Hanging by a Thread
This receptacle installation is the only wiring in a 1920s garage.
Timothy Hemm
Eagle Home Inspections
Yucaipa, Calif.
Smokin’
I think it is safe to assume that this furnace is not venting properly. I inserted a smoke emitter into the burn chamber and all of the smoke backed up into the attic. A rain cap that was installed on the chimney exhaust left little room for venting.
Brandon Dyles
Picture Perfect Inspections
Bartlett, Tenn.
License Expired
Here is a picture I took of an electrical panel. Looks like this little guy wasn’t licensed to work around electricity.
Jeff Leighton
Inspect-It 1st Property Inspection
Scarborough, Me.
The Art of the Termite
We have very artistic termites here in Georgia. This tunnel measured 6 inches wide at the top.
Jeff Nichols
Edifice Inspections, Inc.
Marietta, Ga.
Cozy Nest
Given that this dryer vent isn’t quite making it all the way outside, this ends up being a heated bird’s nest.
David Grudzinski
Advantage Home Inspections
Cranston, R.I.
Air Quality Nightmare
The duct tube on the right is a clothes dryer on the first floor that’s been vented directly into the hot air supply duct in the basement. That’s lint from the dryer visible in the hot air register on the left.
Bob Drennan
R.E. Drennan Home Inspection
Great Barrington, Mass.
Patchy
Apparently, you can use anything to patch your furnace. The date renewal stickers on the license plate were dated 2002. The newer furnace (installed below this) actually was installed in 2004, and the Municipal Inspector had signed off on this permit.
Kevin Hawes
Assured Home Inspections
Calgary, AB
Inlet?
The latest in energy-efficient building products: the self-powered outlet.
Matt Wynne
Aberdeen Building Consulting
Long Island, NY
Good Thing They Didn’t Insulate the Attic
This is an attic exhaust fan. The structural installation to hold it in place includes drywall, sheet metal, fiberglass batts, Zip ties, electrical tape and…of course…duct tape.
Vince Clingenpeel
Clingenpeel Properties Inc.
Falls Church, Va.
Trapped Again
I just had to share this one. How many different ways can a sink trap be installed? Upsidedown is probably not one of the better ways. I found this in a 15-year-old manufactured home.
Richard Graf
Eagle Home Inspection
Whitefish, Mont.
(Photos courtesy of the ASHI Reporter.)
Indoor Pool
This picture was taken in the attic of a Civil War-era home. Of course, the disclosure said the roof didn’t leak. Not only was a kiddie pool catching water from the roof leak, but an elaborate gutter had been fabricated from aluminum coil stock.
Charles Zehner
Sherlock Homes Property Inspections
Evansville, Ind.
It’s Got a Flat
Recyling is good, but using old bike innertubes as a trap? Not so good.
Larry Dickens
HomePro Systems, Inc.
Huntington, W.Va.
Doubly Dumb
To change the cartridge fuses in this shut-off box, you need to call the electrician and the plumber!
James Clark
True Blue Home Inspections, Inc.
Chicago, Ill.
Cap it Off
If your trash can does not need protection from dogs or raccoons, you might as well use the lid for an attic fan hood.
Stephen Wilson
Professional Inspection Services
Columbus, Ga.
Flip Turned Into Flop
This homeowner tried out a new kind of ice-and-water-shield plumbing vent boot instead of using the stiff plastic that would normally hold the vent in place.
Calvin Bolt
Calvin Bolt Inspections and Testing
Warsaw, Ind.
Flip Turned Into Flop
The DIY “flipper” (the seller) of this house told me he replaced all six bad floor joists. But that’s how far my screwdriver went in when I went looking for dry rot on just one of the remaining joists. I ended up finding 17 more like this! Does my client (the buyer) want to trust what went on behind all the new drywall? I don’t THINK so! There were dozens of other serious visible issues. Buyer beware!
Calvin Bolt
Calvin Bolt Inspections and Testing
Warsaw, Ind.