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Working as a structural inspector is challenging and dangerous. In this line of work, you constantly come into contact with chaotically built structures and foundations that are (to put it mildly) completely and utterly unsafe.
California-based firm Alpha Structural, Inc. shares photos of the most bizarre and outrageously dangerous things seen during structural inspections and we’ve collected some of the very best for you to enjoy, dear Pandas. As you gasp and shudder while scrolling down, remember to upvote the pics you enjoyed, and leave us a comment or two about what you think.
"The most nightmarish inspection we’ve done this year has to be the property in Portuguese Bend down on the Palos Verdes Peninsula," Derek Marier from Alpha Structural, Inc. told Bored Panda. "First off, because of soil conditions and high landslide risks, not much structural work can be performed there."
"The home had a very interesting foundation system made up of screw jacks, steel beams, and cribbing (commonly used for temporarily lifting a structure while work is being done underneath). The front portion of the deck and home were sinking and unfortunately, the homeowner can’t really do much about it. It could have toppled over at any given moment and that’s why the 'nightmarish' description fits well," he said. Scroll down for the rest of the interview and, when you’re done with this list, have a look through our previous posts about structural nightmares right here and here.
More info: AlphaStructural.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
It's hard to believe somebody actually thought this would be a good idea.
Donna Leske 5 years ago
Mmm, no, but someday it's gonna light up their life.
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Pepper Sergent 5 years ago
...somebody actually thought this WOOD be a good idea". I'll show myself out.
Sue Prewitt 5 years ago
We found something like this in the basement of a house we were renting. It was holding up the stairs to the second floor!
Vivian Ingram 5 years ago
What am I looking at? I mean, it looks like something you shouldn't do, but idk what it is
John Braines 5 years ago
And your problem is? What you can't see is the magical incantation that is really what is holding it up.
Quiltin Mammar 5 years ago
Oh my freaking God. What were they thinking. Scrap that - they obviously weren't
RELATED:
#2
We inspected a large concrete building in L.A. which was once used as a movie studio. Pretty cool
Josh Murto 5 years ago
How is this a 'Surprising Thing'? It's a standard green screen sound stage, they're literally everywhere.
#3
Wrapping this cracked concrete column with duct tape seemed to be a good solution to this homeowner!
Sergio Bicerra Descalzi 5 years ago
You can build a plane with duck tape.
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Marier told us that safety is a huge deal for employees at Alpha Structural, Inc. "Crawl suits, masks, gloves, steel toed boots, and many other forms of safety precautions are taken. The chance that a building is actually going to fall over when we do our work is slim to none. Any actual danger is sniffed out pretty quick and avoided. If our guys think it’s unsafe to inspect or work on a location, they’ll make a call based on their best judgment and sometimes they choose to not do it. That’s just our safety policy!"
We were also interested to know if the spread of the coronavirus had affected the company's work in any way recently. Here's what Marier said: "I wouldn’t say the virus has impacted our work as far as getting business in or anything like that. We just double check hygiene and make sure that sick employees stay at home."
Alpha Structural, Inc. has grown in popularity and now boasts over 11.5k followers on Instagram. The company specializes in engineering, construction of foundation, and hillside repairs. It also has a simple mission: to repair properties well while conforming to building codes and keeping their clients’ budgets in mind.
In a previous interview with Marier, he told Bored Panda that employees at the company come across various strange finds while on the job, such as skulls or creepy dolls. “You’re expecting to locate a structural defect but end up finding something you can almost label as satanic or ancient.”
According to Marier, one structural inspection that really scared him involved going into a tunnel that someone dug under the foundation. “I’ve heard horror stories of people getting trapped under houses by attempting to squirm through those gaps. That’s a nightmare in itself. Thank the lord there was no scary doll or human skull staring me in the face while I was attempting to crawl through!”
#4
If you're the owner of this property, give us a call... we want to help you!
What does a Foxxy say? 5 years ago
Holy s**t, that is even worse than the one further up. I wonder if the home owner is responsible for any injury or death involved if this wall falls on someone.
Kryogen 5 years ago
Yep, he does. In France, you can be pursued if someone slip, because of ice, front of your door... It never happens but the law says you must maintain the aera front of your property.
