South of Lafayette is the tiny town of Linden....must have population of 2 or 300 at most. They have a lovely pearl grey charger town marshall patrol car.

I went down there to advise them on the immenent collapse of a sadly neglected old building.

The front of the second story of an old double storefront was sagging forward in the middle about 8". I looked it all over and told them in writing that I didn't honestly know what was holding it up there, it looked like it should have fallen already.

The president of the town board ordered the building evacuated. A couple of weeks later he called and asked me to come look at it after the front had been removed and the remaining structure braced to see if I thought it was safe to occupy again.

I said it was.

They said that they discovered that the thin aluminum roof flashing had been holding the brick from falling forward. They cut it with a sawzall with a large excavator holding the front in place and after the aluminum was cut he backed up and it all fell into the street.

If you would have told me that flashing could hold a brick front up I would have bet large sums that it would not.....and it would not have for much longer!

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.