Shop fire

[polarus]

Glad to see you up and running.

 

[66sptfry]

Very nice looking shop

 

[65sporty]

Looks really good, I'm glad the boss was able to resume business. The thing that hangs in my mind is how did you do? Business owners are not necessarily rich and it is a real challenge for many to recover from such a tragedy. Techs almost never are cover by insurance for tools or compensated for lost time.

Did your tools survive? Were you hurt financially and how bad? You need not answer anything you're uncomfortable with, just expressing the first thoughts I had. Any tech who has been in a business that had problems seems to get hurt somehow, and it's very difficult to impossible to properly insure your tools... It usually involves unrealistic premiums and/or the shop owner's involvement.

With the twins purchase, I found Haggarty offers coverage for my equipment and tools at home... I am still working out details, but this gives me motivation to get it done. The garage content is worth more then the mortgage at new replacement value. My homeowners only let me add something like $10k additional coverage that includes the lawnmower and any other homeowner tools.

In the dealership, to cover my tools was something like 10% of agreed value in tools... not a good reality. I know of a dealership that the shop was wiped out over a weekend... 5+ years later many of the techs still hadn't fully recovered from their losses. The owner helped, but pro level tools aren't cheap... and the shop's equipment was all gone too.

I lost quite a bit, my tool box was totaled, anything plastic or aluminum burned up, most of my sockets and wrenches I cleaned and have used but because of the heat the sockets will bell out losing shape or they split. One of my good friends had a benefit dinner for me at our church to help replace my tools, another friend gave me a tool box, it's a snapon from the late 80's. I am still replacing things but I can't complain about what was lost, I am very blessed by what people have done for me, we were able to continue working out of a friends shop until ours was finished, the business is better than ever we have so much work right now. The last year was tough but things continue to get better. Thanks for asking

 

[cantflip]

I lost quite a bit, my tool box was totaled, anything plastic or aluminum burned up, most of my sockets and wrenches I cleaned and have used but because of the heat the sockets will bell out losing shape or they split. One of my good friends had a benefit dinner for me at our church to help replace my tools, another friend gave me a tool box, it's a snapon from the late 80's. I am still replacing things but I can't complain about what was lost, I am very blessed by what people have done for me, we were able to continue working out of a friends shop until ours was finished, the business is better than ever we have so much work right now. The last year was tough but things continue to get better. Thanks for asking

I am glad you're on your feet, and that no physical injuries occurred. I don't know how many people who aren't in a trade with personally owned tools can relate to this, but generally tell people that a tech with 5-10 years experience often has tools that are worth a years wages. Usually they look at me funny.
Are the sockets still warrantable? I know they won't warranty if there is obvious signs of heat damage. I know the lack of injuries is important, but I just can't get the thought of what I would have felt watching that happen out of my head. That is a devastating loss to someone who uses tools for a living.

 

[65sporty]

As long as the socket doesn't look heat damaged they will warranty it.

 

[traintech55]

Glad your ok and the shop was rebuilt. The one thing you can expect from the automobile business is the unexpected. Back in 1983 I was working in a Pontiac dealership, that day the temp went down to minus 23 degrees. We had to push the cars in to thaw out to get them started. I had one car after sitting inside for four hours and when I tried to start it the battery exploded. Ended up with electrolyte in both eyes, the guy working next to me grabbed a hose and flushed my eyes out and saved my sight. Be careful out there.