Unforeseen Dangers Discovered In Critical Structural Inspections
It's easy to underestimate how much someone will get used to when they live in a house for long enough. One would normally be deeply concerned about a room existing on a slant or a badly supported foundation, but some people can lull themselves into a false sense of security when they come up with a quick fix and see that the house doesn't collapse around them.
However, none of these problems can stay hidden for long. And when a structural inspector has reason to comb through a home, they can make some truly baffling and horrifying discoveries. Still, there's something morbidly fascinating about those worrying finds, isn't there?
Beachfront property isn't always the dream it seems
When people see a fancy beachfront house, it's often hard to resist envying whoever owns it. Getting to wake up near a beautiful, aromatic ocean seems like a dream come true. However, achieving that dream comes at a significant cost.
That's because a property that sits on a beach is exposed to a lot more elements than it normally is. According to Alpha Structural, this corrosion happened after only five years of exposure. Let's just say that there's a reason the people who own beachfront properties are usually rich. Constant maintenance is expensive, after all.
This looks about as bad as it is
Although it doesn't look safe to have a bunch of nails protruding from the ceiling like this, that doesn't mean it's an uncommon sight during structural inspections. According to AlphaStructural, it's common enough to have its own nickname, as those in the trade call them "shiners."
Specifically, this term refers to nails driven into a home's framing, which isn't supposed to happen. Clearly, somebody made that mistake early and often when building this basement. It's hard to imagine them not expecting anyone to notice, though.
This disaster wasn't the homeowner's fault.
It appears that this deck is still under construction, but that just shows how bad the damage around it was. As shown by the pool furniture around it, this was all complete before one pool technician made a costly mistake.
As AlphaStructural explained, they left the water running while their clients were out of town, which caused the pool to overflow. Once this happened for long enough, the deck around that pool failed, and these were the disastrous results. The worst part is that the technician had been warned not to do this.
This structure is pretty tall, for now
According to AlphaStructural, this elaborate deck has columns that are sitting on mat foundations. This means that rather than being embedded into the ground, they're just sitting on top of it. Some cracking in one of these concrete supports is already visible, but that's not the extent of the problem.
After the house sits on these mat foundations for long enough, its risk of sinking into the ground or becoming otherwise undermined increases. And considering how close the house is to a sheer 40-foot drop, whoever built it was playing a dangerous game that the owners may not have even been aware of.
Have they been dropping bowling balls down here?
One of the most concerning discoveries that an inspector can come across in a home is slab damage. This usually starts as a series of small cracks in a concrete slab, like homeowners tend to see in unfinished basements.
But as shown here, those little cracks will only get bigger over time if the slab damage isn't fixed or filled in. And before long, it can look like an earthquake has just ravaged the area. That's bad news for a home's structural integrity.
Don't look down
A hill can be a scenic location for a house, but it can also be a risky one. After all, nobody can control the weather, and when it gets bad for long enough, it can leave houses like this in a much more precarious position than they started in.
In this case, a long period of heavy rainfall eroded the side of this hill to an extreme degree. As a result, so much of the area around this house was compromised that it's now in danger of collapsing. And in turn, this nearby road is in danger of having a house fall on it.
Nobody's having a ball when concrete spalls
When building materials (especially concrete) start to splinter and break away like this, it's called spalling. It's usually the result of subtle but persistent water leaks that only worsen over time. And when this spalling isn't maintained, it can be the ruin of buildings.
As structural inspection firm Alpha Structural noted in their caption to this image, "Spalling can cause serious injuries as it can damage the whole structure to the point of failure." They also noted that this parking garage has three stories above it, which would only make the eventual collapse more devastating.
Hanging by a thread
AlphaStructural described this setup as "river rock footing" with an internal brick stem wall. While it may have looked sturdy when it was put in, this photo perfectly illustrates why structural inspectors don't recommend basing a home's foundation around this strategy.
Since this wall is not reinforced, that means it bears the brunt of the weight of a house as it settles and shifts. As shown here, the weight has made this wall deteriorate to such a worrying extent that only a few remaining bricks are barely propping this ceiling up. That's because the mortar between them fell apart.
Believe it or not, this was the best-case scenario
At first glance, this may look like another incompetent structural decision in a house that led to ruin. However, AlphaStructural explained that this photo only underscores how much difference some solid, reinforced structural work can make.
Since this home had two-by-six columns supported by a reinforced concrete stem wall, this was all the damage that resulted when a landslide slammed into the walls. Without these features, the whole house would have otherwise been likely to cave in. This is a lot of damage, but it could have been so much worse.
