What to say… time for a new roof or a new tarp?

Is this a better way to store bath tissue?

Yes... a wall was built in front of the garage door... a little hard to get the car in.

How about the condition of this dryer vent?

A bathroom fan that vents into a box in in the attic is still venting into the attic...

Yes, having an exhaust fan in a bathroom is a good idea. It is an even better idea when there is a vent hose connected to it.

This is an unusual old electrical receptacle. It looks like you would be able to plug in 4 different things.

One of the oldest washer/dryer combo units ever!

One of the most worn out roofs ever?

How often do you see an old clothes wringer still in place and ready for use?

This was a house in Rockland having the foundation replaced. It is rare to see the process in progress.

This is a metal screen lying across two strands of active knob and tube wiring. If the wire was frayed, this could have been a recipe for an electrical fire!

This is unusual... Look at how the wood stove is vented. Yes, that's a regular kitchen venting hood over the flue outlet from the wood stove. I wonder if it can keep up... (by the way, this is not a good idea!)

Just in case the hose reel was going to run away... It looks like it is tied on a leash.

This is certainly very ingenious. Yes... it's a cat little container that has been fashioned into a mailbox.

At some point did this seem like a bad idea?

Yes, someone installed a kitchen cabinet over the main electrical panel. 

This is one of the most creative uses of an old fuel oil storage tank.

So close, yet so far... The downspout should have been directed into the drainage system.

Amazing, but not the most extreme of ice damming we had this winter.

Yes! That was between 4 and 5 feet of snow around the house... Fortunately snow shoes were in the truck!

This is a neat picture of a radiator that froze. You can see where the ice broken the top off, and is now running down the side.

This is a short and interesting video from the Indoor Air Quality Association (http://iaqa.org) on why frozen water pipes burst. 

Note: I will mention that insulating pipes when there is no source of heat is of little value as they will eventually acquiesce to the temperature of their environment.

Interesting infrared photo taken of hot and cold running water. You can just see the outlines of the faucets.

This tree is too big to be this close to the house. The surprising part is that the foundation for the house was intact. 

Yes, that's an extension cord coming out of the chimney. 

Perhaps not the ideal place to plant a tree...

Interesting condo in Portland. There was a chimney that terminated at eye-level with the deck for the top floor unit. And, yes, the chimney was only about a foot from the deck. I guess the deck is not too much fun when the wind is blowing the wrong way!

You don't usually see a flue clean-out that is a solid block of ice! This is at least one good reason to have a rain cap and particularly if the chimney is completely outside.

This is an interesting "twist" on a chimney. Usually chimneys are square with the roof, but this one was turned 45 degrees. There seemed to be not reason, other than perhaps to be different to perhaps to shed rain and snow a little better.

You just never know what you're going to come across at an inspection!

This was a very old range at an inspection today. The cook surface with the burners slides out. There is an oven above and one below. We haven't seen these in a while!

The view from Saint George today.