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30 Engineering ‘Nightmares’ And ‘Miracles’ Discovered During Structural Inspections By This Company (New Pics)
Real-life adventurers take many forms, from global travelers and nature lovers to tabletop gamers and… structural inspectors and engineers. Don’t believe us? Well, you just have to take a look at the social media accounts of Alpha Structural Inc. to see just how darn interesting their jobs are. The things that inspectors find every day are incredible, from nightmarish cracks to proof that miracles exist because some of these foundations don’t look like they could take a single wobble more. If these photos don’t get your heart racing, nothing will.
Alpha Structural is a company that had been servicing, repairing, and upgrading structures and foundations in Los Angeles and Southern California for over a quarter of a decade. They’ve also got over 400 years of “combined professional experience” in their engineering department alone.
We’ve collected some of Alpha Structural’s most recent photos that they’ve shared online, so go ahead and take a scroll down, Pandas. Upvote the ones that made your jaws drop and let us know how you feel after taking a good long look. When you’ve finished descending and reached the foundation of this list, you can have a look at Bored Panda’s three most recent articles about Alpha Structural right here, here, and here.
A note of warning, dear Pandas: don't do this at home! You have to be a proper structural inspector with the right training, skills, and gear to go poking about creaky building foundations.
More info: AlphaStructural.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Imgur
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I don't know about you but I would want to park the furthest away from this wall...
Mohsie Supposie 4 years ago
... or anywhere near the whole building. In fact, stay a few miles away from it completely.
Steve Barnett 4 years ago (edited)
I’m presuming (not assuming) that this is a basement garage. This is SERIOUSLY bad. I'm not a structural engineer, but I’m 99.99% sure that this a compromised load-bearing wall. If I drove in and saw that I would get the f uck out immediately. I’d call the emergency services, basically whatever I could do to immediately highlight this imminent catastrophe.
Laura Pantazis 4 years ago
Agreed. I would be reporting that to the county building enforcement immediately.
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GenericPanda09 4 years ago
Stop panicking.... that'll probably last another 2 or 3 days before it goes.
survivalrhino 4 years ago
Cinderblock is a lousy choice for parking structure in the first place-- especially when not filled with concrete as per spec
RELATED:
#2
The brick and mortar piers are literally turning into dust. Not something you want holding up your entire house.
Julia Atkinson 4 years ago
For one mad moment I thought someone had attempted to plug a gap with chocolate cake
SomePeopleCallMeMaurice 4 years ago
They just need a few cases of Squirt under there, and they’ll be just fine!
#3
Anyone want to step foot on this balcony?
Kevin Erdős–Bacon 4 years ago
The frightening thing is we've all already probably stepped on a balcony like this but haven't been in the wrong place at the wrong time... yet...
Marlo Craig 4 years ago
Oh my hell. No. I fell from a deck that detached 15' in the air. Broke my right femur. 8 years later I'm still dealing with it.
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
'Twas I', said the sparrow, 'with my crap balcony(bow and arrow), I killed c**k robin!". I know henny penny is from a different rhyme, but it reminded me of this one, I'd totally forgotten it (or suppressed it 😅).
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𝔓𝔲𝔯𝔭𝔩𝔢 ℜ𝔞𝔢𝔑 4 years ago
To answer 'your' question- Nope. Nope. An-n-n-n-n-d,... double N-O-P-E!!!
I’ve personally had the pleasure of having some great in-depth talks with some members of the Alpha Structural team in the past. They’ve been more than kind to explain the ins and outs of their jobs, detail some of the risks they face, and generally help Bored Panda delve into the (sometimes shaky) world of structural inspection. The overwhelming feeling that I got is that this is far more than ‘just a job’ for the team: it’s a calling.
In March 2020, Derek Marier from Alpha Structural told Bored Panda about the “most nightmarish inspection” they’d done that by that point that year. It was a visit to a property in Portuguese Bend down on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. “First off, because of soil conditions and high landslide risks, not much structural work can be performed there," Derek started.
