# Giant vertical ruler on a house (picture) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 29, 2007, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898 "2007-05-29T12:48:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/1 "2007-05-29T12:48:56Z")
There is a house-size vertical ruler on the side of a home in my area. Here is a picture taken as I drive by: [![](https://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s218/vetbridge/giantvertruler2.jpg) ](https://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s218/vetbridge/giantvertruler2.jpg) Not the best picture, my apologies. The “ruler” is marked from 1 to 19, I assume these to be feet. None of my friends have come up with an explanation, although guesses abound (getting ready for the big flood, etc). For the record, there is no water nearby so a “flood ruler” is unlikely. The house sits on a the end of a narrow, long, flat piece of land. There is a garage with a tattered windsock aloft at the opposite end of the property. I always figured they flew an ultralight at one time. Could the ruler be related to that? One more picture: [![](https://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s218/vetbridge/giantvertruler.jpg) ](https://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s218/vetbridge/giantvertruler.jpg) So, any ideas? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/2 "2007-05-29T12:54:26Z")
They have really tall children? It’s all I got. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/3 "2007-05-29T12:57:15Z")
_\_ ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/4 "2007-05-29T13:11:13Z")
A donation thermometer for the siding and roof? ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/5 "2007-05-29T13:15:43Z")
It is interesting that the ruler is important enough that there is a notch in the roof for it. The brace is also intersting. why would it be needed? Maybe its an antenna and local ordinances limit them to 20ft? Brian ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/6 "2007-05-29T13:20:49Z")
I’ve seen tall rulers in Michigan where they get a lot of snow. It is used to record record snow falls(OK that looks really weird, but it was meant to say “ree CHORD REK ord”. ) Do you get much snow in Western Pennslyvania? ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/7 "2007-05-29T13:21:11Z")
Was the house recently sided? It’s a tower used by siding companies to side a house. Two adjoining towers are put up and ladders/scaffolding is put between them. They’re simple to put up and take down and easier to work with while siding; unlike ladders which always need repositioning and are dangerous, or scaffolding which is cumbersome and time consuming. I’m guessing they’re siding towers. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/8 "2007-05-29T13:23:14Z")
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane] They have really tall children? It’s all I got. [/QUOTE] Perhaps the house is growing and they want to keep a chart. Or maybe they’re expecting a flood! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/9 "2007-05-29T13:23:56Z")
[QUOTE=the raindog] I’m guessing they’re siding towers. [/QUOTE] Struggling to reconcile your description with the picture. Did you look at the picture? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/10 "2007-05-29T13:25:29Z")
What it _looks like_ to me is the support for some kind of manometer - perhaps indicating the pressure of the water in the local mains? ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/11 "2007-05-29T14:26:10Z")
a giraffe farm? ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/12 "2007-05-29T14:29:11Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] So, any ideas? Thanks! [/QUOTE] It looks like, in the interest of fighting ignorance, you are just going to have to get out of the car, go up to the door, and ask. Please report back soon. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/13 "2007-05-29T14:37:25Z")
[QUOTE=UncleRojelio] It looks like, in the interest of fighting ignorance, you are just going to have to get out of the car, go up to the door, and ask. Please report back soon. Thanks! [/QUOTE] If only it were that easy. The house is on the market and the owners are seldom around. I will stop by over the next few days and check. [QUOTE=brewha] Do you get much snow in Western Pennslyvania? [/QUOTE] A foot or two. Never twenty. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/14 "2007-05-29T14:41:34Z")
If the house is for sale, maybe the real estate company knows. It is worth a call IMHO. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/15 "2007-05-29T14:41:50Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] a giraffe farm? [/QUOTE] Nah, Giraffe-o-meters aren’t graduated in feet - they have fewer markings; one near the top that says ‘giraffe’, and several nearer the bottom that say ‘probably not a giraffe’ ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/16 "2007-05-29T14:46:28Z")
bwahahaha ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/17 "2007-05-29T14:54:23Z")
Looks like something to do with a chimney to me… ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/18 "2007-05-29T15:08:01Z")
Is there a large orchard on that side of the house that is not visible in the picture? Could there have been one in the past? I don’t know all that much about orchards, but the math geek in me tells me that having a huge vertical ruler like that would allow one to measure the height of pretty much anything (like a tree) that is within visible range. In fact, given a property big enough you can use a range finder to determine your distance/angle to the metering stick and a tree, and you can compare relative heights. Seems elaborate, but… it’s a giant ruler on the side of the house! ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/19 "2007-05-29T15:12:03Z")
A brilliant friend of mine just offered a very plausible explanation: What if there’s a translucent tube down the length of the ruler? Measures rainfall! I love her! ---
**Author:** ![galt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@galt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galt)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898/20 "2007-05-29T15:14:24Z")
You mention the house is on the market. Is there by any chance a section near the top that says “FREE! 15% more house” ? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-vertical-ruler-on-a-house-picture/405898.md?page=2)