Michael's View: I Wonder What They Were Thinking

As a licensed home inspector for the State of Tennessee and an ASHI certified home inspector, I am continually in and out of properties almost daily; some new - some old. Generally, it is the older properties that I find really fascinating.

I entered the master bath of an ‘80's style ranch and flipped the light switch on as I entered the room. The dark room instantly became aglow in a brilliant light that momentarily hurt my eyes. Then I noticed the intense heat. There must have been a minimum of 25 - 60 watt bulbs surrounding a 48x48 mirror.

I understand that some women like to have a lot of light while putting on their make-up, but goodness, the heat coming from that area was enough to melt your mascara not to mention the sunburn that you could get in the meantime! Maybe this was the forerunner to the tanning bed!

While checking the outlets for polarity and GFCI functionality, I could not help but notice the placement of one of the outlets in relationship to the tanning array. Most properties have a plethora of hair dryers, curling irons and other things that the fairer sex uses to enhance their beauty. Nevertheless; the insulation on appliances and light bulbs are not a good mix and can have disastrous results especially around water. I suggested putting a blank socket plug here.