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Structural inspectors and assessors are the silent heroes who deserve our respect. Their work is absolutely essential and ensures that you can live safely in your home. But what they see while on the job, while shocking, is a mystery to many.
However, Alpha Structural Inc., a Los Angeles-based company, lifts the veil and shows the reality of the job. Its employees share nightmarish and shocking photos from their assessments. Today, we’re featuring some of their most powerful pics of all time. Scroll down to check them out. If this won’t get you serious about structural safety, nothing will!
More info: AlphaStructural.com | Imgur | Facebook | X | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
This was a property built in the late 1940s by a guy who used to build barracks for the US Army. The home was sitting on metal I-beams and they were supported by large concrete piles. The home hasn't moved an inch since being built. Very interesting and impressive!
RELATED:
#2
This 7-inch crack is showing severe signs of differential settlement, meaning portions of the foundation are sinking at a greater rate.
Foot added for reference.
Structural inspectors do exactly what’s in their name: they inspect structures. Their goal is to see if there are any structural issues or defects that might compromise a building’s safety.
They evaluate a building’s integrity by looking at the foundations, beams, columns, posts, joints, trusses, and any other components that bear a load. A home has to be strong and rock solid, not just look nice.
#4
This subterranean basement had a window that opened up into an open area underground. Imagine opening the window in your basement and a group of bats fly in. That probably wouldn't happen here but it's possible! This is a great spot for putting your disobedient kids.
#5
They did not understand the assignment.
#6
These homeowners were out of town when their pool service technician left the water running. As a result, the pool overflowed and contributed to the failure of this deck.
Mighty Toastress 1 year ago
Is something like this covered by an insurance? The pool owners, the pool technicians?
You might ask for a structural inspector’s services if you’re buying a home, spot cracks in the ceiling, walls, or foundations, or have problems with the drainage on your property.
The importance of these assessments can’t be overstated: your health and even your life might be at risk if something is seriously wrong with the integrity of the building. If there’s a potential problem, and you haven't been regularly maintaining your home, you definitely want it to be evaluated instead of praying for good luck.
#7
You are looking at the worst framing rot that we have ever come across on an inspection.
You can't even touch this wall without the whole thing falling apart. Just look at the insulation around it!
You know it's really bad when the studs begin to look like fractured vertebrae.
#8
This apartment complex's tucked-under garage has begun to spall.
Spalling can cause serious injuries as it can damage the whole structure to a point of failure.
There are three stories above this garage.
#9
At least they placed the concrete on the dirt to avoid termites. 2 out of 10 for the effort.
Cathy Hinz 1 year ago
If the cement block keeps sinking, the termites wont have to work hard to get to the wood.
Alpha Structural, which has been serving Los Angeles and Southern California for foundation repair since 1993, is known globally.
Not only has the company been doing stellar work for more than three decades, but it has also built up a very recognizable brand due to its prominent and iconic marketing on social media. In short, the company provides a glimpse of what it’s like to be on one of these inspections.
#11
Pottery can be a very useful tool.
#12
The main support beams for this stilt home are suffering from extreme wood rot.
It’s very likely that you’ve seen the business’ posts on Imgur, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram. Or maybe you’ve seen some of their clips on YouTube or TikTok. In short, Alpha Structural inspectors share some of the most impressively horrifying shots from their assessments online.
They’re captivating because they show the potential for danger. Not only that but some of the things that the inspectors find are truly mind-bogglingly creepy, from skulls to dolls.
#13
This home is suffering from a severe case of fungus growth inside the crawlspace. The amount of fungus that has spread across the joists and girder can potentially be a serious issue for the homeowners.
#14
This Rancho Palos Verdes home is experiencing extreme settlement and shifting which is evident in the huge cracks along the exterior.
Let’s just say the bend in the roof is not architectural.
#15
I don't know about you but I would want to park the furthest away from this wall...
A representative of Alpha Structural previously explained to Bored Panda during an interview that there are many different factors that can affect the repair of a home. These range from budget constraints and timing to the accessibility of workspace.
There are tons of potential problems that homeowners might not even be aware of because they simply trust their contractors to get the job done. That’s why it matters a lot that you hire contractors who have lots of experience and great skills. They might be costlier, but it’ll save you a lot of frustration in the future.
#16
"How do you know if your wood is rotting?" This is how.
#17
Life always finds a way...