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Lisa Shaw 5 years ago
Where I live property owners are "inherently liable" for any and all accidents and incidents that cause injury, even in cases of trespass etc., they would also be liable in this case to the city/county and any passerby's who suffered injury or damage, such as it falling out and hitting their car parked on the street, a single lawsuit could wipe you out financially for the rest of your life and the guilt of having injured someone through neglect would be far worse.
Fred Burrows 5 years ago
I saw a wall like this fall over and the owner had it re-lifted , backfilled with concrete and holes placed along for drainage . A year later it fell again .
Vivian Ingram 5 years ago
I would give that a very white berth to avoid it suddenly falling in me
FULL_EFFECT 5 years ago
Roses are red violets are blue Your face belongs in a zoo I'll be there too not in the Cage but laughing at you :)
#5
This may be one of the funniest and most lazy things we've come across. A plumber drilled a hole right through a post to make way for his poop pipes. I guess he knows little about structural integrity. You can't help but have a good laugh when you come across something as ridiculous as this.
What does a Foxxy say? 5 years ago
The plumber is the one laughing, coz he got paid and doesn’t have to deal with the structure failing in years to come,
CR82 5 years ago
There should be a way to make the plumber pay for damaging the structural integrity of this home. That's dangerous and I would be pissed!
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Marky Mark 5 years ago
WTF? It would have been easier for the plumber to add two elbows and avoid drilling. This one is weird.
#6
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.
Spikey Bunny 5 years ago
Portuguese Bend has constant land movements and can't even keep pavement on the road properly... I can't imagine trying to keep a homes foundation from shifting. This needs a complete redesign and construction- hopefully in a new location.
TERYSSA FOWLER 4 years ago
"Kids, don't go playing Jenga again, you know what happened last time."
In another interview with Bored Panda, company representative Ben Reinhart said that one of the worst homes they ever inspected was in 1992. “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. 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,” Reinhart said.
#7
Compressed post above a centered foundation wall. It gave in to the "pier" pressure.
#8
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.
Monday 5 years ago
That part of the wall likely belongs to the city and it's the homeowner that put up the sign
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#9
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.
Ani Archeron 5 years ago
I see this sort of thing all the time in my neighborhood lol - most memorable was the time someone stole some metre high ironwork that had begun to loom over the pavement on top of an already unsteady wall
What does a Foxxy say? 5 years ago (edited)
This is a serious danger, just walking by can kill someone.
N G 5 years ago
Dangerous or just leaning ? I'm on the fence about this one.
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John Braines 5 years ago
I think the tree could well be the reinforcement!
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#10
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.
mermaidgirl960 5 years ago
Yeah, when my dad was trying to sell his old house, he used a marble on the floor to see how bad the water damage and well, let's just say he had to call a company to go fix the floors.
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What does a Foxxy say? 5 years ago (edited)
We lived in a house with a slope in the dining room. Never had to worry about leaving the fridge door open coz it would close automatically and you learn never to put eggs on the bench.
Full Name 5 years ago
The sad part is that you can fix it for about $100 with a cheap 20 ton bottle jack and a couple 4x4 posts.
Load More Replies... Sue Prewitt 5 years ago
we once rented a house so slanted, my daughter would roller skate down one way, then crawl back and repeat.
George Hughey 5 years ago
Little known, this is the place where they shot the 'risky business' opening. You can't slide that far on a level floor!
#11
This is what happens when your house shifts 6 inches after years of seismic activity and settlement.
What does a Foxxy say? 5 years ago
Just curious, if you are in an area prone to seismic activities why would houses be built on stilts?
SAF saf 5 years ago
Alot' of these houses in LA are built on pier foundations because they're pretty old 20's, 30's 40's. That was how most houses where made back then.
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#12
Have you ever heard of the La Brea Tar Pits? They are pits located in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles that are famous for preserving prehistoric bones and animal parts. Well, we inspected a property not too far from those pits. With that being said, what you are seeing is natural oil and tar seeping up through the ground into this person's basement. Water was coming into the area and over time it brought the tar and oil with it. Nasty stuff.
Satirical Duchess 5 years ago
Mate, if your sewage is looking like that, you might want to consider seeing a doctor.
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Country Nana 5 years ago
I visited there. You can see spots here and there all over the grounds of the site there. It's really amazing what they've found in the tar and cleaned up for display. Not just big stuff like dire wolves, etc., but small dragonflies and other delicate things.
Brenda Owens 5 years ago
And you don't realize that the tar pits actually stink to high heaven.
Spikey Bunny 5 years ago
They sure do! Really interesting to visit, though!
