Steps to Failure

Before I left on my business trip, I saw what I thought was a not-so-subtle hint to do a home maintenance project. What would you think if you saw this?

Ladder

A ladder positioned directly by our vents means that our ductwork needs cleaning, right?

WRONG! Apparently, that ladder is a decorative piece and it is NOT to be used for climbing while cleaning out our HVAC ducts. My bad. Now I have a new home project … fix the ladder.