Valentine? Passionately pink panels?……………………..What is it?

What’s it for?  (Valentine passion pink panels) and What is it?

 This home had two of these, one on each slope of the roof.

There are two obvious problems. One is that the gutter empties onto the roofing shingles and the other is that it is built on top of the shingles. Another issue may be that the soffit venting is blocked by this set up.

But other than that, why is this here, What is it?

 

It’s made of sheet metal, painted (Valentine Pink) to match the original woodwork colour and while not being perfectly flat it is cut and fitted tightly around the edges.  It’s that tight fit that provides the first clue.

 The second is where it is. It’s on a roof, a surface not far from a wide sheltering overhang from the upper roof. The tight fit is meant to keep something out, to deny access, in fact to deny access to this sheltering set of roof overhangs.

It’s not that tightly sealed that insects would be kept out but given the overhanging trees here, the candidates are likely to be squirrels, birds or raccoons.

The corrosive damage here tells the story. This is another home in the same neighbourhood.  And this is pigeon damage or more correctly corrosion from pigeon feces. Ugh!

So the passionately pink valentine coloured panels are pigeon barriers. (Try saying that three times as fast as you can.)

 

Original blog post on ActiveRain: Link to Blog Post

LCN “Born to Close”

Got to this site;  http://www.lcnclosers.com/      (do the cut and paste thing to your browser address bar).

I was having a conversation with another inspector yesterday.  We were discussing door requirements between garages and houses. I decided I would send him a link showing an excellent product that I had experience with.

En route to the page with the url that I wanted to copy I came across this video. It’s an ad, about 10 minutes, but I loved the humour.

It should start automatically. The small 2′ by 3′ screen is a at the bottom right of the page. Its right below the image above.

Hit the enlarge button and sit back. Be prepared to smile.

N.B. There are 5 videos,  in case it doesn’t start, click on “4040 XP”.

Safety: The issue for fire code safety is that any door between an automobile garage and the occupied part of a residential home must maintain a gas and fire code seal. Gasoline fumes from spills and leaks has always been a concern but the popularity of remote vehicle ignition systems has now added an increased risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

 

Original blog post on ActiveRain: Link to Blog Post

Schussing the Pedestal Sink (out of the closet).

 

What’s wrong with this loose pedestal sink? (not counting that it’s loose)

 

If you looked underneath or ran your hand down the drainpipe, everything is smooth, straight, clean, no leaks.  The drain stopper lifter needs adjustment, but that’s just maintenance.

The taps are good, tight, no leaks or drips. The speedways and shut off valves are correct and working.  And again there are no leaks or drips or corrosion.

Everything is tucked neatly behind the pedestal base. The wall attachment bracket that holds the sink body to the wall needs to be tightened.  Again it’s minor maintenance.

So what’s wrong?

If everything you are seeing (or I’ve described for you) has only some minor adjustments, what is it?

What are you not seeing?

 Go back to the first line of the description “the drainpipe, everything is smooth, straight, clean, no leaks.”

Have you got it yet?

Well let’s go down and look up.  No, not under the sink.  It’s not there.  I mean right down to the basement.

 

Here we go. Now look up. (down at the second picture)

 

Now you can see the trap, the water trap that was missing upstairs.

‘So what’s wrong with that? There’s one on the line’ you might be thinking. And yes there is one, we can see it.

You might think that makes sense for a pedestal base sink. It certainly would make it easier to fit all the plumbing behind the pedestal. 

 So what’s the problem?

It’s the vertical distance the trap is below the sink basin. Here it’s more than 3 feet. A correct installation is within 12 inches of the sink basin (vertically).

 The function of the trap is easy to understand.

 The “U” section keeps water trapped there and prevents unwanted (smelly) sewer gases from traveling up the pipe and into your house (plus small varmints, spiders and bugs of all descriptions).  So as Martha Stewart would say “That’s a good thing.” And we’d all agree.

 Normally when you ‘pull the plug’ of your sink the water drains down through the trap and out the drainpipe and the last cup or so of water remains in the “U” area of the trap, recreating the seal.

 As this is installed what happens is; the sink load of water plunges straight down the drainpipe and hits the U-trap at a good rate of speed and this mass of water is going fast enough to cause hydraulic suction to pull all the water through the U-trap.

 So that means the trap is open, no water is left there to create the seal.  Now that it is dry, even a smaller amount of water can ‘schuss’ down the pipe like a bobsled runner and carom right though the trap.

The trap is still un-sealed.

 

Hmm.. I wonder how much “air freshener” gets purchased for this home, or does the homeowner (likely the plumber here) know to slowly dribble water to fill the trap again.

 This is a small powder room that has been added on the main floor. It is a converted closet. It’s small, so small that that is why the sink is loose.

Yes, people hit their hips against the sink trying to squeeze past to get to the toilet beyond it.  That’s small.

 And that toilet, guess what, it’s loose too. The same absence of plumbing know how has been applied here as well.

 

 

 

Original blog post on ActiveRain: Link to Blog Post