#4
"How do you know if your wood is rotting?" This is how.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
If you can stick a fork in it, is the rule my (master carpenter) gramps used.
survivalrhino 4 years ago
You mean untreated lumber isn't permanent? Shocked, SHOCKED I am.....
#5
You are looking at the worst framing rot that we have ever come across on an inspection.
You can't even touch this wall without the whole thing falling apart. Just look at the insulation around it!
You know it's really bad when the studs begin to look like fractured vertebrae.
Dynein 4 years ago
I didn't even know what this is supposed to BE until I realized that the pink stuff is the insulation (glass wool?) stuck inside a wooden frame. Good lord, that thing looks like a medical cross section under a microscope. I can almost feel how disgustingly soft and sticky and damp it is. It must have been damp for ages and ages...
Must Be Bored Again 4 years ago
What caused that kind of damage? How long would it take to become that damaged?
Jon S. 4 years ago
I'm told when your insulation is not designed to deal with sharp changes in temperature it can cause this. Hot air outside meets cool air inside and moisture forms.
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#6
I guess they wanted an open floor plan? They took the brick wall separating the two rooms down. No permits, no contractor, just a man and his trusty hammer.
Julia Atkinson 4 years ago
At least the owner will be able to enjoy a refreshing drink of Squirt as they await rescue
Rick 4 years ago
“Squirt? Ugh, never mind, I’ll STAY dehydrated”. Like if you know…
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Andy Acceber 4 years ago
That is too much Squirt. I don't care what kind of restaurant this is. That is simply far too many. /jk (kinda)
Karen Grace 4 years ago
Diet Squirt tasted a lot better. It wasn't nearly as tart/sour tasting.
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Mari Bryant 4 years ago
Can someone please clean the garbage can? That bothers me more than the partial wall.
Vicky Zar 4 years ago
In my country yes. You have to get an appraiser and all.... It's for your own and any bystanders safety. Not every owner knows which wall is load bearing and you cannot remove those. You can have someone make hole though, with the proper permission. We had to pay an architect to make us a new floor print for our bought house before we were allowed to make changes. It can be inconvenient, yes, but at least you can be sure that no house you visit here will come crashing down on your head.
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Apachebathmat 4 years ago
What’s the bet the owner patted that wall on completion? Builder shmilder
"The home had a very interesting foundation system made up of screw jacks, steel beams, and cribbing (commonly used for temporarily lifting a structure while work is being done underneath). The front portion of the deck and home was sinking and unfortunately, the homeowner can’t really do much about it. It could have toppled over at any given moment and that’s why the 'nightmarish' description fits well," Derek detailed one such truly nightmarish case the Alpha Structural team dealt with.
Structural inspectors take safety very seriously: they take all the necessary precautions to keep their employees safe while out on the job. Derek listed that inspectors wear crawl suits, masks, gloves, and steel-toed boots. They also take many other forms of safety precautions.
#7
Another failing railroad tie "retaining wall" that should be replaced soon. You can see how far it has begun to lean towards the street.
GenericPanda09 4 years ago
Or maybe it's a bad angle and it is in fact the street that is leaning toward the barrier..... as unruly streets do when left unchecked.
Robert T 4 years ago
I thought that until I looked at where the wooden part meets the brick part (which hasn't moved).
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Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Please build your retaining walls properly. You don't just slap up a fence against a hillside. There is some engineering required. *sigh*
Samantha Melnychuk 4 years ago
Makes you wonder if this road is on the side of a cliff and how much is holding the road up if there's that much creep. We drove over 3 roads that imploded the day after we were on them due to hidden washout and it was the scariest thing to see the cars that did tumble down because of it.
Heiner Philipp 4 years ago
Who builds a retaining wall with no tie back connections??? Not one that I can see.
#8
This is a pretty wicked stilt home we inspected this past week. Retrofitting these for earthquakes is one of our many specialties.
Amy Fisher 4 years ago
I grew up in Los Angeles, still live here, and I've never understood why anyone would build a stilt house in earthquake country.