#18
An unstable slope will show indications of movement by the presence of geotropism, which refers to the growth of plants against gravity. The way the trees bend towards the bottom of the slope lets us know the hillside is unstable and is constantly moving.
“For the most part, we would put the responsibility on the contractors that were hired to do the work. Most homeowners are not aware of the repair ‘methods’ used, especially when the work is under the home. For example, we’ve seen brick foundations that have been ‘retrofitted’ by bolting the framing to the brick walls. However, this doesn’t serve any purpose as the bricks can’t hold these bolts,” they told us.
“Many times, the homeowner had no idea that there was any problem performing this type of retrofit on a brick foundation. Without trying to sound cliché, we can say the old maxim ‘you get what you pay for’ holds true when selecting a contractor to repair or upgrade your home’s foundation.”
#19
I love magic shows.
This house impressed me with floating posts and invisible piers.
#21
The foundation of this home has literally snapped in half resulting in extreme shifting throughout the structure.
Ben Reinhart, from Alpha Structural, opened up to Bored Panda earlier about one of the worst buildings that they’d encountered. “We went to a 3-story hillside home located in Playa del Rey. The condition of the soil supporting the home was so bad that, during our assessment, we found that the home was cracking and actually moving. We are not alarmists in any sense, but this was the first time we had to evacuate,” he said.
#22
Interesting brickwork on that chimney you got there.
Tell me you love controlled chaos without telling me you love controlled chaos.
#23
"I'm on the edge" - Lady Gaga
#24
Please watch your step!
“Temporary shoring was put in the next morning to prevent the home from collapsing. The complexity of the repair required, getting a large rig on a steep hillside to excavate a 55’ deepened foundation, made this one of the worst and most challenging in our long history. Let’s just say if we were on a reality TV show, this episode would’ve been a season finale.”
#25
When you gotta go... you gotta go.
#26
Hmm, did they drink a bit too much and forgot to pour the footing?
#27
This is the result of a creeping hillside and shallow pile placement.
As the hillside slowly moves down or "creeps", the concrete piles, retaining walls and their footings begin to go down with it. This is why proper bearing material should be reached for all supporting systems on a hillside. Some places only require 5 feet down, others require 45+ feet down. It is imperative to get the proper depth!
According to Alpha Structural, basic maintenance should keep a home strong for a long time to come. “Our advice would be to clean out gutters, ensure you have downspouts that direct water away from your foundation, and see that the hardscape (walkways, patios, etc.) and landscape grade away from the home,” they said.
“Most foundation problems are caused by water and poor drainage. If you look under your home, check to see that there is no earth-to-wood contact. Not only will moisture from the ground get to the wood and cause rot, but it also allows for wood-destroying organisms to get into the framing of your home. Additionally, earthquake retrofitting is a cost-effective upgrade encouraged by not only engineering communities but also local and state officials.”
#28
Structural support shouldn’t be a balancing game.
#29
This was taken during one of our structural inspections in North Hollywood. It's gonna take a little more than duct tape to fix this one.
#30
The “Balcony Bill” was signed back in 2018, and for good reason. Let’s get them up to code now.
Have you ever had to hire a structural inspector or assessor, Pandas? What’s the worst damage you’ve personally ever seen done to a building’s foundations? Which of the photos in this post shocked you the most?
If you’re in the mood to be social, scroll down to the comments and share your thoughts with everyone else!
#32
This is one of the craziest things that we've seen during our inspections. This owner had undermined almost the entirety of his home by digging underneath the slab and excavating around the piles. There had been a minor mudslide and they decided it would be a good idea to create more space underneath... The grade of soil used to be up to the concrete slab above. Believe it or not, the property had not yet been red-tagged.
#34
We were called out to assess a failing deck on an ocean-front home, but the ocean had other plans.
Cathy Hinz 1 year ago
The ocean wants what the ocean wants. :) And it looks as though the ocean wants this deck.
#36
Only bounce houses should move side to side. This home’s garage is clearly on its way out. Hope it’s empty.
#37
Being that my company in LA does this sort of repair/prevention work, this was some scary news to see this morning. Torrential rain and debris caused a large chunk of Highway 1 on the West Coast of California to wash away.
You're going to need yourself a Yoshi if you're wanting to cross here. Back in 2017, a massive landslide covered up over a half mile of the road. It took months to clean up and there was no access around it. If it continues to rain, I wouldn't be surprised if more of this happened in and around Southern California.
