138 Unreal Things Inside People’s Homes These Building Inspectors Found And Shared Online (New Pics)

While some things may seem too good to be true, others may appear too bad to be true. Well, the truth is, everything is possible! And California-based firm Alpha Structural, Inc. proves this on a regular basis. The inspectors working for this company share the scariest and most surprising things they come across during their structural assessments.

It would be great if all these bizarre errors were merely amusing to look at, but unfortunately, these architectural failures most of the time pose a significant danger to people around a particular construction. It gets as serious as the fact that the very foundation of the house is faulty, and everything indicates that the building has no right to stand and provide a home for anyone.

If you’re interested in seeing more engineering ‘nightmares’ and ‘miracles’ found during inspections that we’ve featured in Bored Panda’s posts, you can here, here, here, here, here, or here.

In order to get a better understanding of structural engineering, we have reached out to Yassin Elouardi to ask him a couple of questions regarding this topic. Scroll down to find out what we learned from the engineer based in Italy.

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#1 Hillside Failures Have Filled Our Schedules, But There Will Always Be Room For Floating Post And Piers In Our Hearts

#4 This Will Not Last Another Rainstorm

#6 When The Hillside Failed In Front Of This Home, It Brought Their Retaining Wall With It. This Wall Was A Non-Conforming Retaining Wall As It Was Not Permitted. Could Have Been One Of The Reasons Why It Didn’t Do So Well During The Storm

#8 This Walkway Was Completely Undermined During A Slope Failure. We Guess They Now Have A Cantilevered Pathway

#10 Sometimes We Drive By Buildings We Wish We Had Been Called Out To

#11 Another Assessment Day, Another Failed Retaining Wall

#12 I Guess It’s Not Protocol To Double-Check Your Work. The Urfp Is Meant To Connect The Sill Plate To The Foundation Wall. It Strengthens The Connection During An Earthquake. This Is Doing Nothing

#14 When Nature Decides It’s Time For A Convertible…

#15 This Is Just Messed Up

#16 This Three-Story Apartment Building With A Store Front On The First Floor Was Severely Damaged When A Drunk Driver Crashed Into It. Although The Impact Caused Extensive Structural Damage, The Store Remains Open

#17 You Can See The Extent Of The Damage And Where The Front Of The Wall Ended Up After The Storm Passed

#18 When The Hillside Wants To Join The Party But Accidentally Brings The Whole Neighborhood Along For The Ride

#19 Is This Post Floating? The Homeowners Not Only Have To Deal With The Effects Of A Bad Foundation Pour But They Also Have Mold Now

#20 Rainwater Seeped Into The Balcony Framing And Got Caught Between The Joists And The Stucco Causing A Big Portion Of The Stucco To Fall Off. You Can See The Framing For The Balcony Has Significant Water Damage. Luckily, No One Below Was Hurt From The Falling Debris

#21 This Retaining Wall Is Just Taking A Break, But It May Never Get Back Up

#22 The Ocean Just Revoked Your Visiting Privileges

#24 We Were Called To Do This Assessment For Something Completely Unrelated But When We Pointed Out This Wall To The Homeowners They Said, “Yeah, No, It’s Been Like That For Years. It’s Fine.”

#25 An Attempt Was Made Here. This Internal Stem Wall Was “Repaired” Using A Framing Strap. It Should Be Noted That This Method Is Incorrect For Reinforcing These Types Of Structures And Is Typically Used For Timber Instead. So, Using The Strap In This Case Is Ineffective

#26 Last Week’s Heavy Rainstorm Caused This Crawl Space To Flood Entirely, Leaving Standing Water And The Risk Of Potential Water Damage, Mold Growth, Foundation Damage, And Structural Instabilty

#27 Some Serious Substandard Foundation Work Spotted On A Hillside Home. No Permits, No Inspecti

#28 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

#32 You Can See Here How Much Damage The Rain Caused On This Hillside Alone. The Front Portion Of The Grassy Area Parallel To The Concrete Driveway Was Completely Pulled Away. It Slid Right Down The Hillside

#33 California Has More Rain In The Forecast But We’re Still Dealing With The Aftermath Of The Last Storm. When The Hillside Beside This Home Slid Down, It Brought Down The Home’s Pergola. It Came Crashing Down, Causing Some Structural Damage To The Home. Luckily No One Was Injured

#35 It’s Been A While Since We Audibly Gasped During An Assessment

#36 Responding To An Emergency Call, We Assessed The Aftermath Of An Incident Where A Car Crashed Into This 6-Unit Apartment Building. The Resulting Damage Was Extensive, Showcasing The Sheer Impact And Force Involved

#37 The Cracks In The Soil Are Signs Of Hillside Instability. This Easily Secures A Spot On Our List Of The Worst Things Witnessed During Our Assessments