Sorry, but load-bearing columns can't have booster seats
It may help a kid see over the table at a restaurant when a booster seat is placed in their chair, but the same principle doesn't quite work in home improvement. From the looks of it, this sturdy column wasn't quite tall enough to effectively do its job here.
It appears that somebody told this home's owner that they needed to add more concrete underneath it to keep it strong and supportive. However, this person somehow missed that they must take the concrete mix out of the bag first. It's kind of an important step.
The ghost of future damage
Sometimes, concrete or brick structures can find themselves with a white, powdery film like this on them. According to AlphaStructural, that's called efflorescence, and it's not something that any building's owner wants to see on its walls. It's a bad sign.
A bad sign of what? Well, the usual answer is that efflorescence happens when water slips through the cracks of a structure. If it isn't a sign of direct water damage, then it typically means some excess moisture is building around the wall.
Nobody should be surprised this happened
If this frame is in such dire need of support, a plank sitting perpendicular on top of another one isn't really going to help. It seems that whoever was responsible for this questionable life hack thought that since it seemed to hold, they could just leave it there.
Well, this photo is showing the perilous consequences of that thinking. Hopefully, this slowly splintering piece of wood finally got the point across. That said, there's a chance that whoever put it in is already long gone and wrecking some other place's structural integrity.
How has this not collapsed already?
Whether it was due to uneven weight, excessive moisture, or both, this concrete wall is barely doing its job anymore. Considering that its exposed rebar is hanging by a thread from the concrete surrounding it, it's a miracle that this whole structure hasn't already come tumbling down.
But if this wall and the rebar poking through it are left to fester, it's pretty clear that this collapse will eventually happen. And the structure probably won't last much longer at this rate. This is going to need as serious of an overall as it gets.
Well, they get points for creativity
From the looks of things, somebody heard that a lone wooden pillar sticking out of a concrete pier is not enough to reinforce a house's frame adequately. However, it also looks like they took the entirely wrong lesson away from that warning.
Instead of using a different material or structural technique, they thought that adding a more complex network of planks above that load-bearing one would improve the situation. Anyone who agrees should try to recreate this in a game of Jenga and see what happens.
There was supposed to be another beam there
Even in the first of these two photos, it's clear that this deck has seen some extensive wood rot. Judging by the rippling in the support beam closest to the landing, it looks very probable that the deck will separate from the main structure entirely and damage its host in the process.
After all, that exact process had already happened to the beam that's visible on the ground in the second photo. Once it happens enough, it's only a matter of time before the deck collapses. It already looks pretty unsafe to walk on.
There's nothing enchanting about this slant
When this house was built on this hill, it was apparently built with the assumption that the ground around it would stay as it was. This meant that the crew responsible was unprepared for a little phenomenon known as slope creep.
According to AlphaStructural, this refers to the natural downward movement of soil along that slope, which has powerful implications for the house built above it. Not only do the structures shown here now exist on a slant, but that slant is separating the retaining wall from the rest of the structure and putting the whole house at risk.
There's barely anything left here
Although spalling can certainly happen at walls and ceilings, it's particularly concerning to see it happen to a home's foundation. After all, that splintering and deterioration can only happen for so long before it takes the house with it.
When the rebar underneath the concrete is exposed, like in the first picture, it's a sign that the more nightmarish situation presented in the second photo is in the foundation's near future. According to AlphaStructural, the only thing to do once it gets to that point is to rip it out and replace it.
A "quick fix" that fixes nothing
AlphaStructural explained that this retaining was failing and leaning in this basement, which would normally require extensive support to correct the issue. However, a previous worker thought they could patch it up by adding these angle brackets to keep them in place.
However, this had the effect of dragging the rest of the house down with the leaning wall rather than correcting this leaning in the first place. As such, all these angle brackets have accomplished is leaving the large hole in the foundation shown in the second photo.
If the wall looks like it's crying, it has a good reason
It doesn't take a structural inspector to see that this wall is in bad shape. However, that level of expertise does allow for some insight into what exactly is happening here and why it's going on. The rust is only part of it.
After all, that rust may not have happened if this concrete hadn't had so much spalling happen to it that the metal parts prone to rusting became exposed. As for why it's happening, it's easy to underestimate how much constant exposure to the salty air that comes from living near the ocean can damage a building.
This shouldn't be so easy to do
Don't worry; somebody didn't think they could fix all of their house's structural issues by jamming a pen into it. However, the fact that the structural inspector was able to stick that pen there at all comes as a bad sign of this structure's disrepair.