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#13
This is a retaining wall that didn't do its job very well. All the hydrostatic pressure built up over time and caused the saturated soil to overpower the old retaining wall. Luckily it has since been cleaned up and we will probably be replacing this section and the other sections of the existing wall.
elfin 5 years ago
We are in earthquake country. Just a few inches over many years can do a number on structures.
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Tiny Dynamine 5 years ago
On the plus side, it's a good way for people to know that no matter how much you think you control and own the world, nature will always be stronger.
John Braines 5 years ago
That wall was not built with enough structure, drainage and mass to be a retaining wall. It was always decorative.
#14
Another weird bird deterrent. "Run my brothers."
Daniel Billingsley 5 years ago
The owner also put up bird spikes to keep them off what appears to be some pipe, probably located on their porch.
Load More Replies... Sergio Bicerra Descalzi 5 years ago
Man, before zooming I saw a tarantula holding a bird into his trap hole
Kevin Zust 5 years ago
It's a kite shaped like a Hawk that someone thought would scare away pigeons.
#15
That ought to do it!
#16
Stacked bricks with mortar in between. This is a whole new level of DIY.
#17
Stalagmites also formed on the ground below the leak. You'd think we were in a Colorado cave or something.
Martha Riche 5 years ago
That was a seriously long term leak! If you see this in a parking garage, do NOT park under the drip - water seeping thru concrete will damage the paint on your car - it eats into the paint. We had a similar issue at my last place of employment, and we had to have the paint repaired on a couple of the company cars that were parked under a leak!
Maggie Dougherty 5 years ago
That's just creepy! It looks like something, is forcing its way out of the ground!
#18
Another failed retaining wall. Driving around LA you see so many failed or failing walls and it's quite scary.
#19
This is a line of 6 "bridge homes" that extended over a ravine. We only inspected one of them but they are so unique that I felt I had to share. They were all held up by stilts and concrete caissons.
Susan L. Miller 5 years ago
My friends lived in what was, at the time, the largest A-Frame home ever built. It was 3 stories tall and extended over a very steep drop, so it was also built on stilts. They were assured that the posts were buried deep. Years later they sold the place and the new owners razed the home and rebuilt a new, non- A frame on the lot. They found out that the posts were only anchored in THREE feet of soil!
c Fuller 5 years ago
We have a moron here in Gruene who built a restaurant over a sloping hillside. He merely wedged some 16" x 16" x 4" pads into the ground and placed 10" x 10" posts vertically on top of them, then constructed the restaurant decks over those. This is a caliche hillside, basically gravel. The idiot should have drilled 20' deep caissons into the ground until he hit bedrock, then went about his fancy posts.As it is, the restaurant dining deck slides 15" a year into the river below. Stupid stupid man! And he owns City Hall inspectors, so nothing ever happens to him. we are all waiting for a crash one of these nights. This is extensive decking with at the least 40 tables for 4 on them, and plenty of wait staff moving about. The live load is enormous!
Martha Riche 5 years ago
Hope they don't get any flooding there - I could see those caissons getting moved by enough water!
#20
Wild fire? No. Lightning strike? No. Contractors leaving machinery plugged in over night causing a short-circuit and starting a fire? Yes. It's very unfortunate. The homeowner woke up to the fire department putting out the fire. Scary stuff and luckily nobody was hurt. This is why you hire competent contractors.
Jon S. 5 years ago (edited)
I work with historic buildings and whenever I hear one of them has gone up in flames my first question is "were contractors in to do repairs?" The answer is usually 'yes'.
Wonderful 5 years ago
So if I want to burn my house down I should hire contractors? Thanks for the tip ;)
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Spikey Bunny 5 years ago
This makes me angry. My parents home just burned down a few months ago. Everyone inside got out and is ok, but everything else is a total loss.
#21
This is supposed to be a pigeon deterrent. Multiple fake crows (with purchase tags still on them) and a row of spikes should do the trick!
Something 5 years ago
If fake crows aren't going to deter pigeons, I doubt the purchase tags will be the reason its' not working.
Mama Panda 5 years ago
Maybe if they saw how much those fake crows cost, it would make them fly away!
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Melissa Nunya 5 years ago
Pigeons and crows are always hanging out together around garbage in the alleys here. I had no idea they were supposed to be enemies.
