found a new tool

[John Dirks Jr]

I was walking my dog earlier this evening and I found a golf ball in the school field. I picked it up and carried it with me along the way. When I got up to the sidewalk that runs near the building I started bouncing and catching it as I walked along. The different sounds on different sections sounded like it does when you use a dead blow hammer. It was fast and easy to locate the hollow spots.

It might be a challenge using this method on a rough, exposed aggregate surface since the ball's bounce will be unpredictable. However, on the smoother stuff it sure seems like it will be easier than bending over with a dead blow hammer.

Give it a try. [^]

[Erby]

I have. Works well. It also works well on ceramic tile (on the floor). Bit more difficult when it's on the wall.

[Bain]

Walk the dog, John. Smell the clover.

Bounce the golf ball just 'cause it's fun.

If I saw some inspector guy ponging a golf ball around my house, it would be difficult to regard him too terribly seriously. : )

[kurt]

Get a moderate to heavy link chain, and drag it over the floor. You can tell immediately.

Saw it done years ago in a mall construction project.

[John Dirks Jr]

Well, if it's simple and effective, I wouldn't be ashamed to use it. It's not like I would pull it out on every job but if I become suspicious of an undermined area and it can provide and audible response to confirm my belief, why not?

I don't see a negative side of using simple methods to provide useful information. Who gives a darn what some skeptic might think?

[Bill Kibbel]

Kurt's yankin' yer chains.

He puts on his tap shoes and hoofs it around each house, listening for loose tiles.

[Brian G]

I use a wooden staff to tap on ceramic tiles and the like. It's easy to control, I don't have to bend over, and it has uses related to ornery neighborhood dogs. [:-mischie

Brian G.

Kurt's On a Chain Gang?! [:-slaphap

[Brad Manor]

I spent a good chunk of last week in Toronto taking a seminar on commercial inspections/PCAs and they were talking about using Kurts chain method to check the slabs in parking garages.

-Brad

[John Dirks Jr]

Is this thread drifting to a discussion of the ole "ball & chain" ?

[kurt]

Listen to Bain.

It would be sort of like the home inspectors that put a ball down on the floor, watch it roll, and then announce "see, the floors are sloped".

[Tom Raymond]

John may be on to something. If he handed the ball to the RE agent after his demo, the silence as they pondered the mystical powers of the dimpled orb would offer him a chance to explain his findings to his client.[]

Tom

[kurt]

Where do I get the hoofer? I wanna include that in my emails.

[hausdok]

Hi Kurt,

Here, I copied the code. Just place the very last g behind the last tag in it.

http://www.jewelryexpert.com/catalog/graphics/policy.gif[/im]

OT - OF!!!

M.

[Bain]

Alternatively, you can just right click on the photo and choose Save Picture As.