Is common sense dying?

[gjgalligan]

Is common sense dying?

I recall my father asking that question about 60 years ago.

 

[John in WYO]

The carpenter had to fix some flashing around the chimney.

THERE'S the problem with this whole thread!
Am I the only guy who identified that the job required a FLASHER instead of a carpenter?

Where is the flasher union representative when you need one?

 

[fiasconva]

Saw this meme on another forum just yesterday: " Common sense is a flower that does not grow in everyone's garden. "

 

[blume357]

Even most roofers don't know how to do flashing right... and I'd say we don't need any flashers on the roof.

 

[caryc]

Even most roofers don't know how to do flashing right... and I'd say we don't need any flashers on the roof.

Doesn't chimney flashing go on before the roof?

 

[blume357]

Nope, has to go on with the roof... two parts... one is the lower metal that goes under the shingles and then there is a layer that goes over these and should actually be cut into the chimney. In the old days they did this when building the chimney, you are right.. it was tied into the mortar joints....now we just take a diamond blade on a circular saw and cut a 1/2" -3/4" strip into the brick work.

 

[nekvermont]

Unless it's a tin roof. I believe flashing goes on after but still needs to be cut into the chimney.

Blume, standing seam roofs are very common around here, do you have them down there?

 

[GHollan]

Someone earlier mentioned lack of critical thinking skills. I'll add an opinion that our education system has moved in to an indoctrination system that teaches students what to think and not how to think.

I just got rid of the heaviest duty model 40 foot fiberglass ladder that I needed to reach the top area of my chimney. It became hard to carry even if parallel to the ground anymore. Those services are now hired out. I still have a heavy duty type 1 or 1a class 32 foot aluminum ladder and it has gotten to the point in my life I can barely stand it up either. I never knew the 4 to 1 ratio but assume I have enough common sense that I instinctively followed that ratio when using a ladder.

 

[caryc]

Unless it's a tin roof. I believe flashing goes on after but still needs to be cut into the chimney.

Blume, standing seam roofs are very common around here, do you have them down there?

I worked for Amerimax Building Products for 27 years before I retired. A year or two prior to that they started manufacturing standing seam roofs. It was a really neat system. The roof panels were 24" wide or was it 36"? They had edge treatments on each side. You just laid the panel on the roof and another one beside it then you took another piece that went over the two panels edges. It was "U" shaped and you screwed it down to hold the roof panels down. It had about an inch flat at the bottom on the "U" for screws. Then came the cap. It was another upside down "U" shaped piece that snapped down on the first "U" shape piece. No fasteners. you just tapped it down in place over the first "U" shaped connector. Very water proof and easy to install.

 

[jn 41]

A friend's grand daughter, in her late teens. Did not know you could buy gas with,,,, CASH. She thought you had to use a card. You can't make that up!

 

[eveled]

Sorry, but I dont agree. I have always been careful not to shoot myself after seeing (videos) of others doing so. One can learn from observation.

The ability to learn from your own mistakes is truly important. It is shocking how many people can't do it.

The ability to learn from other people's mistakes is a sign of true intelligence, maybe even genius.

I always tell apprentices they can either learn from their own mistakes or learn from mine. To get them to focus. Before I try to teach them something.

Sometimes I try to remember when I learned something and it seems like I've always known it. So it seems like it must be common sense. But I obviously must have learned it somewhere.

I was a watcher growing up. I would rather watch people work than ride my bike. If I heard construction sounds I would find out who was working and go watch them. As I got bigger, which happened early for me, I was always there asking to be put to work. (For free)

Point being I learned what the rope on a ladder was for, before I learned how to write my name.

 

[eveled]

As far as the angle of a ladder. I was told to stand at the base, put my arms out straight and you should just be able to touch the ladder.

Common sense tells me the flat spot on each rung should be level.

It doesn't work if rungs are round, but I haven't seen a round rung in a long time.

Also the directions were probably on a sticker on the side of his extension ladder. No one likes to read. Something in my brain makes me read stuff like that. It drives me crazy at times but it probably has helped me.

 

[dadstillsurfs]

This is true in many ways. I have a small stack of leather holsters I have made that just didn't work as I had planned (didn't sit right, wrong angle, dye didn't work as planned). Gonna take them to my local FFL store and tell the fellows to give them to anyone that wants them. This is the 'cost' spoken of above. Not so much common sense but a failure of the "7 Ps".

Any right-handed cross-draws for a 5-1/2" bbl Single Six? I'm in the market, no one seems to make them.

 

[dadstillsurfs]

As far as the angle of a ladder. I was told to stand at the base, put my arms out straight and you should just be able to touch the ladder.

Common sense tells me the flat spot on each rung should be level.

It doesn't work if rungs are round, but I haven't seen a round rung in a long time.

Also the directions were probably on a sticker on the side of his extension ladder. No one likes to read. Something in my brain makes me read stuff like that. It drives me crazy at times but it probably has helped me.

My 20' aluminum extension ladder had a sticker that showed the proper angle at maximum extension. The 1 in 4 rule sounds right too. Round rungs? Hahaha the last round rung ladder I saw was a relic from SFFD.