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"What's that thing that keeps the wife....?"

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Zoey the Cool Cat -- guilty paws at left.
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to this post, take it up with Zoey the Cool Cat. She can be reached at zoey@mywiseoldgrandmother.com.

A couple of weeks ago Russel got an early Saturday morning call from one of his Clients from about a year ago. Russel remembered the name of the Client but couldn't put a face or property to that name, so he looked everything up in his database and then pulled up the home inspection report. Russel's Client had a question for him:

"What's the name of that thing that keeps the wife from driving into the furnace and water heater in the garage?"

Uh-oh. What happened?

"Yep. That she did."

Russel said that it's called a bollard. It's basically a metal pole and it looks like that shown in the following picture. We have one in our garage, but it's basically useless for anything that I would like to do with it.

Bollard protecting the furnace in the garage

Russel said that he has seen some interesting bollard installations, when he finds them at all. Without getting too technical here, the bollard really needs to be solid and needs to be installed in the concrete. He knows that tennis balls hanging from the garage ceiling don't work, and neither do construction cones; however, filling the garage with stuff apparently does.

Garage storage

If the wife ever makes you clean out the garage so she can park in it, you're out of luck.

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Posted by Russel Ray, San Diego home inspector on 04/18/2009 10:43 AM

Comments (10)

Home Inspections in the ActiveRain Channel

home inspections, bollard, garage

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10 Comments on "What's that thing that keeps the wife....?"

APR

Hey, Zoey the Cool Cat. I guess they need more than one to stop the car. You should be so proud of Russel for being so organized. Take care, Jim

It doesn't matter the gender, there are terrible drivers in both. Maybe it is time to take the keys away.

Hey, Jim.

Zoey the Cool Cat is currently asleep in the sun. She sent me an email saying that I could reply to all the comments.

I wish Zoey the Cool Cat was as organized with her kitty litter box.

Hey, Angelia.

I know. It seems that women drivers still get a bum wrap though. There have been four stories in the paper this past week about drivers accidentally stepping on the gas instead of the brake. Two ran into houses, one off a cliff, one into a store (with one injury). All of them were men.

It could be that we only hear about the ones that support the myth.

Could Be.

Hey, Jack.

Do you and Izzy have any personal experience? LOL

Hi Russel - I told you Zoey could read! And write very well too. We had a bollard in our garage at our previous home, but it was installed right in front of the washer and dryer. I was constantly banging my shins on it while doing the laundry, so I took it out. Luckily, I never took out the washer and dryer with my car. Every now and then I had to vaccuum out the dust and stuff from the hole that the bollard was set in. When we moved I stuck the bollard back in the hole.

I like the old tennis ball hanging from the ceiling on a string that will remind to stop in an area. It is amazing how many people use that. I just go for judgment but after all I came from a family of boys that would laugh if I did girly things.

Hey, Susan.

I found out that Zoey the Cool Cat has been corresponding covertly with dogs and cats at lots of ActiveRain members' blogs. She's been devious.

I'm familar with the bollard for the shins washer and dryer. That was when I learned what a bollard was many years ago.

Hey, Connie.

The first time I found the tennis ball on a string, I just thought the owners were tennis fans. I just didn't have a clue that people needed to be told where to stop in their garages.

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