Sawdust 4 years ago
There was a scene like this in GTA V and I ended up owing a guy like a million dollars.
Boodah Jones 4 years ago
Hahaha! Exactly lol, brought it down with a tow truck
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Béla Újházi 4 years ago
Isn't this a screenshot from GTA V's mission where you had to demolish a building in the hills with Franklin and Michael?
Nancy Lynch 4 years ago
It looks like scaffolding was used when the original stilts began failing.
#9
I think one more shim should do the job.
“The chance that a building is actually going to fall over when we do our work is slim to none. Any actual danger is sniffed out pretty quick and avoided. If our guys think it’s unsafe to inspect or work on a location, they’ll make a call based on their best judgment and sometimes they choose to not do it. That’s just our safety policy!"
Sometimes, Alpha Structural’s employees will come across truly bizarre finds, like lost or forgotten items, dolls, and even skulls. “You’re expecting to locate a structural defect but end up finding something you can almost label as satanic or ancient,” Derek told me earlier.
#10
There should not be a space here. Never good news when you see stem walls separating at the corner.
Frisky 4 years ago
at first i thought his hand was his foot so i stared at this picture in utter confusion for a good 5 mins
New Prometheus 4 years ago
I didn't realize before this comment... I guess I thought that the weird looking shoe is some kind of safety shoe for construction sites 🤦♀️
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Om 4 years ago
I had the hardest time understanding the picture, I thought it was a foot instead of a hand lol I think I haven't fully woken up yet
Damon Tripodi 4 years ago
Took me a while to realize that was a gloved hand and not a super weird ass shoe
#11
We weren't able to perform a proper torque test on this bolt... but something tells me we didn't have to.
QueenMiri 4 years ago
I could at first not even identify what this thing was. Thanks for clarifiying. Also, no.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago (edited)
Looked like what was left of a desiccated coiled rattler at first glance.
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#12
Here is a brick pier that's sitting dangerously close to a big hole in the ground. Something tells me the homeowner will start to feel some dipping in the floors soon!
Cecily Holland 4 years ago
This is what happens when you have a long wall shaft under your street
One extremely frightening situation Derek found himself in was going into a tunnel that someone had dug under the foundation of a building. “I’ve heard horror stories of people getting trapped under houses by attempting to squirm through those gaps. That’s a nightmare in itself. Thank the lord there was no scary doll or human skull staring me in the face while I was attempting to crawl through!”
#13
It's always nice when I don't have to crawl into a crawlspace but, these stairs are pretty frightening.
CharliAnn Olney 4 years ago
I think I would toss down an EMP and do a few EVPs before going down there.
#14
Here's a concrete pier practicing for its role as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
#15
Whole lotta issues with this...
Just slightly separating from the structure...
Jill Hojnacki 4 years ago
Looks more like the ground and the building are breaking up with the stairs. They still look level. The ground has dropped out from under the sidewalk, pulling the outer sheath away from the steps, and the building has followed the ground and has pulled away from the steps on that side. The steps are holding the high ground.
Load More Replies... Julia Atkinson 4 years ago
Look on the bright side - at least the owner keeps them neatly swept
#16
Who knows what's going on here?
Kari Marine 4 years ago
I think the spider webs are what is keeping the whole place from tumbling down!
#17
These photos are from a home we inspected that was built in 2009. You would think that because it's newer construction the home would be a good shape. Well, this should give you a better understanding of how damaging water leaks can be if they go undetected. Nearly the entire subfloor is rotted from water damage and multiple joists are hanging down from rot.
It took less than a decade for this to occur, so not all homes with significant damage are 100 years old.
Large puddles of water had to be avoided during the crawl as well. (Image 3)
Here you can see two joists hanging down after snapping in half from water damage. (Image 4)
This is probably the nastiest of all the damage. That is not paint. It's possible that the entire subfloor needs to be replaced. (Image 5)
Julia Atkinson 4 years ago
A strong contender for the title of Most Distubing Crawl Space Not in John Wayne Gacy's House
Brian Bennett 4 years ago
The homes today are built with bailing wire and spit. Watch how fast they go up!