#22
This is a 1910 home we inspected in Los Angeles. The owner provided original photos taken of the home and the original owners. The foundation of this home was all brick and mortar walls. The brick was surprisingly in decent shape. Additionally, it falls under Historic Preservation Law and the brick cannot be removed. The city actually helps with the preservation of the foundation and other historical elements by allowing homeowners to conduct an engineering report and give it to the city. This falls under what is called the Mills Act. You gotta love when a whole chunk of the foundation is just missing. I'm sure it's rodent heaven under there in the summer.
Layla Corman 5 years ago
This house (in black and white) reminds me of the homes in the movie Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.
#23
We went out to this property a few years back and informed the owner that the hillside was at risk of having a landslide. Well, it happened.
Donna Leske 5 years ago
Jan 9, 2015, a hillside came down into a neighborhood in Washington 98550. Shoved one house right into the street, nearly demolished 2 others. To this day (2020) there is a house at the top of hill with one corner hanging over the edge. Soil here is ancient sea bottom; all sand. Who planned and built this fiasco? 10845722_1...e562df.jpg 
#24
This column is partially holding up a story above and most of it was completely rotted inside. A knife could be driven into the wood and it would crumble with little effort.
Brenda Owens 5 years ago
Did you know that there are bugs called cement mites? They actually eat the cement ,strange but true.
Melissa Nunya 5 years ago
I thought they just burrowed and made homes in concrete, not that they ate it. Tough little bugs
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mermaidgirl960 5 years ago
Lol, why do so many people have knives stabbed into their columns there's like tons of pictures similar to this one why???
Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
Urine is another enemy of cement. Brazil has a huge problem with cement walls and foundations crumbling because of rampant public urination.
Lisa Conlon 5 years ago
Are all these in the US? It's just in the UK these kind of things are usually sorted out by local councils, they have to be by law before anyone is injured. Some of these structures are scary!
#25
Here we have a cracked and deteriorated foundation wall. Something like this is too damaged to be strapped or filled with epoxy. Here's part of that same wall. Moisture from the exterior has slowly decayed the concrete and caused a breach in the actual wall through to the interior. You can see the dirt and root systems behind the concrete wall.
#26
This is a garage that's sinking pretty badly... It had a massive crack in the middle, creating a wedge in the concrete. It created a slope from the middle to the edge. On the edge, you can clearly see the leaning footings and where it connects to the framing. It's bowing like crazy!
Tyler Lammer 5 years ago
Probably used to store stuff on. I do the same thing in my garage.
Load More Replies... #27
I was at a jobsite and saw an army of Amazon trucks up on a hill above the highway. I didn't notice any building next to it so it seemed very random for them to be located there.
#28
Crawls like this are just the worst. Tons of debris, broken objects and fiberglass insulation at every turn. Most of the post and piers need work though
Kathy Baylis 5 years ago
What’s the meaning behind the writing on the beam? “EKULAK or EKULAIG BY GR”?
c Fuller 5 years ago
I don't understand the wooden piers! Why not use concrete posts with a poured pad and rebar to come up as close as they can to the foundation beams, then shim with more concrete wrapped in sheet metal at the top to keep out termites. Dig down 2-3' for the posts with full rebar. Geez, I'm. only a girl with no formal education, and yet I seem to know more than the California city halls
#29
This is a hillside that is slipping away from the home at a rapid rate, bringing the deck posts with it.
(We have since replaced the wood and put in new concrete piers below the deck.)
mermaidgirl960 5 years ago
The hill looks very pretty, I hope they can fix it and sustain the house without removing it
#30
You just gotta love some LA plumbers. They've been undermining foundations since the very beginning! Now, any foundation work needed in this area will likely call for removal of this plumbing and relocating it to another area.
#31
This pier began to erode and the post went with it. Looks ready to take a dive off the end.
#32
This is a retaining wall failure that we inspected this past week. This masonry wall supported the back half of the home, as well as a deck in the back.
#33
These are stalactites that have formed after years of water dripping from the ceiling. Mineral deposits build up over time and this is the result you have. Not an extreme job but the steel inside the concrete could be rusting and could result in bad spall damage in the near future.
#34
Nothing like some cracking concrete blocks holding up this Jerry-rigged post/pier
your_lesbian_friend 5 years ago
Someone was hungry and ate a snack down there... lol the wrapper :D
#35
This was a massive sinkhole that opened up in the back of somebody's property. The pictures don't show it well, but the hole is 12' deep and about 6' wide. At the bottom you can clearly see an old clay pipe from the city. It hasn't been used in many, many years. It was thought to be an issue involving a septic cap. It's possible the cap caved in to the tank and caused this massive hole to open.