DudeFortitude (He/Him) 1 year ago
Poor Yoshi... *uses yoshi to get across a large gap* Yoshi: AHHHHHHHH
#38
Notice the compression of the posts into the girder. They go into the girder about an inch. This property has some crazy settlement and moisture problems
#39
One good look at this photo and you'll see multiple things going on. The floors are sloping (and have been for quite some time) so bad that it is effecting the levelness of the lamp, desk, drawers, AC vents and door frames. This home has some of the craziest sloping floors that we've seen.
#41
The Los Angeles hillside communities were some of the hardest hit during the storm. Hillsides all over SoCal failed and our assessors were quickly dispatched out on emergency calls.
Don’t underestimate the power of water.
#42
The pig from the three little pigs story did a better job at building a house of bricks.
This looks rushed. Maybe the big bad wolf was closer than they thought.
Tyranamar Seuss 1 year ago
How long does it take to actually set the bricks on top of each other properly? It can't take that much more time. Maybe you have to wait for it to dry or something?
#43
Who else is bummed they missed this party?
#44
We have inspected this home a few times. It's a vacant lot, currently up for sale.
It has been like this for quite some time and should somebody buy the property, they would be in for a nice replacement project.
Here's the side of the home where you can see a decently sized crack separating the failed and stable areas.
Nature is taking over where this retaining wall has cracked and displaced.
#46
We inspected this "dangerous" retaining wall in Los Angeles that is leaning and broken apart. You can see how bad it's actually leaning from this angle. It has been there for quite some time but nobody has done anything to repair or replace it.
#47
Here we have a brick retaining wall experiencing surcharge from the neighboring hill. Structures that are settling can cause this surcharge in the soil. This creates a high-pressure situation which then pushes out the remaining soil and results in this type of damage to retaining walls.
#48
Another failing railroad tie "retaining wall" that should be replaced soon. You can see how far it has begun to lean towards the street.
#49
The brick and mortar piers are literally turning into dust. Not something you want holding up your entire house.
#50
This post and pier looks funny.
Someone replaced the post with a game of jenga.
#51
I guess the original builder of this property chose the ancient Roman vibe for this foundation.
#52
We always seem to find very old but interesting items when working under homes in LA. Some stuff here dates back to the very early 1900s!
#53
We think this takes the cake. This is not rebar. These are old Helical Piers from the 70s. It has never been a method that we have used as a company and this is why. They are very practical in many situations, but for steep hillside and seismic zones, they are not. We've seen this all too many times in LA.
#54
This is one of those houses you don't want to be under for a very long time... All of the cripple walls and post and piers were tilting and the house was a solid wind gust away from collapsing. We really don't know how it didn't collapse in the last earthquake here in LA. There's one thing for sure, it probably will in the next one.
Here's one of the corners of the home. This place is a ticking time bomb.
#55
What seems to be the issue?
Louise Stange-Wahl 1 year ago
A friend of mine had this issue...and didn't think anything was wrong with it. I refuse to go over there any more!
#56
This is a cripple wall that is bowing outward, causing movement in the units above. This is dangerous and could end in a collapse if not handled properly.
#59
This is one of the most interesting things we've inspected in almost 3 decades. This property is located in an area called the Portuguese Bend on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. This home requires some serious work. This is called cribbing. It's a form of shoring that is used mainly for lifting a structure for a short time to perform work underneath. It is NOT meant to be a long term solution for a foundation.
#60
Wrapping this cracked concrete column with duct tape seemed to be a good solution to this homeowner!
Jess Smith 1 year ago
When in doubt: duct tape. But the homeowner should not have been in doubt.
#61
Do not jump on this deck if you enjoy living. Don’t even walk for that matter.
#62
This was a crazy bridge structure we saw across from a home we inspected. Many of the supporting posts are bending as the soil erodes and the structure above begins to move.
#63
Here is one of our Senior Structural Assessors, Kyle, inspecting a failed retaining wall. You can see the tie-backs used to hold the retaining wall upright didn't work out too well.
#64
This concrete patio is sitting on a retaining wall that has been pushed outward due to what is known as a surcharge, or hydrostatic pressure build-up. Hollow areas formed under the patio, causing the cracking and further sinking of the patio from the roof load above
#65
Almost all of the concrete piers under this home were in this condition. One solid kick and they would all be toast! They need a good replacement.
#66
I am assuming a big rock fan lived down here!
