Bird Nest in the Duct Work
On a project in Bell Hill (outstanding builder), the homeowners suspected that birds had created a nest in their duct work that led to their range vent hood. On inspection, I discovered that the duct was completely sealed with nest materials! This picture shows about one third of the total volume of debris removed from the duct. I removed all debris (yes, the babies had already departed), thoroughly brushed the 20 foot duct run, vacuumed and injected compressed air from the kitchen side. We also removed the blower motor in the vent hood, disassembled and thoroughly cleaned all parts. Once complete, the unit was running strong!. I also installed a metal grate (not shown) over the existing vent opening to prevent this from happening again. 
The telltale signs that this may be an issue at your home may be bird droppings below the opening or a missing flap.
​Permanently Sealed Bathroom Vent 
I inspected another vent opening, this one led to a bathroom ceiling exhaust fan. When the homeowner turned on the fan, the flap, which should open to allow air to evacuate the bathroom, hardly moved. On close inspection, I discovered that when this vent ductwork was installed, the screws that connect sections of ductwork were keeping the internal flap closed. On this one, the only choice I had without removing portions of the drywall in the ceiling was to "pop" the plastic flap past the screws to allow air to pass. Yes, there will be some heat loss in the winter, but that beats an exhaust fan that doesn't move air when needed. I also installed a metal grate (not shown) over the existing vent opening to prevent ​birds from choosing this spot as their new home.
The Double Fence
Every now and then I run into properties in DuPont that have double fences of the same style with a property line in there somewhere. Because I do not know the answer as to why this occasionally happens, I will leave it to your imagination. 







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The Four Corner Dead Space Intersection
I have found a few of these completely fenced in areas in DuPont that have no access. This one was about 14 inches wide and 12 feet deep. They are boxed out at the intersection of four properties, usually on a slope, and with offset property lines. Notice that at the far end on the right, the post has pulled the fence apart because that post has a shallow footing and is on a slope. Blackberry bushes thrive in these spots. I had to get in there and repair portions of the fence from the inside.















Vinyl Siding Damage
Some of the windows used in DuPont have very good reflecting properties in certain locations. This heat damage was caused by a neighbors window. The difference in temperature is immediately noticeable when walking thru the path of reflection. Just a few homes in the city have this issue. I don't work with vinyl siding.













Trigger Happy Nailer
The carpenter who put this together never intended for the removed 2 x 4 x 12" trim piece to ever be replaced. I can't knock the carpenter though, I always enjoy using my air nailers and I'm guilty of the same thing from time to time.