M O'Connell 4 years ago (edited)
The amount of pre-fabrication involved in modern home construction actually makes them quite a bit stronger and more consistent than built-in-place homes. Wall panels and trusses made in a factory environment are subject to much more quality scrutiny than structural elements built on-site. Generally the work is also better because those pre-built elements are constructed indoors in a controlled environment with alignment jigs, not by some poor guy getting rained on who just wants to get it done.
Load More Replies... Sergy Yeltsen 4 years ago
Just look to Champlain Towers to see just how badly a water leak can affect building. And it wasn't an old building either...
M O'Connell 4 years ago
There is no requirement (nor any reason to) separate water and electrical lines which are installed in an accessible area. Separation is only required when the lines are buried sharing a trench. I do fine the freeballing electrical box dangling near the floor to be utterly ridiculous for such a new house.
Load More Replies... Annita Stephanou 2 years ago
What is it with leavening the cable exposed and not secured like this?
#18
Wood should never crumble away like this.
#19
The old lathe and plaster ceilings are sagging, looking like it's about to collapse.
Travis Fox 4 years ago
Completed a whole house Reno on a 1923 craftsman bungalow. I'd redo that k**b and tube wiring all day any day than to have to deal with plaster and lathe ceilings (and walls in this house) ever again. What a nightmare!
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Wilf 4 years ago
Nothing inherently wrong with lath and plaster, even on ceilings. A couple of ceilings in my house have been there for about 300 years. If lath ceilings fail, it's usually because something about the building has changed RECENTLY. Water damage, significant structural change, or even something so simple as a few decades of using modern heating technologies that aren't compatible with traditional construction systems.
Brian Bennett 4 years ago
Got'em in our house had new roof out on by idiots - roof leaked - no flashing on chimney guess what!
#20
And for my next trick I will levitate this post...
M O'Connell 4 years ago
They engineer-in safety margin. Clearly enough safety margin that this post wasn't necessary at all!
#21
These photos are of severe spall damage underneath an old concrete structure in Los Angeles. This kind of structural flaw occurs after water penetrates the concrete, causing the steel to rust and expand. This breaks apart the concrete and reduces the strength of the area or possibly the entire structure.
We shared these because we wanted owners and managers of these types of buildings to be able to recognize the potential damages that could compromise their structures.
Recently we have been inundated with calls from building owners who are fearful that their buildings could collapse like the condos in Miami. The issues seen in these photos are similar to what was discovered in Miami, among other things.
Whether it's in the ceilings, walls, floors, or columns, and either in the interior or exterior of the structure, these are all signs of significant structural flaws and should always be approached promptly with properly engineered solutions.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
Water and salt can do a load of damage to structures at the beach as well. I mean, if you have to regularly replace your metal outside locks and doorknobs because they get so corroded from the salt air you can’t turn the tumblers, then you know it has to be doing similar stuff to any metal in the building.
Janet C 4 years ago
Ironically, the reason the Roman colosseum is still standing is because they used no iron or steel inside the concrete. Nothing inside to rust out.
s. vitkovitsky 4 years ago
I've read that in some ancient buildings like that, if you take some bricks apart, the mortar is still soft!
Load More Replies... Brian Bennett 4 years ago
But that would take money - Guess some owner would rather have bodies than tenants! (go ahead downvote)
#22
Here we have some expansive soil, clearly affecting the foundation already.
Brian Bennett 4 years ago
Could this just be the soil taking a very deep breath? He asks stupidly!
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago (edited)
Tree roots? Water damage? Burrowing animals—-big ones? Earthquake shift (as I believe these houses are in CA)?
Sabrina Sellers 4 years ago
I saw this once, in a horror movie. Next come the walking corpses!
#23
A customer called us in because of this crack running off the corner of their door, which is never a good sign and points in the direction of foundation problems.
