Last year, we created our first annual home inspection fails blog. We combined a bunch of funny / wow / unbelievable photos our team of inspectors captured over the year.

This time around we are adding in some positives as well. Some fun finds that pop up when you are exploring the wonderful world of homes.

While 2020 was a crazy, stressful, rollercoaster year, we hope that these photos bring a smile to your face as you finish out the rest of the decade.

Thank you for your business! Enjoy…

How To Trick A Home Inspector

This fake outlet stash spot had our outlet tester fooled.

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Golf Anyone?

Might have to work on the short game between inspections.

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Inspection In Estes Park During The Cameron Peak Fire

We’re still inspecting even when it looks like the apocalypse outside.

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The Brewers Basement

With as much craft brew is in this state, this may become standard in Colorado new builds!

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Missing Vent? No Problem.

We love the new floors, but wasn’t there a supply vent here?

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Leak Behind The Wall?

Luckily the basement was unfinished. This leak from the hose bib could have caused some serious damage.

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Seems Safe…

I can fix it, Honey, don’t worry. This stair case is in no condition to walk on. This was found in a rental too!

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Your Grandparent’s Parent’s Boiler

A couple of old converted boilers that just won’t quit! Both close to 100 years old.

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Maybe Try Fixing The Leak Instead?

The lengths people go to avoid fixing the root problem never ceases to amaze. These paint trays were all shoved in place to catch water from a roof leak.

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Got Power?

I don’t think this specific inspection took the standard 3 hours. The crazy thing is that only one is labeled “house!”

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I Think We Found The Leak…

When arriving at a ’50s home, our inspector, Brett, heard some water running in the crawlspace…

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You Know Those Posts That Hold Your House Up?

Safe to say the flooding in this crawlspace did not treat these steel screw jacks very kindly. A big repair was needed at this home.

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I Like My Showers HOT!

We typically test the water temperature to ensure the unit is heating properly. Sometimes you find the opposite.

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Your Roof Is Approaching The End Of Its Life…

What would an inspector “fails blog” be without a roof? Sometimes roofs are aging but still have some life left. This one, however, had overstayed its welcome.

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That about wraps it up. Until next year….

See you at your next inspection and have a Happy New Year.

-Scott Home Inspection

Although we typically post informative articles or industry updates, we thought we would share some of the fun parts of our job as well. Our inspectors look at hundreds of houses a month, and we run into some of the most bizarre issues you could imagine. Here are some of the best home inspection fails of this year.

The ol’ spray can plug

On a one-year warranty inspection, our inspector, Brett, found a surprise on the roof. A plumbing vent was blocked by something out of place…

Clearly this plumber missed his mark on the vent pipe and didn’t bother to fix the mistake. Not only does this leave a poor seal for water to leak into the attic, but now the plumbing system is vented into the attic which can cause issues as well.

Here is a look from the inside.

Watch where you dig…

During a sewer scope inspection on a fairly new home, our scope tech, Woodrow, found a surprise in the sewer line. A large piece of rebar had been driven through the sewer line.

This called for immediate repair on a line that otherwise had no issues. You never know what’s going on underground. To see more sewer scope issues, click here.

Fuzzy friends

We run into a lot of animals during inspections. Some run-ins are closer than we would like them to be, but they all make for a good story. We are always sure to snap a picture when possible.

Looks like the attic of this home may need a replacement screen to keep the animals out, but this squirrel has found a comfortable spot to hang out for now.

There’s a BAT! Bats in the attic are somewhat common, but they always give you a scare when you see them. This one, however, appears to be minding his own business.

Ouch. What a way to go out. 150 amps of bZzzzzzZzz. The mouse will definitely need to be removed from the main breaker of this panel before any issues arise. However, looks like the mouse has some issues of his own.

Want to see another fuzzy friend found on the job? Click here.

Almost nailed it

This vent fan is venting from the crawlspace up into the attic. Looks like it was connected to the roof vent, but has since become detached. Now the moisture is just venting from one crawlspace to another!

Luckily this is an easy fix, but always interesting to see the “handy” work in some homes.

Is that… Woodruf?

A very rare occurrence to see these days is the Woodruf roofing material. This recalled roofing material was made from cement fiberboard and it did not quite perform as well as the manufacturer thought it would.

The material started to wear quickly, and leaks and water swelling started popping up everywhere. The material and the manufacturer were involved in a class-action lawsuit and settlement.

By now, most of these roofs have been replaced but you still see one every once in a while. When we do, we recommend immediate replacement.

The house still had power!

Take a look at this main breaker. The bus bar that provides power to the breaker has completely fallen apart! The bronze, metal piece with the larger cables connecting to it is live electricity. Definitely not safe! This called for immediate repair.

 

Some old time classics

One great thing about this job is getting to see relics of the past. If you look hard in older houses, you can spot old America in all its glory.

A very, very, very old converted gravity furnace is still in use today in this home. Not only is this thing older than most everyone reading this blog, but it’s also fully wrapped in asbestos tape!

They don’t make them like they used to. This old garage door opener may have been the reason they invented garage door safety photosensors. This opener does not look like it is stopping for anyone.

A classic drum trap! Fully cast iron, this sucker probably weighs close to 20 pounds. Drum traps were eventually replaced by P-traps because drum traps would collect all the debris from the sink and would back up if not cleaned out properly. If water is flowing, this is not necessarily an issue, but it will likely need to be replaced at some point.

Last, are we home inspectors or movers?

One thing that our inspectors run into a lot is not being able to access something due to homeowner belongings. We do not mind moving some items here and there but the picture below is a little bit outside the scope.

This electrical panel was unfortunately inaccessible during the inspection due to the stack of items. Be sure to leave good access when selling a home!

What else can we find?!

We hope you enjoyed a few of our interesting finds. If you are in need of inspection services, consider using our company. We have seen a few things ourselves…