#38 Less Is More … Unless You’re Talking About Posts

#41 These Cracks Are More Than Just A Cosmetic Issue. They’re A Clear Indication Of Serious Foundation Issues

#42 Homes In The Hills Usually Have Neighbors Below Their Hillside Homes And Many Of Them Woke Up To Piles Of Dirt In Their Backyard

#43 Rainfall Is One Of The Main Causes For Slope Failure, As We’ve Seen In The Past Couple Of Weeks. Once The Slope Has Shown Signs Of Failure, Although Not Significant, We Should Be Wary Of The Next Storm

#44 The Los Angeles Hillside Communities Were Some Of The Hardest Hit During The Storm

#46 A Support Beam Is Meant To Transfer The Load Of The Building To The Other Supporting Structures Of The Home. This Beam Here, Though, Has A Gaping Hole In It. A Compromised Load-Bearing Beam Can Lead To Serious Structural Issues And Potential Collapse

#47 This Deck Is Suffering From Severe Wood Rot, With Visible Signs Of Failure. Years Of Exposure To The Elements Have Taken A Toll On The Structural Integrity. The Wood Has Decayed, Weakened, And Lost Its Ability To Bear Weight Effectively

#48 Beware Of Dog Or Beware Of Wall? Although It Doesn’t Look Like Much From This Angle, This 9-Foot Wall Is Leaning Over 16 Inches

#49 Here We Have An Unconventional Approach To A Post-And-Pier System, With A Cinderblock For The Pier. This Choice Raises Concerns, Especially Considering That The Cinderblock Is Not Only Fragmented Into Multiple Pieces But Also Not Suitable For Providing Adequate Support

#50 More Cracking Along The Home, With The Countertop Visibly Disconnected From The Wall. The Uneven Settling Has Caused Significant Structural Movement, Resulting In Misalignment And Separation

#51 These Extensive And Concerning Cracks Running Along The Exterior Walls Of The House Reveal Significant Structural Issues. These Cracks Can Be Caused By Many Issues Including Failing Post And Piers Or An Undermined Foundation That Is Now Sinking Significantly

#52 Ever Seen A Load-Bearing Beam Melt Under Pressure? Now You Have

#55 On Our Way To An Appointment, We Drove By An Unnerving Sight. Since We Did Not Do The Assessment, We Are Not Sure What Happened, But We Conclude That It’s Not Looking Structurally Sound

#56 This Cantilevered Wood Beam Snapped Due To Extensive Termite Damage And Rot, Which Compromised The Structural Integrity Of The Beam. This Type Of Damage Can Occur Over A Long Period Of Time And Can Be Difficult To Detect Until It’s Too Late

#57 This Misaligned Pipe Is Not Only An Eyesore But It’s Hindering Proper Drainage To Take Place, Which Can Lead To Blockages And Backups

#58 Just Going To Pop These Back In

#59 Most Of The Damage From The Storm That Hit California A Few Weeks Ago Was Far From Catastrophic, But There Was A Lot Of Cleaning Up To Do

#60 Down Came The Rain And Washed The Hillside Out

#61 We’ve Seen Many Instances Where Homeowners Will Opt For A Remedial Repair. We’re Always Eventually Called Back

#62 Woah, Haven’t Walked Into This Big Of A Mess In A While

#64 Hit-And-Run Accidents Can Be A Nightmare For Property Owners. According To This Homeowner, This Home Sustained Damage After A Delivery Driver Crashed Into The Property And Left Without Taking Responsibility

#66 Heavy Rain = Unstable Soil This Year Has Been Very Wet For California, So We’re Seeing Our Fair Share Of Landslides. Landslides Can Cause Significant Property Damage, But Also Pose Serious Risks To Human Life And Safety. Here You Can See Just How Much Of The Hill The Rain Took Down With It

#67 Nature Can Be Both Beautiful And Destructive. This Homeowner Experienced The Latter When A Branch Snapped Off And Landed On Their Deck. It’s Important To Consider The Potential Risks Certain Trees Can Pose To Nearby Structures

#69 There Is Also Widespread Cracking Throughout The Surrounding Area, Indicating A Serious Issue With The Structural Integrity Of The Entire System. It’s Important To Address The First Signs Of Structural Issues Promptly To Prevent Further Damage And Ensure Stability

#71 Mud Bath Anyone?

#72 This Home’s Retaining Wall Shifted Forward During The Rains And Left Their Backyard Slab Completely Undermined

#73 Introducing The Lopsided Post And Pier Held Together By A Framing Strap. Hey, At Least It’s Not Held Together With Bubblegum And A Prayer!