Melissa Nunya 5 years ago
Sinkholes freak me out ever since those people who were asleep in bed got swallowed up in the middle of the night
#36
The floors were sagging right above this area in the crawlspace. I wonder why?
Evil Little Thing 5 years ago
Lmao probably because of that giant gap in the support beam?
Load More Replies... #37
I've seen people do this at the end of their post so here you go. This little guy wanted to join in on the fun. Not too much fun to crawl an entire house with open wiring everywhere though.
#38
This may very well be the jankiest mickey mouse attempt at reinforcing a foundation & subfloor that we've seen. They used 2x8 and 2x4 members for cross bracing, the 2x8 is notched and nailed into the mudsill, they saw-cut the post (which supports the subfloor above) and the 2x4 runs directly through it, compromising the entire supporting post and pier system. Absolutely incredible.
Cara Stewart Snearly 5 years ago
That's some Gilbert Grape momma type support work right there
#39
This is a property we inspected in Long Beach. Notice the top of the ceiling and how it slants at an extreme rate down to the right. This is NOT an architectural detail. The entire right side of this 4-story building had compressed framing, causing each unit to have sloping floors starting from the top and ending at the point in the photo. Scary stuff, but not a bad view
#40
When the post batten splits in half and you realize the nails are the only thing supporting the post from the concrete.
#41
This cracked, brittle retaining wall up in the hills of East L.A needs a good replacement.
What does a Foxxy say? 5 years ago
These walls are pretty scary, I certainly wouldn’t walk close to one.
#42
This was a little back house on a property we inspected. There was no perimeter foundation and most of the property was being held up by masonry blocks and car jacks. Some of the jacks, like the one you see in the photo, aren't even making contact with the structure. Fail.
#43
Some more classic LA posts and piers. Loose bricks and cut 2x6 members. Beautiful!
deanna woods 5 years ago
The more I look at these, the less comfortable I am getting about their safety.
#44
These are two unnecessary post & piers accompanied by an old AC unit. Open wire and glass didn't help the situation either...
#45
Here we have a hillside deck beginning to cave in. This is the result of rotting wood, insufficient supports and years of neglect.
#46
These wooden tension bars don't seem to be doing much for this sinking stilt home.
#47
Over time this girder became weak and fragile due to dry rot and old age. It eventually shattered from the pressure from both the post below and the house above. A beautiful masonry pier with some 2x6 shims to help support the house!
#48
A shoddy foundation with holes in the framing, earth-to-wood contact, and eroded concrete foundation walls. I would say the spider webs are the biggest threat.
#50
We were excavating a trench next to a concrete foundation to pour a new sister foundation and came across a massive root system.
#51
This property was leaning a few inches over from its original place. This caused the framing to buckle where it connected with the foundation. You can see the separation from the screen to the actual leaning wall.
#52
This is a an apartment building in Los Angeles that we'll be retrofitting in the next few months. What you're seeing here is an existing column which is holding up a unit above. Not only was it buckling but the bottom was extremely rusted and corroded.
#53
To the right you have perfectly level flooring. To the left, the floors slope 4 inches in a matter of a couple feet.
#54
This speaks for itself. I can't help but laugh.
#55
Navigating this crawlspace was an interesting time. Mounds of dirt were found to be holding up concrete piers and posts. Most of which were just solo islands of soil with nothing around them. Some of them were completely undermined and seemed to be one minor earthquake away from falling apart. The posts weren't even connected to the piers, so if they failed it would all just fall down.
#56
Some crispy subfloor framing. No need to replace the charred parts, right?
#57
This is a home built on a hillside that has a few major issues going on. The obvious one in this photo is the large crack in the concrete and displacement of the connecting stem walls. Additionally, the hillside is pushing against the foundation, causing the whole house to shift and lean.
#58
We inspected this beachfront home in Malibu and discovered some pretty significant structural damage. The concrete piles and supporting steel beams were cracked, decayed and rusted. The constant presence of salt water is rough on materials such as steel and concrete if not properly treated or coated in protective epoxy or waterproofing membranes. You can clearly see the rusted and corroded metal on these steel beams and the bolts holding them into concrete. Over time, water seeps into the sand and into the concrete, causing the steel inside to rust and expand, breaking apart the concrete around it and compromising the integrity of the structure.