After all, this is supposed to be part of the house's foundation. That's not something that should have cracks in it, and those cracks certainly shouldn't be large enough to fit one of those bulky multicolored pens.
This is gross, but the problem isn't purely aesthetic
This fungus has no business in a home's basement, but it makes for a particularly critical situation when there's enough time for this much of it to build up. And while this case certainly looks disgusting, that's the least of this home's problems, to say nothing of its occupants.
According to AlphaStructural, it doesn't really matter what kind of mold this is. That's because all of them can cause respiratory problems and other health issues if they're left to grow like this. And if enough of that mold spreads, it can even weaken a house's foundation.
This is visible now, but it was a problem from the very start
From the looks of it, this length of metal pipe wasn't connected to anything when it was included inside of this concrete foundation. And whether that's true or it was weakly connected to something else, the deterioration that's clearly happening around it reveals that it was someone's shoddy handiwork.
It's true that the elements can have some significant effects on a place and that those effects vary a lot from place to place. However, the fastest way to fail a structural inspection is to establish that structure improperly in the first place.
Just because it looks sturdy, that doesn't mean that it is
Apparently, somebody saw that most load-bearing pillars have concrete footing to support them and figured that it would only be stronger to put a massive rock in place instead. And in case this picture doesn't make it abundantly clear, that's not quite how it works.
After all, the same natural processes that can cause spalling and erosion in concrete have been doing the same thing to rocks for longer than humans have existed. And when a support base isn't specifically fit for the pillar it's holding up, enough friction will exist to start wearing that pillar away.
This looks bad, but it's even worse
AlphaStructural was well aware that they didn't need to explain how bad this misaligned pipe looked. The ring of rust around it highlights that reality all on its own. But some problems aren't as visible to the naked eye.
In addition to leading to the kind of conditions that made this rust flourish, this pipe is likely also causing internal problems throughout the house. That's because its questionable alignment is impeding drainage, which can cause the plumbing to back up and blockages throughout the system.
The more walls they added, the less secure it was
In a first for AlphaStructural, one property they examined had three walls staggered on top of each other. And when they saw how haphazardly these walls were put together, it was clear that whoever built them didn't secure a permit for any of them.
As a result, not only are none of them stable, but they're also not supporting each other. And some tell-tale cracks in the lowermost wall's connection with the gray one show they're starting to detach. Indeed, all of these walls are now in danger of falling over.
A house divided against itself cannot stand
At this point, it's clear that many of a home's structural problems can result from the posts in its supportive pillars not having a proper attachment to their piers. When that happens, it doesn't support the house and only causes wear and tear on both parts.
So naturally, it inspires just as much confidence (in other words, none) when the post isn't even touching the pier. It's hard to tell what's holding that post up, but it's very easy to see that it's accomplishing literally nothing here.
It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure this out
The only thing that's unclear about the aftermath of one car's collision course with this garage door was whether that car was even supposed to be there. In other words, did somebody come home way too fast, or did they just happen to crash into the exact place a car belongs when that door is open?
Although a great deal of structural problems started when that structure was built, even the most diligent builder couldn't prepare for everything. After all, even a structure sturdy enough to stand against the elements isn't necessarily going to be prepared for several thousand pounds of speeding metal to crash into it.
It doesn't do as much as people think
According to AlphaStructural, laying a coat of cement over brickwork, like what has clearly happened to this wall, is called parking. It's meant to paste over small imperfections in these bricks, but whoever was responsible for this also thought it could handle more widespread damage.
However, that's not how it works. Despite the fact that it involves cement, parging is largely decorative. As a result, trying to fix structural issues with this technique is akin to putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone. It neither supports the bone nor heals it.
Pure denial in action
AlphaStructural said, "How many more straps can they add before they realize that replacing the post and girder is the best option?" And indeed, seeing what these straps are trying to accomplish makes it clear that they're not only fighting a losing battle but a hopeless one.
But while it takes a concerning amount of denial to think that anything can reverse the splintering of wood, it's also true that someone will always pick the option that takes the least time and effort. And as this photo shows, that holds true even when the more expensive option is obviously necessary.
It probably wasn't so long ago that this was installed
Due to the prestige and desirability that so many beachfront properties command, they're often designed with the right aesthetics in mind to make buyers think they're about to move into their dream house. However, the most attractive design options aren't always the most practical.
For instance, steel supports on a hillside beach house look sleek and generally fit most people's perceptions of what a modern beachside estate looks like. However, those supports are also very susceptible to rust, eventually making them look as unreliable as they are if they aren't regularly maintained.
