Every year when the length of daylight hours slowly shrinks as we head toward Fall, the time of day that requires daylight to get things done naturally shrinks as well.
There are some tasks though that one would normally think that you need daylight for, which may actually be more productively done in the dark.
As a parallel example, sometimes I am called to review an exterior project on a day where the rain is coming down like cats and dogs.
While certainly not fun, and while on the surface this may seem like an absolutely horrible time to review the outside of someone’s home, it is actually one of the best times.
The reason for this is when I look at someone’s home when it is pouring out, it is much easier to recognize problematic areas that do not show their face when the weather is much nicer.
An example of this is a gutter system that is not functioning the way it should be or a porch roof that is leaking, or any of a wide variety of items that may only be able to be observed during a period when rain is falling and, in some cases, the more rain the better!
Perhaps equally as counterintuitive is the exterior inspection of someone’s home in the dark.
If it is thought that reviewing the exterior of a property in the rain is not ideal, what could possibly be the advantage of looking at someone’s home in the dark???
Recently I looked at two jobs, one in Barrington, RI and the other in Glendale, RI at a time of day (6pmish) that in other periods of the year might be full of daylight.
However, at the time of year when these particular site inspections were conducted, it was as if these took place in the middle of the night.
How can this possibly be a fruitful venture for anyone??
Quite easily actually.
By working through the exterior of both of these projects at a period of literal complete darkness, this scenario forces me to use special lighting and focus in even more intently on potential problem areas!
With the conditions being what they were, I was easily able to decipher complicated areas of rot that in daylight may not have been able to be as easily exposed.
I am only half-joking when I say the only better situation would have been if the skies had opened up and it started to pour on me during these inspections!!
There is an old saying, “One person’s trash is another one’s treasure.”
While the majority of those in the industry may frown and push off to the side a chance to inspect a home on a dark (and/or rainy!) night, I cherish it!
For in thoroughly investigating something after night has set in (or rain begins to fall…), I believe one has the rare opportunity to, with focus, discover serious challenges that may exist on the outside of our properties which may otherwise go undetected.
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