#24
This is what no steel in the concrete and moving soil will do to your foundation.
Someone placed a few shims in there to level it all out.
#25
These balconies have seen better days. As you can see, the wood framing of these balconies is experiencing some deflection. This is why The Balcony Bill exists. The Balcony Bill, formerly known as California Senate Bill 721, was signed into law back in 2018. 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.
H Edwards 4 years ago
There was a balcony collapse near where I live recently. The street below is a busy one, it's very lucky that nobody was walking under it when it happened.
Rcktgirl05 4 years ago
I used to live in LA and the balcony above me collapsed one night. It was terrifying and thankfully we were not out on our patio when it happened. It was like a hinge effect and stayed attached at the building but swung crashing through our slider. My mom had just visited like two weeks prior and said it looked like it was going to collapse and I was like nahhh they inspect these, I'm sure it's fine. Nope!
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Menacia Jones 4 years ago
This only became a law in 2018?! Is that when some fatality limit was reached?
Dynein 4 years ago
I *think* the reasoning is that from 3 units upwards, it is *much* more likely that the units are rented out and that the property owner doesn't live there. So it's a rule of thumb for which you don't need to know the exact tenant situation but still can protect the overwhelming majority of tenants from neglectful land lords.
Load More Replies... #26
Some of the piers weren't even in contact with the posts.
𝔓𝔲𝔯𝔭𝔩𝔢 ℜ𝔞𝔢𝔑 4 years ago
IF "Some of the piers weren't even in contact with the posts," then HOW is the building even standing? Or, is it ...not (standing)???
#27
There appears to be a cave system leading down underneath this home's foundation.
Julia Atkinson 4 years ago
Not sure if this is a structural problem or the beginning of a horror film
Sheila Stamey 4 years ago
It's all a horrible horror film if you've ever owned your own home. I'm have severe reactions to each of these!!
Oogiebogieaugiedaddy 4 years ago
I have a crawl space that freaks me out. There are black widows and camel crickets everywhere under there! If I live to own another home, it will not have a crawl space. They could not pay me enough money to be a plumber or a HVAC person. Just nope!!!
#28
This failing retaining wall won't last much longer. Some movement over the years has taken place and has caused the wall to lean into the sidewalk.
Seabeast 4 years ago
If it's done properly it's fine. This looks like an amateur job.
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Brian Bennett 4 years ago
In our town it depends who built it -as to who pays for the repairs!
#29
Omelets anyone?
Carol Emory 4 years ago
Eggs...or are they Thundereggs. Stones that look like eggs but you bust them open and they have crystals inside.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago (edited)
Does the neighborhood or property owner have large pet birds of any kind that don’t necessarily build nests, and also have access under the house? (Beats the s**t out of me what bird that could be…)
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Terilee Bruyere 4 years ago
We had chickens that laid their eggs under our shed. Couldn't figure it out for the longest time. The smell...
#30
Here is yet another brick foundation we inspected this past week. We want to get as many of these replaced, or at the very least, sistered before the next major earthquake in LA.
The external foundation walls of this building are bowing, and many of the bricks are falling out of place. (Image 2)
Not only that, but the framing is in really bad shape and a lot of it needs to be replaced as well. (Image 3)
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
All in all, you’re just a——nother brick in the wall.
Load More Replies... Sergy Yeltsen 4 years ago
Looks like the only thing holding it (barely) together is the cobwebs.
#31
Here is an early 1900s home with a very brittle brick foundation. These large interior cracks likely formed after years of settlement and degradation of the foundation.
#32
Here's a brick foundation where the mortar has degraded almost entirely. Only a small section (in the middle of the brick wall) has solid mortar. Replacing or sistering this foundation would be the only solution for this homeowner.
#33
Somebody had previously attempted to fill the cracks, but this only further harms the concrete and can cause spall damage. If this goes unhandled, it will create a big problem for the owner and the residents!
#34
This wooden post seems to be sitting on a bed of shims, connected to a rusting baseplate.
