits everyday then by all means buy 3 suits.

But where you can really save money is in your personal life. Look in your closet and add up all the money you have spent on things you rarely or never wear.

If you haven't worn it in the last 6 months give it away. there are plenty of people who can use your clothes before they go out of style or rot on the hanger.

If there is something you wear all the time buy 3 of them. I have 3 pairs of jeans. Three pairs of shorts and about 100 T-Shirts. Of which most make me look like crap. They have assorted Chicago or Arizona Sports teams on them. They have car or dog and even beer advertisements. I paid good money to advertise something that doesn't make me a dime.

But what I have started to do is wear either Khaki, Black or Blue Shorts with either a Black or Khaki
T-Shirts. Nice ones.

I also have a couple of nice blue or black casual shirts with collars as well. I notice I get far more respect when I dress without the advertising.

I don't look like a slob anymore and all those T-Shirts weren't cheap. Sports team shirts are like $20 each.

Shoes. Who really needs more than 2 or 3 pairs of shoes, wallets, watches or just about anything else you find in your closet or jewelry box.

If you not a collector your a hoarder. If you buy less you can buy nicer things that last longer and look better.

Many things you only need 1 of but rarely do you ever need more than three of anything.

Four and people start looking at you funny. If you don't think so how many cats doest it take to be the crazy lady with all the cats?