You’d think that the worst things that structural inspectors find would be faulty foundations, hideous holes in houses, as well as asbestos in the attic. However, some inspectors seem to have bad luck following them about because they stumble upon the weirdest, creepiest, and horrifying things during their examinations of buildings. Like skulls. Or occult altars. Or dolls that have a ghost living inside of them and whose eyes are totally following you when you look away.
Bored Panda talked to Derek Marier from California-based Alpha Structural, Inc. about the strange things that he and his co-workers find during their inspections. In fact, there are so many peculiar finds that Marier makes a weekly thread on Imgur about them and always gets the internet’s attention. We’ve collected some of the best examples to help showcase that the supernatural might be among us.
So scroll down, upvote your favorite freaky finds, and leave us a comment about which things you thought were the strangest and why. When you’re done with this list, be sure to check out Bored Panda’s previous posts about nightmares and miracles spotted during inspections, as well as the worst thing seen during inspections.
More info: AlphaStructural.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
#1
We discovered this REAL skull while doing a foundation inspection on a property in LA. The authorities were called and it was discovered that the skull was in fact real and that the previous owners brought it back from Peru in the 70s or 80s. There wasn't any TSA agents to stop them from bringing it back, and when it came time to sell the property they threw it under the home.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#2
One of the worst structural cracks we've ever seen. The entire back side of the home was sinking down and pulling away from the rest of the structure. A knock down if you ask me.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#3
This is an old septic well covered up under a parking space of an apartment building. It's about a century old but was still in decent shape.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
In a previous interview, foundation repair contracting firm Alpha Structural, Inc. talked to Bored Panda about poor structural conditions in some buildings, as well as giving advice to help homeowners make their homes safer. Company representative Ben Reinhart had this to say: “I would say one of the worst homes we inspected was back 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 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.”
#4
Found this Nkondi while doing an inspection. Nkondi are statues made by tribes of the Congo. They can mean many things but are often said to hold a spirit which hunts down bad people and wrong-doers.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#5
Another extremely creepy doll which had no reason to be where it was.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#6
If you wanted a visual representation of what evil looks like, this is it. And the brick foundation is in really bad shape...
Image credits: AlphaStructural
According to Alpha Structural, Inc., there are lots of reasons why some homes aren’t repaired and have problems with their foundations, such as “budget constraints, timing, accessibility of workspace, etc.” However, the company believes that most of the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the contractors who are hired to repair their homes and don’t always do a good job.
The company also had some sound advice to help home-owners keep their homes safe: “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. 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, it also allows for wood destroying organisms to get to 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.”
#7
Here's a few post and piers under the same house that are also clearly leaning quite a bit.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#8
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.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#9
This was a front porch that had been sinking a few inches over a short time. This created some separation from the columns that help support the roof above (as most porches in LA connect directly to a portion of the roof). You can see that they added a large post to the right of the column so it would help with supporting the weight-load from above. Scary stuff!
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#10
Whoever did this has quite the sense of humor, but lacks the proper funds.Mickey Mouse Job: A job done incorrectly in an extremely poor manner using the simplest, easiest, cheapest and fastest way possible.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#11
Almost stepped on this during an inspection but I decided not too. He looked like a fungi. Ha.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#12
We are doing a seismic retrofit on this apartment building and our crew took off the bottom portion of stucco on this column to expose the column connections. This is, quite literally, what we discovered. There was nothing supporting the unit above. No connections or even anything touching the ground besides the stucco facade. Thank goodness we had shoring put in place.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#13
At least they braced it, but still a total mickey mouse job.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#14
So close.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#15
What seems to be the issue?
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#16
We inspected this old porte-cochère that had been slowly sinking and displacing over time. You can see that the deck at the top is clearly sloping down a few inches.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#17
This is a wooden column which is currently the main support for an apartment unit above. Moisture has basically eaten away the bottom of the column, rendering it pretty useless. We're currently doing an earthquake retrofit for this building and will soon be replacing this column with steel. Would you feel safe if your unit was being help up by this column? I wouldn't.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#18
If you have foundation issues, your internal cracking should resemble this. Large, diagonal cracking. Though, this was a pretty severe case.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#19
Grab some 2x4s and a little DIY creativity and you have yourself a recipe for mickey mouse work. Always remember, doing the cheapest repair is the best route to go no matter what! (Please do not take that seriously!!)
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#20
There's 11 different pieces of wood connecting to each other in this photo.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#21
Termite damage and dry rot do not go well together. Notice he's using a flashlight to crumble the wood to pieces.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#22
Gottem again!
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#23
Slab crack to the max... At times homeowners can be overly concerned about cracking in their homes. However, this type of cracking is definitely a cause for concern...