Julia Atkinson 4 years ago
"Pass us another shim, Dave. There, that should do the trick!" (Sound of hammering and cheerful whistling)
Annita Stephanou 2 years ago
I don't think they are shims. It looks like the wooden post it self is falling apart
M O'Connell 4 years ago
This looks like two previous attempts to repair the rotted bottom of the post.
#35
Here is a retaining wall that's partially supported by piles. The wall is now separating at the exact spot where they omitted to put more of them. Now the wall is sinking and leaning down the hill.
#36
This two-story home is being supported on one layer of brick... one layer of brick.
Cold Contagious 4 years ago
Looks like one very cracked layer of brick 😳! I'd be sweating bullets if I had to be under there 😳!
#37
Here is a leaning retaining wall that is breaking away from a garage structure. Notice the large wooden beam that is wedged in there to help hold the wall back.
You can see large cracks at the bottom of the wall where the initial fracture took place. (Image 2)
Here's an image from the inside of the garage. The roof is also rotting and is just falling apart as the wall leans outward. (Image 3)
Cold Contagious 4 years ago
I feel like this would be very scary for a home owner and very expensive also. I can't imagine how much worse it gets by postponing the fact as long as possible or until collapse. I would hate to have to deal with this situation myself.
#38
When the retaining wall is built of concrete blocks, the cracks may look like stair-steps. Stair-step cracks are a sign that your block retaining wall is failing. Improper drainage could be the culprit of this crack. The soil behind the wall is soaked with water and this applies pressure to the wall.
Lyone Fein 4 years ago
If you just lay some of those bricks in the bottom row sideways when building a wall like this, you give the water somewhere to go. Out through the holes in the concrete blocks. Then you save your wall.
#39
Here we have a column that's settling downward, dragging the iron fencing with it.
Cold Contagious 4 years ago
You'd think that might have been a pretty easy fix at one time, maybe still, if they do something.
#40
Don't underestimate the power of tree roots.
Julia Atkinson 4 years ago
Yes, that huge tree near the house is gorgeous...but don't forget that a weed can break through a concrete paving slab
Cold Contagious 4 years ago
It looks like it's doing a effective job of slowing relocating the wall under the windows.
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#41
Here's some gnarly spall damage on the underside of a large condo building in LA.
#42
Here's an undermined concrete foundation that a plumber couldn't resist taking advantage of.
#43
I think the L stands for load-bearing.
#44
This illegal addition was in really bad shape.
Cold Contagious 4 years ago
Wow, that's just crazy that it's still all in there. Basically used charcoal at that point. With no support in those areas.
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Nathan Pogorzala 4 years ago
Looks like someone was just learning how to use a hammer and gave up halfway through each nail.
#45
Was it opposite day when this was installed? This is a long concrete pier with a wooden shim acting as its post... Pretty strange.
#46
Has anyone seen any of the many videos of balconies failing? This is one of the main reasons. Spalling is when the rebar inside of reinforced concrete has started to rust and expand due to water penetrating the concrete over a large period of time. This is not only dangerous for the people who step on the balcony but the people beneath as large chunks of concrete can fall off of at any moment. Spalling significantly decreases the structure's ability to safely carry its intended loads. Wood rot is another one of the main reason for balcony failures.
M O'Connell 4 years ago
Galvanized rebar would help, but the real source of the problem is water intrusion because they concrete was too porous, either due to its mixture, or because entrained air wasn't effectively removed from the pour, or the surface of the pour didn't shed water well enough and allowed it to seep inside.
Load More Replies... #47
Here's a concrete masonry retaining wall that is beginning to fail. I'm sure that one more winter full of heavy rainfall would cause this sucker to come down.
Cold Contagious 4 years ago
Maybe they think someone will buy into it being a optical illusion 🤔
Load More Replies... #48
Follow me into my office.
#50
Lots of earth-to-wood contact under this home. Let the termite feast begin.