#59
Some nice dry rot under a home in the Hollywood Hills.
#60
Here we have a masonry retaining wall that's broken apart and leaning. To make matters worse, it's attached to a set of stairs.
#61
These river rock foundations were done as a cheap solution back in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many homes with river rock foundations are under HPOZ law (Historical Preservation Overylay Zone) and are not allowed to be completely removed for historical reasons. To get around this you create what is called a sister foundation, which involves installing a new steel reinforced concrete foundation right next to the existing wall.
#62
Somebody dug out a large area under their house to install this water heater. Not only did they undermine the foundation wall, but they just shoved two small bricks underneath to help support the undermined area. They also strapped the water heater to the non-bolted mudsill.
#63
Here we have some invasive roots undermining a foundation wall. Tree roots (especially Ficus roots) can cause quite a bit of damage to concrete foundations. Arborists are often contacted to assist with these types of situations. A shot from the exterior where the concrete pathway on the side of the house has been completely destroyed by the root system.
#64
A portion of this concrete foundation was missing from this property. Somebody put plywood in place of the concrete. So there's technically a giant hole missing from the perimeter foundation. Dangerous.
#65
A mickey mouse repair under a driveway. They thought adding additional concrete pads and posts would be the right call to help support the driveway and car weight.
#66
This is one of the more unique piers that we've seen under a house. It's just a solid piece of concrete that extends from the ground all the way up to an interesting steel girder. Not your usual "post and pier" support.
#67
Here's a concrete foundation that cracked and pulled away from the rest of the stem wall. Luckily, the crack started at the end of the wall, not in the middle.
#68
This one is super interesting! In the foreground you can see a concrete foundation with a mudsill bolted to it. This is normal. In the background you see the original framing of the house which is floating about 4 inches over the original 1909 brick foundation. This is NOT normal. Both of these should be level with each other... One side of the home is lifted while the other side is sinking. Incredible.
#69
We inspected this driveway project due to some structural inquiries. We quickly realized that the shoring was insufficient and that the area between the garage and front door was sagging.
#70
Another large crack in a concrete foundation. This could have resulted from recent seismic activity. One thing is for sure, it needs to be addressed before it gets worse.
#71
Some other contractor was replacing a retaining wall here. They completely undermined the neighbor’s fence/wall and now it’s starting to lean and collapse towards them. It’s been like this for quite some time.
#72
The whole front porch of this property is cracking and separating from the rest of the home. You can see where the stucco has cracked and where it's beginning to lean toward the driveway. Scary stuff.
#73
Here we have a garage on top of an extended slab footing. The slab under the stucco is breaking apart and beginning to slowly slide away from the structure.
#74
If you're able to see light coming through a gap between the framing and the foundation, that's not a good thing. The foundation under this home has settled and there was no bolting or bracing holding the mudsill to the foundation. This is the same property but this time you can see light coming through a large crack in the foundation wall.
#75
We inspected this property for a real estate transaction and we were informed that some repairs had recently been done to the foundation. A skim coat of cement was put over a very large crack and a couple retrofit plates were installed as well. We tested the bolts and 3/4 of them could be loosened by hand.
#76
I guess you could call this a foundation but it's really just a bunch of dusty concrete, masonry blocks and wooden framing members installed together. Beautiful.
#77
This is a 2x4 post attempting a diving board trick. It's not even connected to the pier or wood shim.
#78
We've passed this retaining wall so many times and each time the wall is leaning further and further toward the street. We've done work for about 5 other houses next to this one and we are just waiting for the day we get a call to inspect this property.
#79
Imagine being the one living above this column! Not only is it fragile from termite damage, but it's not even braced or connected in any way. We received plans for a retrofit project on this building and the other engineers didn't even call for a replacement of this beam. Incredible.
#81
Here we have an old landslide that happened almost a decade ago. The issue with this particular landslide is the number of people effected by it and the proper solution is yet to be established. We inspected it this past week for a potential solution but we're not sure what the outcome will be. Definitely going to be a cool job if we end up taking it on.
#85
This is what a sinking foundation that isn't bolted looks like. A solid inch and a half from the concrete to the mudil. Very nice!