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#24
RIP.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#25
This was brand new, 2019 construction and this is what they do. How lazy can people get, you ask? This lazy.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#26
This was a wooden retaining wall with a stone facade on the front. Over a short time, the hillside began to erode and the dirt started coming down the slope. This caused the retaining wall below to pull away and lean downward, taking parts of the facade with it. Don't use wood for retaining walls. They can be used for compacted and tiered hillsides, but not full on retaining walls.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#27
Here we have a decent sized sink hole we inspected this week. From the top it doesn't look too bad... But once you poke your head inside, it gets a little more serious. The hole is a little over 7 feet deep and 5-6 feet wide. You can see that there are some very large tree roots in the background. The fact that these are exposed is a sort of blessing in disguise. They do help stabilize the surrounding area but it's still at risk of expanding. We proposed a exploratory investigation to see exactly what's going on and what's causing this too occur. I'll also add that it's only a few feet from the home's foundation and could create some serious structural issues if left without being properly handled.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#28
Here is another one, but this one is a bit more "jenga-ish."
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#29
Earth-to-wood contact will always end up with moldy, decayed and rotted wood members. Moisture has and will continue to get into the above cripple walls and will cause sagging and serious house settlement in some cases.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#30
Here we have a collapsed rock retaining wall that we're about to replace. Not only did the retaining wall collapse and give way, but the garage's concrete wall was also bowing inward about 6 inches caused by the collapse. We will be replacing the whole thing with concrete. It's not even a large hillside or anything but with the condition the wall was in, it could no longer stand by itself and caved inward towards the property. This also had a lot to do with the backside pressure of the slope/hill.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#31
This is what happens when an internal load-bearing wall doesn't have a sufficient supporting foundation beneath it. Notice the slope toward the wall.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#32
This was a garage that was both heaving and sinking in multiple places. Some portions were sinking, such as the spot in this photo, and others were rising up a few inches. Clay soil and bad drainage will do this to an unreinforced slab. Earth to wood contact. This is all too common in LA and the main cause of rot and termite damage.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#33
Yet another fantastic game of Jenga! Why they chose to play it under the home, I don't know.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#34
Just a little bit of settlement, right?
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#35
This is the same property with one wall completely leaning a good 5-6 inches. Yikes...
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#36
Here's an old girder that's been split in half. We tried finding the missing piece but it was nowhere to be found and the cause isn't really known either.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#37
Here's a concrete tilt-up building we inspected that had some bad spall damage and cracking on a few concrete columns. No bueno.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#38
This is just like Tetris when you try to flip your piece at the last second and it offsets everything. :(
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#39
Ficus trees will destroy anything man creates, including retaining walls, homes and any other structure that gets in its way. Crazy nature.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#40
This was a property near Santa Monica that had no soil underneath, just sand. The entirety of the central foundation was sinking and had minimal support. The fact that this home was still standing is astonishing.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#41
We were inspecting this home in Los Angeles when we discovered something odd in the back of the property. An old seepage pit/well that was uncovered and had an old city sewer line running through the bottom. This guy dug down into the ground, uncovered the city sewer line and just built the seepage pit around it. Mad lad.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#42
This pier is rock solid.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#43
This is what it looks like when your pool has been leaking for many years and nothing has been done about it.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#44
Sometimes the access points to get under a home can be very... disheartening.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#45
Here we have an old retaining wall being bullied and tossed around by a bunch of invasive plant roots. The wall is going to be replaced and hopefully so will the garage.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#46
This home was leaning/sinking about 5 inches to one side. You can see how the cripple walls above the concrete foundation are quite obviously leaning to the left.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#47
A CMU retaining wall that is in desperate need of a replacement.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#48
We inspected this old, historic theater in Los Angeles in need of seismic upgrades. I can't say which one but it's pretty well known. The structure is referred to as a "non-ductile" building made with un-reinforced concrete. These are huge projects that take a ton of engineering and construction. The catwalk above that shows a lot of steel supporting a concrete roof and concrete walls.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#49
A nice puddle of possible sewage right at the bottom of the only crawlspace access. Fun!
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#50
We get calls about cracks in concrete on a daily basis. I would say 95% of the time they describe hairline cracks in concrete (which is normal) and cosmetic cracking in the house. THIS is the type of crack you should be concerned about. About an inch wide, displaced quite a bit and obvious settlement on one side. Luckily this was just the corner of the garage and not in the middle of the home.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#51
This was a pretty old masonry wall that had cracked in half and was beginning to lean quite a bit. Also the dude to the left is about to do a crazy front flip.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#52
We did an inspection of this guest house on a property in LA. A portion of it was on an older CMU foundation but was at least supported in most places. The front portion however, was not. The perimeter was held up by random stones and rubble and same went for the piers underneath. At the bottom of this image you can see a very large rock acting as a main support for the mudsill.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#53
You can see the chipping paint was obviously put in place to communicate the troubled past of the contractor. Amazing.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#54
I'll put sarcasm aside on this one to explain how ridiculous it is. What we have here is an internal wall that has been filled with old concrete chunks and rocks (probably from the construction). There's so much wrong with this I almost don't want to explain further. Actually, I won't. I'll let you guys guess.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#55
Most of these posts don't know what to support.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#56
Here we have a severely damaged retaining wall that's connected to a garage. The wall is jutting out over 16 inches and ready to collapse.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#57
This is what is known as "spall damage." It occurs when moisture gets into concrete and begins to rust away the steel inside. This can cause major structural issues over time and should always be addressed ASAP!