#67
I guess they wanted an open floor plan? They took the brick wall separating the two rooms down. No permits, no contractor, just a man and his trusty hammer.
#68
The column was barely hanging together with just a small portion of the top and bottom staying connected.
#69
If you don't know what termite damage looks like, here is a great example. If you notice this around your house, I would call a termite guy right away.
BossyHossy1 1 year ago
We rented a house that had extensive termite damage. Came home one day to our dog in the garage and the huge hole he came in thru.
#70
Please watch your step!
#71
You know your hillside has significantly eroded when the concrete pad which was once embedded into the ground is now dangling a foot in the air.
#72
Jenga? Who wants to play?
#74
Somebody was preparing for the zombie apocalypse or something!
#75
The side of this property is sinking, causing this column to lean backward, bringing the connecting beam forward in the other direction. It could slip in the future if it goes unhandled.
#76
This is a failed retaining wall. The owner just wanted some posts to put in place for reinforcement of the wall, but that is a very minor and temporary solution. Unfortunately, the wall needs to be demolished and redone.
#77
We've seen a few dolls under homes before, but this one may take the cake on the creepiest one so far.
Norm Gilmore 1 year ago (edited)
I do a fair amount of underfloor work. This would probably give me a heart attack...
#78
This is a pretty wicked stilt home we inspected this past week. Retrofitting these for earthquakes is one of our many specialties.
#79
If you wanted a visual representation of what evil looks like, this is it. And the brick foundation is in really bad shape...
#80
There should not be a space here. Never good news when you see stem walls separating at the corner.
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What do you think ?
Hphizzle 1 year ago
Hear me out on this… but I’m starting to think that building large homes, balconies, and apartments on the side of steep hills may not be the most sound of building plans.
Trisec Tebeakesse 1 year ago
We could have used you guys before COVID. Company I no longer worked for bought a new garage across the street from a tidal bay. Turns out the ground underneath had subsided by some two and a half feet, leaving the floorslab hanging in space. If we had driven one of our 13-ton vehicles in there, the entire floor would have collapsed. Wound up in the courts - and we're still paying the price now. (Part of the reason why I left.)
Tony Chambers 1 year ago
Thank goodness nobody go hurt trying to park in that thing. Good on you for leaving.
Load More Replies...
Daycare Attendant Sun 1 year ago
This post has brought out a lot of people who seem to think houses in the US (and other parts of the world) are built poorly, without taking into account environmental factors, weather, location, humidity, etc.
Verena 1 year ago
Where I live, foundations are either reinforced, poured concrete beams or wooden or reinforced concrete poles drilled in de ground, with the foundation beams on top. Even for holiday homes.
Nikole 1 year ago
I’m guessing there aren’t a lot of earthquakes where you live?
Load More Replies...
I_imagine_even_worse_w***s 1 year ago
Is it common to build houses in this manner (half of them are on stilts off the ground!) It's definitely nit common here in ireland.
Hey hey hey 1 year ago
Do a proper foundation. And never use lightweight blocks as retaining walls.
Hphizzle 1 year ago
Hear me out on this… but I’m starting to think that building large homes, balconies, and apartments on the side of steep hills may not be the most sound of building plans.
Trisec Tebeakesse 1 year ago
We could have used you guys before COVID. Company I no longer worked for bought a new garage across the street from a tidal bay. Turns out the ground underneath had subsided by some two and a half feet, leaving the floorslab hanging in space. If we had driven one of our 13-ton vehicles in there, the entire floor would have collapsed. Wound up in the courts - and we're still paying the price now. (Part of the reason why I left.)
Tony Chambers 1 year ago
Thank goodness nobody go hurt trying to park in that thing. Good on you for leaving.
Load More Replies... Daycare Attendant Sun 1 year ago
This post has brought out a lot of people who seem to think houses in the US (and other parts of the world) are built poorly, without taking into account environmental factors, weather, location, humidity, etc.
Verena 1 year ago
Where I live, foundations are either reinforced, poured concrete beams or wooden or reinforced concrete poles drilled in de ground, with the foundation beams on top. Even for holiday homes.
Nikole 1 year ago
I’m guessing there aren’t a lot of earthquakes where you live?
Load More Replies... I_imagine_even_worse_w***s 1 year ago
Is it common to build houses in this manner (half of them are on stilts off the ground!) It's definitely nit common here in ireland.
Hey hey hey 1 year ago
Do a proper foundation. And never use lightweight blocks as retaining walls.
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