Home Inspector Nightmares: Vol. 19

Elizabeth FlahertyUpdated: Mar. 05, 2018

The theme of this slideshow could be reduce, reuse, recycle. You’ll find all kinds of ingenious ways to use things like old clothes, scraps of lumber and even leftover shingles.

1 / 10

Framing with scrap lumber

Um, I think joists need to be one piece. Framing your deck is NOT the place to use up scraps!

Photo: Courtesy of Structure Tech

2 / 10

Courtesy of Structure Tech

Does this ductwork make my butt look big?

If your shorts fit over ductwork, then yes. Yes it does. They do sell duct hangers that are better suited to this purpose.

3 / 10

Hot air goes up-cold air goes down

This guy must have decided to put a ceiling-hung gas furnace in his garage. But he should have read the instruction manual on how to install the gas heater. Maybe the flue would have been facing the right direction.

Photo: Courtesy of Structure Tech

4 / 10

Nicely warmed jackets, all ready for snow shoveling

I sure hope those coats are flame retardant. Last Supper indeed! The water heater flue should NOT be in contact with flammable items! A power vented water heate r would solve this problem.

Photo: Courtesy of Structure Tech

5 / 10

Courtesy of Structure Tech

Grow your own hardware cloth

Keeping rodents out of your chimney is important. But there are actually store-bought solutions for adding chimney caps that work better.

6 / 10

Charlie Manson’s bathroom

Want some decorative walls? Wallpapering is something anybody can do!

Photo: Courtesy of Structure Tech

7 / 10

Draft hood follies

Maybe one last piece of ductwork wasn’t all this installer was short on. The draft hood above the water heater allows a draft so the warm air can go up and out. The ad hoc draft hood at the top not only doesn’t do anything, it can allow carbon monoxide back into the house.

Photo: Courtesy of Structure Tech

8 / 10

Industrial laundry chute?

Nope. This DIYer was determined to fix that wobbly newel post once and for all. Seems like this could work on a deck post too, but there are easier ways.

Photo: Courtesy of Structure Tech

9 / 10

Photo: Courtesy of Structure Tech

Burglar Proof — Absolutely!

I don't know. Sometimes, just looking at a photo will tell you whether or not a guy is single. It's really not all that hard to replace window hardware. You'll want to know these cheap ways to burglar-proof your home instead of this attempt.

10 / 10

Courtesy of Structure Tech

Patchwork quilt for houses

Maybe the shingles spell out a cry for help to passing airplanes? I think this fella is just collecting all the leftover shingles from his roofing contractor buddies. Perhaps it's time for a roof tearoff.

Want more home inspector nightmares? Check out volume 20!

Originally Published: November 13, 2017