An old timer in a Chicago parts house once told me, 'Kid, you can't rush a good hoistway survey. The building will tell you what it needs if you listen.'

3 comments

3 Comments

That's a great line, but I have to push back a little on the idea that the building "tells" you. Isn't it more that you learn to see the problems? A rushed survey means you miss the small stuff, like a door frame that's out of square or a floor that's not level. The old guy was right about not rushing, but it's your eyes and your tape measure doing the work, not some magic building whisper. You get good by checking everything twice, not by waiting for a sign.

amyh121d ago

You're right that it's not magic, but calling it just "your eyes and your tape measure" feels too simple. If that's all it is, why does a rushed check with the same tools miss so much? It seems like the building's condition only becomes clear when you give it enough time to look properly.

the_blake1d ago

Exactly! It's like the difference between glancing at a room and really looking at it. I once rushed a job and missed a whole section of floor that was off by a full inch. The building didn't whisper it, but I sure wasn't listening with my eyes. You have to walk it, measure twice in different spots, and let your brain catch up. That old timer knew you can't just run a tape and call it good.