This was bad a long time ago, and now it's unsafe
At this point, this building's foundation is in such poor condition that it's hard to even recognize these pieces of loosely connected concrete as original parts of it. Considering how much deterioration had to happen for it to get like this, it's a wonder that this house hasn't collapsed.
As for what happened here, AlphaStructure noted evidence suggesting that this extreme decay started with water intrusion. That makes it all the more important to deal with signs of water damage and excessive moisture as they come. Otherwise, this is the foundation's destiny.
There was a wall here. It's gone now
AlphaStructural said this former brick wall wasn't reduced to a fractured post due to water damage or neglect. Instead, whoever owns this building decided to knock it out to open up the space between what were once two rooms. This isn't exactly unheard of in the context of renovations, but in this case, it involved more risk than they realized.
That's because they didn't seek a permit or hire a contractor but rather swung at it with their own hammers. They were betting on no structural issues arising from this, and the stakes were higher than they realized.
Nobody envies the owner of this garage
It's plainly obvious that this garage had seen so many better days by the time this photo was taken. Between the chalky efflorescence all over it, the bubbling near the ceiling, and the exposed rebar, it's clear that it's in the process of deteriorating.
And while that extreme decay could have a few potential causes, the efflorescence suggests that some water got into the concrete. Judging by how severely this garage has been affected, a lot of it has been draining in here for a long time.
If this one is floating, another one is sinking
According to AlphaStructural, a house with a raised foundation is typically supported by a series of posts and their foundational piers. The condition of those posts is important because when one of them fails, this phenomenon starts to happen.
When the integrity of one of these posts crumbles, the others have to compensate for it to keep the house from collapsing. In the process, what was once an even distribution of weight becomes lopsided. Not only does this mean certain pillars rise like this, but it means that parts of the house sink dangerously low.
What purpose does this serve anymore?
This wall is made from the same planks that they use on railroad tracks, but it doesn't seem to be cutting it anymore. And that's plainly evident from how far it's leaning forward. The more the soil pushes downwards, the more slope creep occurs.
So now, it's hard to say what this wall even does. It doesn't hold the soil on this hill back very well because it's being pushed by it. It doesn't keep anything else out and doesn't look good at this point, so it's time to replace it.
As if this cellar didn't look creepy enough already
Whether their darkness is inherently creepy or it's a case of too many horror movies making them look ominous, it's natural for people to feel nervous before stepping into an unfamiliar cellar. But for home inspectors, the scary part isn't how gloomy it looks.
Instead, they're worrying a lot more about how strong those stairs are. Not only are some of them already loose enough to leave potentially dangerous holes, but they put the whole set at risk of collapsing. Good luck getting out after that happens.
Is this Harry Potter's room?
Generally speaking, a house's crawlspace is reserved for its foundation and any other supports it might need, depending on the architecture. However, AlphaStructural discovered that one homeowner thought they could fit a bedroom and a small sitting room down there.
Worse yet, the sign on the door indicated that this was supposed to be a nine-year-old child's bedroom. This would be a bad and risky idea anyway, but that makes it especially egregious. As the structural inspector said, "I can't imagine any reasonable explanation for needing this underneath a home."
This is a much worse idea than it looks
At first, one might expect that a structural inspector wouldn't be impressed with how these supportive posts are stacked next to each other. And while that's likely true, the problem with this photo is even more fundamental than that.
AlphaStructural explained that piers that hold up posts like this should never be made of wood. In their words, "Earth-to-wood contact will always end up with moldy, decayed, and rotted wood members." Worse yet, wooden piers are an all-you-eat buffet for termites.
Oh yeah, that's totally going to work
Thanks to some cracking at the base, this retaining wall is in the dangerous process of leaning over these stairs. And as this photo makes clear, the issue has now become severe enough that the wall is starting to fall away from the garage it's attached to.
From the looks of it, the home's owner is just as aware of the problem as the structural inspector is. Unfortunately, their way of dealing with it seems to involve propping it up with a large wooden post. Needless to say, that's not really going to work.
These balconies aren't just bad, they're illegal
As AlphaStructural noted, the wood in these balconies is warping, affecting the overall structures' shape and structural integrity. This makes it hard to have much faith in their sturdiness, and the state of California's government seems to agree.
As the structural inspection firm explained, this situation is exactly why The Balcony Bill of 2018 exists. In their words, "This bill requires the inspection and possible repairs on all balconies, decks, and stairs that rely in whole or in substantial part on wood structural support in multi-family residential buildings with three or more dwelling units."