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#58
Lean with it, rock with it.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#59
A nice little brick foundation being held together by dust. Beautiful.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#60
Just another average Los Angeles post and pier.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#61
We inspected this property a while back but were called back out for more scopes of work. It's usually normal to have 2 top plates. Top plates refer to what is usually a 2x4 piece of lumber on top of studded walls or framing and doorways/windows. This property has, above its cripple wall, EIGHT top plates.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#62
This property had some really bad sewage leaking, unbraced sub floor framing and crumbling concrete. You see all that chalky white powder? That's a massive pile of efflorescence from an ongoing leak. Nasty stuff.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#63
Ah yes, our favorite game as contractors - Structural Jenga!
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#64
This was a property with horrible termite damage all over the place. Multiple joists, girders and studs were eaten away, almost entirely by termites. Termites, if not dealt with, will cause extreme damage to framing and structural members. These studs were eaten to bits.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#65
Who wants to take a dip in this amazing underground swimming pool? Don't mind the undermined posts and piers!
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#66
It's never a good thing when you can see sunlight from underneath the crawlspace that comes from anywhere but the entry. This foundation was basically turning to dust and had some pretty bad cracking as well. Most of it needs to be completely replaced or sistered.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#67
One more heavy rain and this bad boy just might give way.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#68
This is an oceanfront home we inspected in Malibu that has some serious structural framing damage. Tons of wooden beams and columns need to be replaced. Almost all of the existing wooden members were rotting.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#69
A very interesting foundation/post & pier. You don't really see this type of concrete support often. You'll usually only see these in taller foundations.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#70
Never have I seen something as ridiculous as somebody screwing actual doors to the framing of a home, probably for structural reinforcement. Just comical.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#71
Here we have some very bad spalling concrete. I've showed many examples of spall damage but this one is probably the best. Lots of water intrusion over a short period can cause this issue. Improper water proofing and lack of adequate drainage can play a big role in this occurring with your home. It doesn't matter if you have a new foundation or one that's been there for a century -- if water is present and there isn't anything to stop it or reroute it, the concrete with soak it right up and cause this problem.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#72
Here we have an old rock foundation. This doesn't appear to be as old as most of the ones we inspect, but still in need of a replacement or sister foundation at the very least.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#73
This was an early 1900’s home with the original brick chimney and river rock foundation. The foundation itself was obviously in rough shape and required a sister foundation. Under HPOZ (Historical Preservation Overlay Zone), it is required that instead of replacing this foundation, the owner must do a “sister foundation” next to it. The mortar, for the most part, has turned into dust! Retrofitting this would be impossible and without a concrete sister foundation, it would crumble in a decent quake. There was so much excess dirt in this crawlspace that the concrete foundation was buried and not even accessible or viewable!
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#74
Check out this gnarly retaining wall that was leaning a good 11 inches! Something that is this old and leaning this much would undoubtedly have to be replaced.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#75
There were two sources of water coming into this foundation; one being a leaking sewer pipe and the other was tons of water seeping in through the concrete foundation. Whoever did the waterproofing didn’t do a very good job.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#76
This is a massive crack we discovered while doing a foundation inspection on a property up for sale. From the exterior you can see that it had been stucco'd over and hidden from plain site. A quick inspection from underneath proved that the suspicion of damage was true. This whole foundation stem wall was rotating outward and in need of some extensive repairs.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#77
This one is quite interesting. First off, you have the original brick foundation, which is composed of brick and what is now dusty mortar. Above that you have masonry blocks... and above that you have a reinforced cripple wall. This is a situation that should have never even been created. The bricks should have been replaced with concrete, which, in turn, would have created no need for the CMU blocks and then the foundation could have been properly retrofitted with proper shear panels and bolting. Yikes on this one!
