# I'm morbidly curious about what my neighbors have going on upstairs **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 7, 2014, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064 "2014-08-07T23:09:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hallucinex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba9def/32.png) [@Hallucinex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hallucinex)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/21 "2014-08-08T10:56:33Z")
Golem, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/22 "2014-08-08T11:29:31Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > grow room? With the louvered vent in front discharging the carbon filtered air. Could work. As an aside, I pass a house on my daily commutes with an almost completely sealed window, along one edge of which I could detect intense light. One evening I stopped and knocked. “We don’t know each other, but I gotta tell you there is a small light leak on your side window. If I noticed it, eventually someone else might.” Next time I drove by and forever after that there was no detectable light. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/23 "2014-08-08T12:21:06Z")
My guess is that they covered over the windows so that the house would have fewer legal bedrooms. The number of bedrooms is a factor in the tax assessment. Fewer bedrooms means a less valuable house and lower property taxes. Property taxes are pretty low on that house already, so they wouldn’t save much, but it’s still my guess. People often do things that don’t make financial sense in order to save on taxes. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/24 "2014-08-08T13:13:03Z")
That’s where his relatives from Insmouth live. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/25 "2014-08-08T13:15:25Z")
That place is a damn firetrap, isn’t it? ETA > [@kayaker](#): > > With the louvered vent in front discharging the carbon filtered air. Could work. > > As an aside, I pass a house on my daily commutes with an almost completely sealed window, along one edge of which I could detect intense light. One evening I stopped and knocked. “We don’t know each other, but I gotta tell you there is a small light leak on your side window. If I noticed it, eventually someone else might.” Next time I drove by and forever after that there was no detectable light. You need to stop by and knock again. When they open the door, just kind of clear your throat and hold your hand out. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/26 "2014-08-08T14:18:14Z")
Not all BDSM dungeons are actually dungeons. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/27 "2014-08-08T14:30:34Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Not all BDSM dungeons are actually dungeons. Also my first thought. ---
**Author:** ![Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy_PickleSniffer)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/28 "2014-08-08T14:36:53Z")
Are you missing any [neighbors?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpga1vtS3tA) ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/29 "2014-08-08T14:39:55Z")
If you click on where it says “Street View - Jun 2013” in the upper left you can go back in time to July 2008 when the 2nd floor had windows but the house was in pretty dire shape. Looks like they had a remodel job on the cheap. No budget for windows. Surprised if that actually passes the building code for the town there. Or, grow room/meth lab/sex dungeon/etc. ---
**Author:** ![ruh-roh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ruh-roh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruh-roh)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/30 "2014-08-08T14:55:40Z")
I didn’t do a close architectural study, but to me it has the look of being something like an old, small ( country ? ) church that has been turned into a residence, including a quick and dirty re-siding/re-roofing. I once lived next to a church (a bit bigger than this), but while it was still a church the bell tower was torn down before it fell down. “Havin’ all that room, Seein’ as how they took out all the pews, they decided that they didn’t have to take out their garbage for a long time.” ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/31 "2014-08-08T14:58:03Z")
Check out the [Zillow Bird’s Eye view](http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/280-South-St-Buford-GA-30518/14838919_zpid/). It looks like the pics are older as the house appears to lack the walls look older and worn and there are definitely second story windows. It looks like when they resided the house they covered up the windows. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/32 "2014-08-08T14:58:29Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > If you click on where it says “Street View - Jun 2013” in the upper left you can go back in time to July 2008 when the 2nd floor had windows but the house was in pretty dire shape. Looks like they had a remodel job on the cheap. No budget for windows. Surprised if that actually passes the building code for the town there. Or, grow room/meth lab/sex dungeon/etc. Wow - I think that’s the most bizarre thing ABOUT the place!! I can’t imagine covering over windows that did in fact once exist. Grow-op seems an odd theory because certainly there have got to be ways to adequately mask the light seeping through the windows - plus, it’s not at all strange to have light coming out of windows so who’d see anything amiss? Being on the second floor would keep curious passersby from looking in and seeing something illegal happening. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/33 "2014-08-08T15:01:06Z")
Y’know, a lot of old windows leak, and it can be expensive to repair the water damage/rot and install new windows. Maybe they just decided to side of the whole mess and prevent any further water penetration instead of shelling out to do it “right”? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/34 "2014-08-08T15:18:07Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Grow-op seems an odd theory because certainly there have got to be ways to adequately mask the light seeping through the windows - plus, it’s not at all strange to have light coming out of windows so who’d see anything amiss? Multiple thousand watt high pressure sodium lights throw **LIGHT** , not light.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/35 "2014-08-08T16:40:08Z")
If it were near me, I’d say meth. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/36 "2014-08-08T17:48:49Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > It isn’t curved. It’s from the map process. Take one step to the right and zoom in. It looks fine. I thought it persisted in other views, but you might be right. > [@](#): > > To me, it looks like an old farm house. It has the old tin roof that houses from the early part of the 20th century had. Windows were expensive. And still are. Upstairs was where the bedrooms were and bedrooms were for sleeping. It was built in 1920 and hasn’t had any transactions in years. I’d say it was built on a street of houses, not a farm, but has never been updated except for this bizarre reskinning. > [@fiddlesticks](#): > > If you click on where it says “Street View - Jun 2013” in the upper left you can go back in time to July 2008 when the 2nd floor had windows but the house was in pretty dire shape. Looks like they had a remodel job on the cheap. No budget for windows. Er, yeah, I already said that - maybe someday they will cut through the siding and restore the windows. I’ve seen a lot of houses being remodeled on the very slow and cheap this way. > [@](#): > > Surprised if that actually passes the building code for the town there. It’s a small town in Georgia. What building code (that applies to 100yo houses probably still in the same family), Kemosabe? ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/37 "2014-08-08T17:52:42Z")
Go to the right and around the corner. Zoom in over the neighbors house. You’ll see the roof is done horribly. There are gaps in the – planking? – And the eves are still not finished. That thing must leak like a sieve when it rains! https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=%213m2%212sen%214v0%216m8%211m7%211s0C4YTgMgeNsKz0C4WztBKQ%212m2%211d34.114738%212d-84.007496%213f49.21%214f10.114%215f0.15 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/38 "2014-08-08T18:21:18Z")
I’m going with Smurf’s vampires. Buy a bunch of 1’ x 1’s the Lowes and cut points on them. Today. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/39 "2014-08-08T18:32:02Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#): > > I think they were just too cheap to spring for the windows when they added the 2nd floor. > [@Timetrvlr](#): > > I see an old guy in a rocking chair on the front porch. He appears to be holding a toddler in diapers. :rolleyes: “Pa, when’s Ma coming back from Mancato…?” “Don’t worry, Half-Pint… she’ll be back before you know it…” ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064/40 "2014-08-08T21:45:33Z")
> [@Corner\_Case](#): > > Go to the right and around the corner. Zoom in over the neighbors house. You’ll see the roof is done horribly. There are gaps in the – planking? – And the eves are still not finished. That thing must leak like a sieve when it rains! > > [Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/@34.114738,-84.007496,3a,15y,49.21h,101.14t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s0C4YTgMgeNsKz0C4WztBKQ!2e0) to me it looks like put a second, metal roof over an existing roof. The horizontal boards you can see is what they screwed the metal roof down to. When I had my house reroofed, they did the same sort of horizontal boards over the existing metal roof because it had been mailed down with 4" nails and would take too long to take up. Still, probably leaky. Maybe that’s just attic space and they didn’t want to keep the windows. StG [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-morbidly-curious-about-what-my-neighbors-have-going-on-upstairs/695064.md?page=3)