Don't Look Now But My Bolts Are Loose

If you work in real estate, you know that modern homes that have furnaces and water heaters in the garage -- if they are in line with a vehicle path -- require a barrier or bollard as protection in front of them. Bollard, you know, that metal pole that is bolted to the concrete slab. I was at a house the other day, paying particular attention to a pair of water heaters that were in use and sharing various plumbing, when I bumped into something and had to catch it -- I almost knocked it over. The garage had lots of belongings stored there so I did not know what it was, till I looked down. It was the darn bollard. It was on-site but it had never been attached to the floor, or else it had been taken loose. I think the problem was that, had it been in place, the boat would not have fit in the space alloted to it.

Thanks for looking.

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA home inspector

www.kingofthehouse.com