#51
A portion of the retaining wall has separated from the rest of the wall. This will only get worse as time goes on if not fixed. Here you can see how much the wall has been pushed away from the top portion of the wall.
#52
This is a concrete and brick structure with visible spall damage on the exterior.
It's also causing some structural cracking on the outside where the concrete isn't as exposed. This will be a good one to document and share if we do the work!
#53
Make sure to hold the rai... irrigation pipe on the way down.
M O'Connell 4 years ago
It doesn't seem well supported at the top, but as long as it complies with the height requirements, I don't see why it couldn't be used that way.
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#54
Larger cracks like this found outside the home may mean the foundation has shifted or sunk. Cracks wider than one-quarter inch could indicate problems with the home’s structural integrity. Once the structural problem is fixed, homeowners can make the cosmetic repairs. Looks like the stem wall has a large crack and is separating from the rest of the stem wall and is starting to rotate away. Time to be replaced!
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Brian Bennett 4 years ago
Seems like we all could be living in death traps - even the newer homes!
Bryn 4 years ago
I wish I could have taken some pictures of my Poppy's house before it was sold. They were blast mining in the area, so the foundation got pretty well f****d up. There were huge cracks all over the place, with sagging ceilings and all.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Friend's house was built 20 yeasr ago. He noticed a sag. Contractor crawls in under. The former owner decided to use a jack from a car (as in, the one used when changing a tire) to replace a pier. Yeah, that's working as well as expected.
Duncan 4 years ago
I used to work for a building inspector, so I have seen things. The most amazing thing was there was a wooden stake in the ground, termites ate their way up the stake and started building their mud track in mid air from the stake up to the floor joists. They had gone about 1 metre up, not quite there when photographed. A big lesson why you never leave wood on the ground under your house. Termites are admirable in how destructive and ingenious they can be.
Sue M. H. R. 4 years ago
Just one correction for the article ... I thought it was weird to boast about "more than a quarter of a decade" for experience so I just went to their website. They celebrated 25 years in 2018 so I think it should be a quarter of a century worth of experience. Which makes way more sense.
Kenny Kulbiski 4 years ago
I'm thinking the average home owner couldn't afford the repairs on most of these. Then what? Any options?
David Taylor 4 years ago (edited)
This is what buildings and contents insurance is for and why most mortgage companies write a stipulation requiring said insurance into their mortgage offer
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Mary Jeffries 4 years ago
It’s incredible these places hold for as long as they do. Earthquakes really show the weakness.
Brian Bennett 4 years ago
Seems like we all could be living in death traps - even the newer homes!
Bryn 4 years ago
I wish I could have taken some pictures of my Poppy's house before it was sold. They were blast mining in the area, so the foundation got pretty well f****d up. There were huge cracks all over the place, with sagging ceilings and all.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Friend's house was built 20 yeasr ago. He noticed a sag. Contractor crawls in under. The former owner decided to use a jack from a car (as in, the one used when changing a tire) to replace a pier. Yeah, that's working as well as expected.
Duncan 4 years ago
I used to work for a building inspector, so I have seen things. The most amazing thing was there was a wooden stake in the ground, termites ate their way up the stake and started building their mud track in mid air from the stake up to the floor joists. They had gone about 1 metre up, not quite there when photographed. A big lesson why you never leave wood on the ground under your house. Termites are admirable in how destructive and ingenious they can be.
Sue M. H. R. 4 years ago
Just one correction for the article ... I thought it was weird to boast about "more than a quarter of a decade" for experience so I just went to their website. They celebrated 25 years in 2018 so I think it should be a quarter of a century worth of experience. Which makes way more sense.
Kenny Kulbiski 4 years ago
I'm thinking the average home owner couldn't afford the repairs on most of these. Then what? Any options?
David Taylor 4 years ago (edited)
This is what buildings and contents insurance is for and why most mortgage companies write a stipulation requiring said insurance into their mortgage offer
Load More Replies... Mary Jeffries 4 years ago
It’s incredible these places hold for as long as they do. Earthquakes really show the weakness.
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