Shoutout to the guy in my shop who still checks hoistway doors with just a flashlight

I keep seeing guys skip the door roller force gauge and just shine a light down the gap. Last month, a call back for a sticking door on a 15 story building in downtown came from that exact shortcut. The specs say 30 pounds of force max for a reason, it's not just a nice idea. I had to recalibrate three floors because the rollers were binding from misalignment you couldn't see. How many of you still use the gauge every single time, or do you think a visual is good enough?

3 comments

3 Comments

scott.grace6d ago

The last callback I had on a 14 floor high rise was because the guy before me used a Milwaukee light and his gut feeling. Ended up with a door that had 48 pounds of force on the closer and the roller was sitting at almost no tension because the track had a warp you could only see with a feeler gauge. I keep a door force tool in my bag specifically for that reason, it takes maybe 30 seconds per floor and saves you a whole day of coming back. That flashlight method only shows you the gap, not the actual squeeze where the door binds up.

noah_palmer422mo ago

Grab the gauge. That light trick misses the actual force.

pat3602mo ago

Man, you are so right about that. Seen too many people skip the gauge and just eyeball it with a light. That never tells you the real story, just where the gap is. Gotta measure the actual squeeze or you're just guessing. Solid advice right there.