Another Fireplace, or is it???

[Eric W. Augustin]

I recently inspected a home built in the early 1940's that had 3 separate fireplaces. When I got to the last one, it looked odd. The floor was too clean for its age. Upon closer inspection I noticed it was a piece of 3/4" plywood painted black and there was a handle on it. I pulled up on the handle and the floor came out, leading to a shaft down under the home. Of course I had to climb in. After dropping down, I was in the crawlspace that led out to the rear of the home, then out into the back yard. All I could think of was this was right out of Hogan's Hero's and I WANT ONE in my house.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by eaugustin

I recently inspected a home built in the early 1940's that had 3 separate fireplaces. When I got to the last one, it looked odd. The floor was too clean for its age. Upon closer inspection I noticed it was a piece of 3/4" plywood painted black and there was a handle on it. I pulled up on the handle and the floor came out, leading to a shaft down under the home. Of course I had to climb in. After dropping down, I was in the crawlspace that led out to the rear of the home, then out into the back yard. All I could think of was this was right out of Hogan's Hero's and I WANT ONE in my house.

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Are you sure that wasn't left over from the days of buccaneers and pirates?

[Wayne B. Wilson]

Most likely A escape route for gangsters or booze runners.

[Nick Gromicko]

I designed and built a safe room (a room the occupant could retreat to and secure) for a client. It also had a discreet exit. The room was above a garage but accessed from the second floor hallway. It had a trap door that lead to a chute that went down through the garage and out the back wall by knocking out a lightly-held exterior panel at the end of the chute. I lined the bottom of the chute with a continuous roll of aluminum and greased it. You couldn't get up it, but you sure could get down it (like a sliding board). If the occupant of the safe room felt it was safer to exit than to hold up in the safe room, the idea was for her to slide down the chute to the back yard and run.

[Nick Gromicko]

Here is my article on safe room (panic rooms).

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Well at least you got to peek at the most recent floor support upgrade.

[Nick Gromicko]

Building safe rooms is similar to home inspections. You have to know about everything and how to put it altogether, hidden, inside an existing home.

I love offering niche services to the wealthy.

[Wayne B. Wilson]

LOL i noticed that to Marcel

[Duke Griffin]

The blocks just fit better that way.!!

[Ken Brittain]

so I have to ask but did you call it out in the report?

[Eric W. Augustin]

Yes, I called out the blocks and the fireplace (even though both the buyer and seller said they knew about the fireplace) just in case someone down the road tries to light a fire in that particular fireplace.