I'm envisioning a switch (like for a security system) that will tell
you when the door is open, hooked up to a big red flashing light.
Could be a simple tilt switch (like on an old pinball machine). Both
the switch and the light could be mounted to the bottom of the door so
they would be out of the way.
On Wed, Jan 16, 2013 at 1:48 PM, Jim Stone <jandkstone99@msn.com> wrote:
> My new vacation/rental property has one feature that makes me very nervous:
> access to the basement is through a trap door in the floor. It is a small
> house and the trap door sits in a hallway with the two bedrooms on each end
> and the bathroom in the middle. The door is hinged on the bathroom side, so
> that the bathroom is blocked when it is up. I hope that description is clear.
> I can try to do a better job if not.
>
> Here s the problem: the washer and dryer are in the basement. Under any
> circumstances, it is easy to imagine someone falling in the hole when the door
> is open (I have come somewhat close once already), but here is the scenario
> that most frightens me. My wife wakes up in the morning and decides to throw
> a load into the laundry before everyone wakes up. I wake up while she is down
> there and groggily walk towards the bathroom and straight into the 2 by 4
> hole in the floor. (Actually, my greater fear is that this happens to a
> renter, who then sues me for every penny I have.)
>
> It is a very small (780 sq ft) cottage and there is no way to reposition the
> steps without adding on to the house and changing the layout. That is
> actually something we plan on doing in a couple of years, but can t do right
> now. The financial model that allows us to own this place assumes that we
> rent it out for the summer season each year, and we need to get it on the
> market soon. The only option I have come up with is to padlock the door and
> make the renters go outside and enter the basement through the garage door.
> However, I am hoping someone here has a better idea. I will be there in a few
> weeks and would love to find a simple solution to the problem.
>
> As always, thanks!
>
> Jim
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