Welcome to the Sherlock Homes Inspectors gallery of horrors!

 

This is a collection of photos from inspections & projects, which is a combination of DIY disasters, lack of maintenance & Calgarian's being fleeced, whereby cowboy contractors have literally taken the money and ran!

 

The owner & landlord of this property who lived in another province, he engaged the services of a building contractor to renovate the basement of this property and received regular updates by phone etc...

He then became suspicious after paying them in excess of $33,000.00 and the calls became less frequent. He then contacted us and asked if we would check on the construction work as to progress and be prepared to project manage the remainder of the work etc...

When we arrived at the property this is what we found! After looking at the drawing, the door had been cut into the wrong side of the foundation wall, the interior work was just as bad, the door in the picture with all the concrete splashed over it, this was the finished door and was ruined.

The next couple of pictures show the state of things etc... the amount of work in monetary terms that had been completed was no more than $10,000.00 - other contractors were drafted in to put things right and complete the work to which the owner has now filed a law suit against the original contractors.

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A client of ours in Okotoks paid a contractor in High River a $1,000 per day to construct this deck - which now has to be removed due to the shocking construction standards & for safety. Why cut the wood when you can cut the downspout - seriously!?

Incorrect sized support posts notched away
 

He must have forgotten the other side!
 

This and other hazards at face level.

If that post could talk, I'm guessing it would say: "I just about made it!"



 

How not to keep the glass window bead in place.
 

This is the result of having no extraction within the bathroom area - Mould!
 

A bunch 240Vac single cables - no mechanical protection - all bunched through wood feeding the softener.
 

Main 240 Vac supply from the main terminal junction box to the distribution panel, which had no safety seals on the cabinet door.

The cable has no mechanical protection and is very brittle due to long term UV exposure!
 

No locks or safety seals in place.
 

Mounted at that height with no seals or locks - a child could easily lift that cover which exposes them 240 Vac!
 

During a home inspection in Calgary, the client asked why he and his family receive a shock whenever they touch the sink and the fridge together.

I then put a test meter across the sink and fridge and found 29 Vac present - long story short the fridge was not grounded at the receptacle.

"Would your current Home Inspector have this far & discovered the problem?"
 

How a Calgary "Red Seal certified electrician" connected & left a 4 x 4 box when he realised he could not get the cover on - which is way over the allowable space anyway!
 

The same electrician pulled a permit, inspected by the City of Calgary inspector - deemed "good to go" - and yes that bus has 240 Vac going through it!
 

When fitting a mirror in the bathroom & its a little too wide, why not cut the receptacle cover plate to suit?

More Home Inspection & renovation horrors to follow!

G M Rose - CMI