#75 If This Beam Could Talk, I Bet It Would Have Some Spine-Chilling Stories To Tell. Looks Like Something Straight Out Of A Horror Movie

#78 This Underground Garage Has Severe Signs Of Water Intrusion That Is Causing The Concrete To Spall. Spalling Is The Cracking And Crumbling Of Concrete

#79 A Sinking Feeling. This Home Has Experienced Significant Settlement, Causing The Foundation To Disconnect From The Mudsill

#80 The Sinking Foundation Has Created A Noticeable Gap. This Homeowner Is Most Likely Experiencing Some Very Bouncy Floors In This Area

#81 We Assessed This Property Where The Homeowner Had Attempted A DIY Support System For A Block Wall By Building Several Cmu Columns Along The Side Of It. Without The Proper Footings, The Columns Are Now Leaning And Sliding Down The Hill

#82 It’s Important To Get A Professional To Assess Areas Of Your Home You Might Not Regularly Look At. This Hillside Deck’s Foundation System Is Slowly Being Exposed Leaving It Open To The Elements And Can Ultimately Cause It To Sink And Fail

#83 Post Without A Pier On A Bigger Scale

#84 This Internal Cripple Wall Is Failing Under The Pressure Of The Structure Above

#85 Load-Bearing Shim Or Load-Bearing Pier? How About Neither

#86 Water Strikes Again! This Crawlspace Is A Prime Example Of The Havoc That Moisture Can Wreak. Water Has Seeped Into The Vulnerable Wooden Elements, Eroding Their Strength And Stability. Water Intrusion Has Taken Its Toll, Leaving Behind A Clear And Undeniable Sign Of Extensive Wood Rot

#87 The Lack Of Support In The Structural Components Of The Deck Is Quite Worrying And It Raises Questions About The Initial Construction, Maintenance, And Overall Safety Of The Structure

#88 This Parking Garage Showcases An Extremely Concerning Issue With Its Vehicle Barrier Wall, Which Is Visibly Disconnected From The Structure And Leaning Over With A Noticeable Tilt

#89 Pipe And Board Sounds Like A Great Deal Until You’re Hit With The Sudden Realization That Maybe You Should’ve Gone With The Engineered Retaining Wall Instead

#90 When A Foundation Is Undermined, It Can Cause Significant Damage To A Home’s Structural Integrity. This Homeowner’s Foundation Was Impacted By Soil Erosion, Causing The Soil To Shift And Ultimately Compromise The Foundation’s Stability

#93 Sometimes You Make Use Of What You Have. These Homeowners Found A Clever Solution To Help Support Their Failing Wall

#94 Let’s Play A Game: How Many Issues Can You Find In This Photo?

#96 When We Said Be Resourceful, We Didn’t Mean This

#98 When You’re On A Budget, Quick And Easy Work Might Sound Like A Good Idea. This Brick Foundation Was Parged Over And These Wood Planks Were Added To Create “Shear Strength.” You Think The Angle They Installed The Planks At Adds The Strength Needed To Resist The Big One?

#100 The Presence Of Wood Rot In This Area Of The Crawlspace Is A Cause For Concern. Can Anyone Guess What Room Is Above? Moisture From The Bathroom Can Seep Into The Underlying Structure, Creating An Environment Conducive To Wood Decay

#101 A Significant Amount Of Water Had Found Its Way Into This Crawlspace, Leading To Potential Issues. Factors Like Overflowing Gutters And Excessive Groundwater Can Contribute To Damp Crawlspaces. Thankfully, We Spotted This Puddle Before Going Any Further

#102 This Hillside Fence Is Completely Undermined. If No Action Is Taken To Fix The Issue The Hillside Will Continue To Erode Causing The Fence To Fail Entirely

#103 Despite Its Unconventional Appearance, This Tree Has Not Toppled Over But Rather Grown Into This Shed. Mother Nature Doesn’t Let Anything Get In The Way

#104 The Spa Built Into The Parking Garage Is Showing Signs Of Distress With Visible Cracks And The Presence Of Efflorescence Indicating Potential Moisture Issues

#105 Taking A Closer Look Inside The Damaged Building After The Car Crash, The Extent Of The Impact Becomes Apparent. Emergency Shoring Was Promptly Put Up To Provide Temporary Support And Prevent Any Further Damage

#106 This Swale Is Meant To Direct Water Away From The Property, But As You Can See It Is Compromised. A Portion Of The Swale Has Sunk, Which Will Ultimately Cause Drainage Issues

#110 Non-Conforming Retaining Walls All Over Los Angeles Were Pushed To Their Limits During The Last Rainstorm. They Are No Match For The Hillsides They Were “Holding Up.”

#111 This Is An Alarming Case Of Spall Damage. The Severity Of The Damage Is Evident As Large Chunks Of Concrete Have Fallen Away Exposing An Extensive Network Of Corroded And Weakened Rebar