100 Home Disasters Waiting to Happen

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.

Without thinking, tell me what you see. There are techniques involved with painting a door.

Some people should skip the hand-framing and stick with roof trusses. That way you don't need to be a skilled carpenter.

No WAY I’m paying for another two feet of ductwork! Guessing the real reason was that the furnace was shorter and this guy didn’t know how to extend the ductwork to accommodate a shorter furnace.

Hmmm... Stephen King's attic? Other storage solutions might be less nightmare-inducing, but I'm not sure I'd go up there anymore. Never know what else you might find!

Photo: Courtesy of Structure Tech

Ahhh...the glow of satisfaction from a job well done. Clearly, plumbing and drain installation isn't for everyone.

Which ones? That’s the game! Try your luck! First prize is one free shock-therapy treatment. One should ALWAYS use caution when working in a breaker box!

Must've been something really tasty plugging up that trap! Better get a new one put on before it starts leaking!

Hard to figure out what’s going on here. Sure you need a cold air return in the basement, but why not just put a vent in the cold air return? Maybe they’re planning ahead for a future wall?

So, I sit backwards, project my video game on the tank, and use the flusher as a joystick. Might be time to replace this old beauty.

I don’t know why freezers don’t have lights, so I just put one in myself. Maybe the lamp was just overheating?

Sale on extra long bolts on aisle 4. Guess there’s nothing wrong with that. But judging from the corrosion at the nuts, these fasteners aren’t rated for treated lumber or maybe not even galvanized.

I’d love to see how they solve the issue of flashing this roof. Flashing against brick is possible but there’s no instruction manual for flashing through the middle of a window.

Know what’s going on here? Our best guess is that it’s in Jethro Tull’s basement. It might be an old fashioned well pressure tank. But then again maybe not.

Photo: Courtesy of Structure Tech

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 heater would solve this problem.

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

My first question is why did someone cover up this beautiful ceiling with a hideous drop ceiling?! More importantly, there are specific guidelines to follow when adding a receptacle SAFELY!

It’s nice to see that some folks really care about safety measures for their neighborhood peeping Toms. There’s got to be a better way to access that attic.

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.

Indoor plants are nice, but not when their roots are outside. Repairing the window so the plants can’t get in would be a good start to fixing this problem.

Hope the new home owner can speak Swahili or Russian-or something. Marking circuit breakers is a great idea as long as you can understand them.

This isn’t just a case of bad stucco. The homeowner is going to have to go all the way to replacing the footings.

So satisfying to see a well-planned job through to the end. Gotta check into a better way to support a shelf!

Well? I suppose we could roast the turkey on the drying cycle? A little bit of kitchen planning goes a long way.

Well, at least we've solved the problem of where those lost socks go. Duct tape alone just wasn't stopping the leaks.

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

So much for the one place a guy can be left alone! Delores wanted to make sure that she could give Ron additions to his to-do list at all times. Time to plan out some bathroom walls!

"See, this way the city can't monitor the water going down my drain and I don't get charged for it. And if I'm not feeling like using the toilet, I can just let loose anywhere in the basement!" Yes, it’s true. In order to work properly, a drain actually has to be connected to something.

Yup. Looks like there’s a stud wall resting on this mess. I don’t think that a 2x6 qualifies as a load-bearing post!

Uncle Cooter never minded living in the attic. Nope. Not one bit. Not sure what the R-value of cardboard boxes is, but I am sure that using actual insulation in the attic would be better.

Cutting in paint around trim isn’t all that hard to do. And it’s even easier around furniture-or you could just move it.

After training rats, B.F. Skinner decided to test his training on the kids. Or maybe it’s connected to a switched outlet where the pizza oven is plugged in.

Apparently, there was one shingle from the old roof that just had some sentimental value. But eventually, he'll have to give up on sentiments and replace the shingle.

After earning a structural engineering degree from a box of Cracker Jacks, Raymond decided to put his newfound skills to use installing a new garage door opener.