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#78
The following few photos are from a single inspection and once again show the laziness of some contractors. I say "some" because there are actually good contractors out there who provide a good service, but that is rare. I will break this down simply so people understand what is going on. This is a concrete foundation that had been retrofitted into old, brittle concrete. The aggregate (rock and sand used in concrete mixtures) is clearly exposed, showing the foundation is old and has been weathered over time. When a foundation is in this condition, retrofitting should definitely be postponed for after the replacement. So, instead of replacing the foundation, it was retrofitted and then a excessive amount of epoxy was injected into the holes and surrounding areas. They did this because they new the bolts themselves wouldn't be enough to hold the concrete together. The epoxy hardened and slightly expanded, pushing out a portion of the already brittle concrete. Now the bolt is exposed and is barely embedded into the "concrete." This whole foundation needs to be sistered or replaced, THEN have retrofitting done.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#79
Lots and lots of debris and random chunks of concrete and masonry. Almost all of the posts weren't braced and sitting on decayed concrete piers.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#80
These wood sheathing boards were put in place to act as a sort of shear wall. They don't actually attach to a girder and they go straight into the fiberglass insulation. Not sure what goofball did this but they need to retake a few classes!
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#81
This is a home that's sitting on an old brick foundation. The framing that connected the home to the brick foundation collapsed and the home is now cantilevered over the brick foundation about half a foot. Pretty gnarly.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#82
Painting your concrete or CMU wall doesn't keep the moisture out. If you see this with your home, call out a waterproofing or drainage company.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#83
This is one of the best photos that communicates what displacement looks like in a concrete foundation. You can see the framing above the foundation has broken apart and separated drastically. A solid crack like this will definitely show up in the above section of your home and will need immediate attention! This is just another case of Man vs. Nature. This tree root forced its way through this concrete foundation and caused some of the worst damage I've seen.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#84
I show a lot of old brick foundations on here but they are always fascinating to me. I'm sure it made total sense for them to do this back in the day, for cost reasons and efficiency, but they sure do end up in pieces after a while. Granted, most foundations crumble after 100 years, but brick foundations especially cause trouble down the line. This one has quite obviously deteriorated quite a bit and in need of a good replacement or sister foundation.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#85
This was a stilt home we inspected this past week. Due to local seismic activity and hillside erosion, this home has suffered some serious racking. Racking refers to when a building tilts and is forced from its original position into a new one. You can see that the structural members to the left are leaning down towards the hillside, causing some issues above.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#86
Here you can notice the shattered glass and broken flooring with an exposed rock foundation.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#87
These are some very skinny piers with "posts" that are thicker than the concrete base of the pier. It's better than earth-to-wood contact though.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#88
This joist fell from its connection, and for obvious reasons, as it was attached to a foundation hodgepodge made of random materials.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#89
This one is cool. We inspected this old hotel for being a potential non-ductile concrete building (ductile refers to the structure's ability to be flexible during seismic movement). These buildings are under a mandatory retrofit ordinance for many cities in LA County. Anyways, what you're seeing is actually an old pool, a famous one at that. Marilyn Monroe swam in this pool back in the day. They ended up doing a ton of renovations and covered up the pool with concrete to create more space above.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#90
No! This Property! We got into a quarrel with the framing so we let him have it.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#91
Another classic post and pier. At least the wood was treated for termites.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#92
Here we have a unreinforced foundation that is decaying, settling and has framing that is rotting and pulling away from the concrete.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#93
This is brick foundation/basement retaining wall from the early 1900s that has completely imploded. The exterior pressure was too much for the brittle wall to take and eventually gave way. Not only that, but there's random 2x6s holding up the subfloor of the first level. A very dangerous situation.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#94
Here we have yet another old brick foundation. You can literally see the piles of dust from decayed mortar and brick. Yikes!
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#95
Not a simple strap solution. This wall will have to be replaced.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#96
A shoddy patch job. The concrete wasn't in horrible shape, but it still should have at least been strapped and not just mortared over.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#97
The concrete is decayed and weak in many places and should have never been poured in some walls.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#98
I really don't know what is worse, the horrible condition of the river rock foundation or the 1-inch thick layer of dryer lint that has settled down over the entire crawlspace. Or... the leaking pipes and earth-to-wood contact.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#99
Here we have another property that has some severe settlement. So much so that you can actually see the sloping of the brick pathway and dirt grade. In most raised homes the concrete foundation should be the only part of the structure that would be below grade. Well, in the case of this home, the grade of the dirt goes all the way up past the cripple wall and into the framing of the home.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#100
This was a property we inspected up in the Hollywood Hills. The caissons have been exposed due to hillside erosion and now the structure is beginning to lean down the slope. Scary stuff.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#101
Torque check on foundation bolts.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#102
Ah yes, that should do it.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#103
There's some severe settlement and heaving in this slab foundation. It's quite obvious, even in the photos, that the slab and exterior walls are settling quite a bit.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
#104
This is an old UFP (Universal Foundation Plate) from the 80s. These are used for seismic retrofitting/bolting of the foundation. The ones we discovered under this home were all rusting and breaking apart. They probably wouldn't do much to protect the home in the next major earthquake.
Image credits: AlphaStructural
by Mindaugas Balčiauskas via Bored Panda - Source
No comments: