You might be unpleasantly surprised by what structural inspectors can find in buildings, even the ones that apparently look safe and sound. From faulty foundations and cracked floors to frankly dangerous attempts by home-owners to fix huge flaws, there are some buildings that are simply best to avoid.
The company Alpha Structural, Inc. posts the most jaw-dropping photos from their inspections online. The pictures are often so shocking that it’s a wonder the buildings are still standing, and that nobody got hurt. The number of dangerous things the California-based company spots on a day-to-day basis is mind-boggling, so here are the very best examples.
Keep scrolling down, upvote what you think are the worst things seen on structural inspections, and share with your friends. And if you’re in the mood for some more architectural weirdness, here’s Bored Panda’s other list of horrible stuff spied during inspections by Alpha Structural, Inc.
More info: alphastructural.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
#21
This is a post that had been spliced together with another random piece of wood. Why somebody would do this is beyond me.
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53points
#22
If you go around East Los Angeles, you'll see this sort of crack in retaining walls on almost every single block. These homes in Silver Lake, East LA, Mount Washington, etc. are all on a moving land mass and when mixed with water and quakes, it makes for a good damage sandwich.
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52points
#23
As I was thinking of what to say for this caption I forgot there was a plastic skeleton and giant skull to the left and felt any other comment besides mentioning those would be a disservice to you guys. But the post is a bit wonky too.
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51points
#25
Would you feel safe with framing like this holding up your home? Me neither.
This is pretty common in older homes around Los Angeles. Years of water damage and those pesky termites will eventual cause some pretty bad rotting and instability.
This is pretty common in older homes around Los Angeles. Years of water damage and those pesky termites will eventual cause some pretty bad rotting and instability.
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51points
#27
To the untrained eye, this may seem like nothing, but try and take a closer look. The entire house is leaning at a 45 degree angle. Scary stuff being under a home like this. A glass drops above and boom, that puppy drops. (not really but it is scary)
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49points
#28
And here we have the entrance to the next level of Super Mario Bros. It doesn't actually go through the foundation wall, though by the looks of it, that wall could be easily broken apart. The whole foundation needs to be replaced. Very brittle.
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48points
#29
Uneven flooring? Here's your issue. Earth to wood contact. That's just asking for wood rot and termite infestations.
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47points
#30
A nice little girder with no bracing. It's also just smashing down the existing "post" and pier.
You'll see this sort of thing all over LA. Instead of putting in a proper post, people will install random pieces of wood under a girder to help support the home. The problem with this is that it's almost never braced and the wood used is often untreated. They rot much faster than most pieces. I'll also add that this doesn't necessarily compromise the structure.
You'll see this sort of thing all over LA. Instead of putting in a proper post, people will install random pieces of wood under a girder to help support the home. The problem with this is that it's almost never braced and the wood used is often untreated. They rot much faster than most pieces. I'll also add that this doesn't necessarily compromise the structure.
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33points