I know it says self-cleaning, but how long are you willing to wait? At least you probably don’t need to buy spices for a while. You can just smear off some grime and throw it in the pot.

This is a perfect install, if the only use is for flooding your basement. This outdoor sillcock could've been thought through a little better.

So close! Almost got that new kitchen paid for! Under cabinet lighting is a nice upgrade, but not at the expense of burning down your house!

Something caused this device to melt. Probably overloading the outlet. But why in the world didn't the breaker trip? Plus: Check out these other cringe-worthy home improvement fails.

Every night, Bubba added more corn to the hopper and waited by the water heater with a shot glass. I don’t think this is standard piping for a TPR valve.

Just maybe this piano/shelf is still playable. Look closely and you'll see the pedals. Our theory is that the pegboard above the keyboard is actually a way for the sound to travel from the utility room to the ballroom. (See next slide to see the rest)

...and the back side doubles as a coat rack! The piano is much quieter in the winter!

Here's proof. The cool thing about installing shingles is that any dummy can do it! But, there is a right way to do it!

Don't cry honey, I have no idea what happened to your pet iguana. But rest assured, he'll always be with us. Or is it a wayward squirrel that couldn't find his way out?

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.

There. That’ll keep the inspector off my back. I hope he doesn’t bring a tape so he can check the distance between the balusters on my new stair rail.

But where will he live if the water heater gets fixed? Looks like it's about time to replace the old water heater.

If you close off the register, this cabinet doubles as a convection oven. Would’ve been a better idea to reroute that ductwork.

Not everyone has the luxury of a copy editor. Maybe it’s “unoppertable” because the installer never finished skool. It’s not that hard to install a light fixture that works.

Until that junction box completely disintegrates, this is up to code, right? Judging from the rust, I’m thinking there might be a water problem here as well, and that crowded box should probably be replaced.

A leaky roof can be a cause for drastic measures. In this case, I think it might have been less expensive and less work to actually fix the roof!

See, the problem is, electricity can spark and wood can burn! This would probably be fine if they put a legitimate electrical box inside the wooden box.

After careful years of planning and tending the weed bed, Myrtle thought balusters would just destroy the view. That looks like quite a tumble if you took a bad step on those stairs!

We’ve done a slideshow on mind blowing uses for expanding foam. Although this is a bit mind blowing, it didn’t make the list. I’m not even sure what the intended fix was here.

After bouncing the basketball off the roof for five years, I guess mom and dad finally agreed to get junior a backboard. Time to re-shingle this roof!

Jeff decided to make it his goal to use every single 2-in. PVC fitting offered at Lowes. Can you imagine how many trips to the home center this took?

Between the Jetsons and Santa Claus, I don’t know who’s worse. Suffice to say they’ll be ticketed or towed from now on! But seriously, you can buy all the parts you need to install gutters at home centers.

Can't even come up with a theory on what's going on here. Perhaps some instructions on how to connect a sink drain would be helpful.

Frank got this brilliant idea while drinking beer at the local watering hole. The rest is history. Of course, he had to add a new circuit to pull it off. His wife loves it.

It’s a little known fact, but bolts have to go through the material they’re intended to hold in place. Deck joists need to be installed properly for maximum support.

Oh, how you laughed as I collected all those free tile samples. Well who’s laughing now?! Another three months and we’ll have new carpet in the living room.

Once I get a little wood filler in the cracks, this is going to look amazing! Installing wood flooring does take just a little bit of skill.

Cooling fins-or radiator fins-you be the judge. Or maybe it's an attempt to stop the mice from using the ductwork as an elevated expressway?

After learning quickly that a cigar wouldn’t plug this hole, Leonard tried a wooden plug...Looks like the cap was rusted in place so they just drilled through it to access the cleanout. Learn how a pro removes a stuck plug here.

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.

Judging from the shape of this boiler system, the radiators likely need bleeding. But at least they have a place to drain the supper dishes.

Hard to tell, but I think the cord goes into the pot. Maybe trying to boost the growth of the plants through shock therapy when the rainwater comes out of the downspout?