Nate
Structural inspectors have the unique privilege of peeking behind the scenes of some of the world’s most impressive buildings, but what they find can often be bizarre and, at times, disturbing.
From poorly-executed DIY fails to strange artifacts like skulls and dolls, Alpha Structural Inc. employee Derek Marier and his co-workers have seen it all over their many years of conducting structural inspections. They even take the time to document some of their most fascinating findings and share the fails the world on Imgur.
While they’d probably prefer to forget some of the things they’ve come across during their investigations, they have been kind enough to let us take a peek at the weird and wonderful structural inspection fails they’ve encountered.
#1
“I’m on the edge” – Lady Gaga
#2
Still selling for one million dollars…
#3
9 lives just aren’t enough.
For mummification to occur, the body must be exposed to certain conditions, including chemicals, low humidity or a lack of air, which prevent the tissue from decaying.
Crawlspaces can in fact provide just the right mix for a body to mummify. I don’t know what to do with this information.
#4
Who else is bummed they missed this party?
#5
At least they placed the concrete on the dirt to avoid termites. 2 out of 10 for the effort.
#6
Santa better have insurance.
#7
Jenga! Your turn.
#8
Moisture in your crawlspace is never a good thing as it causes wood to decay. It is also an ideal habitat for mushrooms and mold
#9
Interesting brickwork on that chimney you got there.
Tell me you love controlled chaos without telling me you love controlled chaos.
#10
We were called out to assess a failing deck on an ocean-front home, but the ocean had other plans.
#11
This home was flooded due to a burst pipe. All the water damage and extra pressure it applied to the slab caused a severe crack to form.
You can see it runs across the entire length of the living room.
You can see here the slab has a offset crack, characterized by a height difference on either side of a the crack.
It can be tempting to think that cracks in concrete aren’t a cause for concern, but if they’re affecting your home’s structure, they need to be addressed. Your concrete slab is essential to your home’s structural integrity. A weak foundation can lead to the collapse of interior walls.
#12
Is it just Los Angeles drivers or does this happen everywhere? At least the driver miraculously just hit the garage and not the rooms where people were sleeping.
#13
Jenga but 100x bigger!
#14
Check out this red-tagged home we had the pleasure of visiting this week. No big deal. Just a little movement down the hill.
#15
Do you see it? Let’s zoom in…
Yeah, not scary at all.
#16
During the storm a tree fell on top of this home. Luckily, no one was seriously injured, though the homeowner was sitting on their couch when their ceiling came crashing down. You can see here how their roof is completely warped from the impact. Inside, the extent of the damage is clearly visible.
P.S. the couch in question is under there somewhere.
#17
Not one thing in this picture is aligned.
#18
Here we have a floating post and pier. The room above must be fun for the kids, an in-house bounce house.
#19
For 1 million dollars, would you spend the night in this room?
#20
In nature, wood rot is the natural decomposition process turning fallen logs into nutritious soil.
#21
Down the hill the fence goes and with it the homeowner’s backyard.
#22
Just waiting on one good shake.
#23
“I’ll take signs you’re having foundation issues for $100.”
#24
Sometimes concrete slabs crack due to improper installation procedures. They will need to be inspected by a professional to determine the cause.
#25
I think i’ve become an animal whisperer. They seem to be following