#86
Here we have a large hillside retaining wall that's leaning toward the house and endangering the property and homeowner. If a wall is leaning, it is considered to be "failing" but once it reaches about 10% of the height of the wall it is considered to be a "failed" retaining wall and will more than likely be unsalvagable. A replacement would be necessary
#87
And before you freak out, it was already completely cracked through and in need of replacement since the concrete was so weak and brittle! If it can be easily wedged out of place, the damage has already been done. In addition to this, there were other cracks and chunks of concrete missing from the foundation. This crack was more than likely caused by years of local seismic activity around LA.
#88
Earth-to-wood contact is never a good idea but this takes it to the next level. I guess they really want a hump in their flooring. There's a reason post & piers are supposed to be under a girder.
#89
Here we have an old masonry foundation that has eroded away and now the concrete pier above is slightly undermined. The soil will begin to erode as well and the pier will eventually slip away leaving nothing to support the subfloor in that area.
#90
You know it's going to be a fun crawl when you poke your head inside and see this! A foundation crack that you could practically stick your hand through. No strapping or epoxy filling for this one.
#91
A contractor bolted this foundation, except the only thing it's holding on to is the single concrete block that is resting on the old crumbling foundation below. Also, it happens to be right above an old crack filled with epoxy and with a strap across it.
#92
Snow in LA? I never thought I would see the day. This home had a serious plumbing leak and the white stuff you see is efflorescence resulting from the constant presence of water. Efflorescence angels anyone?
#93
This is what happens when one side of your foundation settles and the other doesn't. You can clearly see at the bottom of the photo that the concrete is split and leaning to the left. This caused the framing to pull away from the subfloor and the other side of the structure.
#94
Classic LA plumbing job. Excavates and undermines structural elements to the home and doesn't bother fixing anything or telling anybody about it.
#95
These post & piers that hold up a main load-bearing wall are right next to the excavated trench and are now undermined and at risk of falling over.
#96
We discovered some fire damage on the subfloor of this home in LA. Not major damage but it should be handled as soon as possible.
#97
Sometimes you just look at the entrance of a crawlspace and know it's going to be a rough crawl.
#98
Here's a large crack in a concrete stem wall right next to an old UFP (Universal Foundation Plate). A good portion of this foundation will have to be replaced.
#99
The life of a wooden wall is drastically shorter than a masonry or concrete wall. It may be more expensive, but a few bad rainy seasons and you'll end up with this in 5-10 years. That may be a good life for the wall, but with a concrete wall you'd get by with 30-40+ years before anything moves, if it's done right.
#101
Bad foundation forming results in air pockets in the concrete, compromising structural integrity and shoving aesthetics out the window. Whoever did this didn't seem to care.
#103
A plumber demoed this section of the slab foundation to access a leaking pipe. He then proceeded to dig and undermine a good portion of the foundation without shoring. He did have a good reason though, because this was one of the pipes that had broken and had been leaking for quite some time.
#104
This was a retaining wall made entirely of clay tile blocks. These are usually used for partition walls or fireproofing. They aren't generally used in the US too much but most countries in Europe and the Middle East still use them
#105
This is a short stud which is part of a cripple wall that had some serious dry rot and termite damage.
#106
This was an open pipe that seemed to be covered up or filled entirely with dirt. Kind of looks like the house is going to the bathroom. Additionally, the framing all around this area was rotting like crazy. I wonder why...
#107
This was a crack we inspected in the concrete ceiling of a large parking area of a structure. It's an indication that there could be spall damage and severe structural repairs needed
#108
I posted another photo of this house on my Tuesday post but this foundation was riddled with cracks, wonky framing and had no rebar or bolts/bracing.
#109
This is a basement retaining wall from 1910 that we inspected in LA. No rebar was used in this wall and because of that, the wall is breaking apart and displacing in the corner.
#112
Here we have some extreme water damage which resulted in tons of rotted framing. Fire damage and water intrusion has caused the framing in this wall to bend, break and crumble to bits
#113
This is a very large foundation crack that is offset and displaced. These are the cracks that cause severe damage to the structure.
#114
if you look at the top right of this door frame, you can see that it is beginning to bow and sink to the right. The foundation was concrete but it had many stress cracks.
#116
This is a super old and deteriorated concrete foundation. Tons of water was discovered under this home and, if you look closely, you can see it pooling in the background. A dry foundation is a happy foundation
#117
This is a property in Palos Verdes, CA located on a cut & fill lot. Compaction of the soil wasn't properly done and this caused the side of the property to settle. The wall and pathway are now cracking and separating from the rest of the home.
#118
This is a concrete pile and a wooden post supporting a stilt home above. The concrete is breaking apart mainly due to seismic activity and racking of the posts during earthquakes. Part of the process of repairing this is trying to figure out how the wooden post is attached to the concrete. No exterior method was used. Some sort of steel tie-in had to have been done.
#119
This retaining wall was built with no rebar and is now cracked, displaced and is leaning forward. It looks like it's ready to collapse.
#120
Here's a retaining wall located at the back of a garage that has some pretty major cracking. It's beginning to displace and lean toward the inside of the garage, creating a very dangerous situation that could result in a collapse.
#121
Here's a failed retaining wall that we inspected after the collapsed material was cleaned up.
#122
Tons of moisture and hillside erosion caused the wall to lose its grip on the hillside and rest of the structure. This type of failure tends to happen in the rainy season in Los Angeles.
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What do you think ?
Kenny Kulbiski 5 years ago
Some of these are really bad but would be super expensive to repair. I'd bet a lot of people are aware of the problems but just can't afford to fix them.
Carol Emory 5 years ago
So the lesson here...Don't buy a home in LA...and make sure to thoroughly vet your plumbers before letting them under your house...
Spikey Bunny 5 years ago
But a home if you want, but get a fantastic inspection first!
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SandraG_lak 5 years ago
The lesson I got is how important thorough property inspections when you are looking to buy a home.
Jim Berard 5 years ago (edited)
None of this is shocking; in fact, it's quite common in old homes. Lack of proper knowledge originally, age, and regular degradation, plus outright intentional negligence. Plumbers aren't the only culprits, either; I started out as a carpenter, and we regularly had electricians and HVAC guys cut out or compromise structural elements we had just built/installed. And this doesn't even account for all the DIY "improvements/renovations."
H05 5 years ago
And in the homeowners eyes, it's the contractor's fault for insisting on fixing these outrages before starting on the long awaited new kitchen or bathroom they've been dreaming of for years. Budget is halfway gone just making the home safe (and passing inspecting) and the contractor catches the grief b/c they never knew there was a problem, or "it's been good enough this long." SMH
Nea 5 years ago
I also find them pretty normal and commonplace for our Indian (lack of) safety standards.
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Martha Riche 5 years ago (edited)
I lived in a house built in 1918, in an area of Kansas City MO that was originally developed just after the turn of the century. Our house had more than a few foundation issues! There are hundreds of homes in the area that have limestone foundations, and there probably isn't a single home that hasn't had the foundation replaced, repaired, or needs it. I'm just happy to be in a new home now!
Kenny Kulbiski 5 years ago
Some of these are really bad but would be super expensive to repair. I'd bet a lot of people are aware of the problems but just can't afford to fix them.
Carol Emory 5 years ago
So the lesson here...Don't buy a home in LA...and make sure to thoroughly vet your plumbers before letting them under your house...
Spikey Bunny 5 years ago
But a home if you want, but get a fantastic inspection first!
Load More Replies... SandraG_lak 5 years ago
The lesson I got is how important thorough property inspections when you are looking to buy a home.
Jim Berard 5 years ago (edited)
None of this is shocking; in fact, it's quite common in old homes. Lack of proper knowledge originally, age, and regular degradation, plus outright intentional negligence. Plumbers aren't the only culprits, either; I started out as a carpenter, and we regularly had electricians and HVAC guys cut out or compromise structural elements we had just built/installed. And this doesn't even account for all the DIY "improvements/renovations."
H05 5 years ago
And in the homeowners eyes, it's the contractor's fault for insisting on fixing these outrages before starting on the long awaited new kitchen or bathroom they've been dreaming of for years. Budget is halfway gone just making the home safe (and passing inspecting) and the contractor catches the grief b/c they never knew there was a problem, or "it's been good enough this long." SMH
Nea 5 years ago
I also find them pretty normal and commonplace for our Indian (lack of) safety standards.
Load More Replies... Martha Riche 5 years ago (edited)
I lived in a house built in 1918, in an area of Kansas City MO that was originally developed just after the turn of the century. Our house had more than a few foundation issues! There are hundreds of homes in the area that have limestone foundations, and there probably isn't a single home that hasn't had the foundation replaced, repaired, or needs it. I'm just happy to be in a new home now!
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