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50 strange things people have done to their homes

Brownstone facades & row houses in an iconic neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights in New York City
Three townhouses stand aligned; middle one painted red, flanked by white and brown facades. Steps lead to black doors, greenery surrounds entrances.

The creativity of these homeowners is impressive, their projects not so much.

Don’t try this at home

We would heartily recommend against these strange, if occasionally clever, household fixes and design choices. Do you know these maintenance tasks all smart homeowners know?

pie-tins-on-water-heater-vent
Parallel pipes, loosely connected with foil and baking trays, sit in an unfinished basement with visible beams, wires, and exposed utilities.

Tin pan alley

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? Don’t miss these 35 things every homeowner needs to know.

garage-door-hinge
A wrench secures a garage door by tightening onto a bolt. The door is metal, with visible rails and hinges nearby.

Socket wrench hinge pin

Wow! This is a huge improvement over the coat hangers in the other hinges! Brilliant! A lesson in garage door repair might be in order.

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Coffee maker being installed into a built-in space on a tiled kitchen wall; a hand adjusts the machine's position.

Did you buy five of the same coffee makers?

You’re not going to be able to replace your coffee maker unless you have the same one. Oh, the joys of custom remodeling. Learn which appliances are much cheaper to replace than to fix.

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Green hose connected to plumbing under a sink, surrounded by worn, discolored wood and various tools in a cabinet.

Keep your green thumb outdoors

How many garden hoses have you seen sprout a leak before? You’ll be growing a garden of a different kind with this setup. If you’re a homeowner, then these are the 35 things you need to know ASAP.

electric-baseboard-heater-in-shower-1200×1200
Shower is enclosed by marble-patterned walls, surrounded by wood paneling, with a yellow curtain above. A blue towel hangs on the right wall.

Heated bathroom

The thought is nice. Walk out of the shower to a warm bathroom in winter but the execution is wrong because it could end in one. Check out these easy quarantine home projects you’ll wish you did sooner.

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A large bathtub sits beneath floral curtains; a ceiling fan above provides gentle light in a cozy bathroom.

So much for a relaxing bath

Image trying to take a relaxing soak when the ceiling fan starts wobbling. There’s a way to fix a wobbling ceiling fan but a better fix would be to remove this one. If this fix sounds difficult, learn these home repairs that anyone can do.

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Black toilet sits in a mirrored bathroom, creating an intricate pattern with striped walls and floor. Toilet paper and decor on top.

C.U.P bathroom

Mirrored walls in this location are an interesting choice, to say the least. Don’t miss these toilet projects you’ll regret ignoring.

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Bathtub holds water, positioned in a corner, surrounded by black square tiles, with a gold faucet and wooden floor nearby.

One piece at a time

Make do with what you’ve got, right? Looks like someone threw in a kitchen sink faucet instead of a bath faucet. Unlike this choice, these are the best home improvements to double the value of your home.

small-bathroom-1200×1200
A shower sprays water in a small bathroom; a toilet is adjacent, with walls painted blue.

Small bathroom

It would’ve been nice if someone had just said, “No,” before this project was ever started. It might be great for a ballet dancer who can tiptoe around but functionality is certainly lacking.

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A towel stretches across a shower area from one side to the other, above a handheld shower head attached to a wall.

Shower light

Fluorescent lights above a shower? Without a cover? The second question is probably immaterial, all things considered, but talk about poor planning and unnecessary danger. You could be seeing a different kind of light real quick, and you won’t have any choice about heading toward it. This danger should be addressed immediately, just like these 15 hidden home dangers you shouldn’t ignore.

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Shower curtain hangs, displaying animals and plants, in a small attic bathroom with slanted walls and patterned wallpaper.

Shower built into the ceiling

It’s an interesting way to add another shower. Perhaps it’ll count as another bath on the listing.

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Coffee maker sits on a stove beneath a microwave, in a kitchen with countertops and cabinets.

Microwave too close to range

We’ve advocated for placing a microwave underneath a cabinet to create more counter space, but this is not a good idea. Pretty soon you’ll have a melting microwave. And find out the ways you’re using your microwave all wrong.

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Stove sits on a kitchen island, surrounded by wooden cabinets, near a window and refrigerator in a softly lit room.

A hood fan in a far, far away spot

This would work great if the stovetop was about two feet higher. The hood fan is far too far away from the range and can lead to a build-up of smoke in the kitchen if you’re not careful.

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Water sprays diagonally from multiple showerheads, creating streams across a tiled bathroom. Sunlight filters through windows in the background.

Spa shower

Where to begin with this one? What? Are you running a health club? Hate to see the water bill for one shower. You can lower your water bill and other household fees with these 11 genius money-saving tips.

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Stove sits idle beside sink in compact kitchen with wooden cabinets and tiled countertop.

Obstructed kitchen sink

All those yoga classes will come in handy when trying to reach something under the sink.

All employees must wash their hands before returning to work

Genius! With this setup, you can wash your hands and your feet at the same time! A small bathroom requires a certain amount of planning.

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Oil tank painted like a cow, standing in an unfinished basement, with pipe fittings resembling horns and a cow face on the wall.

Find the fuel oil tanks in this picture

If you’re painting metal, do the prep work the right way. That way your artwork will stand the test of time.

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Toilet partially blocked by a bathroom door, limiting access. The door has a brass handle, and beige tiles cover the walls.

Skillfully unnecessary scribe

Bonus: You can visit with your toddler while you’re taking care of business. If the door opened the correct way, there would have been no scribing required. See which home improvement projects you can do yourself instead of hiring a professional.

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Blue sled collects drips from leak in wooden ceiling, draining into white bucket on tabletop by snowy window.

Toboggan ice-dam solution

Granted, this is quite a clever setup.

eric-korpon_drove-my-chevy
Hubcap covers a roof vent pipe, surrounded by asphalt patch on shingled roof.

Hubcap flue cap

Well, that’s one way to keep the rain away from your furnace. Don’t miss these 31 secrets your plumber won’t tell you.

A shower found in munchkin land

After mom and dad moved out, the toddlers decided to make the bathroom more user-friendly.

co-alarm
Hand holding round smoke detector near coaxial wall outlet in a carpeted corner with a plastic item nearby.

Poor cable detector?

Determined to find out if carbon monoxide was at fault for his poor cable reception, uncle Walter devised a plan…

kitchen-fan
Stovetop displays teapots and utensils, beneath a lit range hood with exposed ductwork, in a kitchen adorned with floral wallpaper and white cabinets.

Ceiling kitchen venting

Marion loved the smell of her cooking so much, it seemed a waste to vent all of the wonderful aromas outside. Generally, most people would prefer kitchen venting to exhaust outside the house.

lots-of-roof-vents
Roof vents line the roof edge beneath leafy trees in a sunny setting.

March of the roof vents

Yes, attic venting is important. This, however, might be a bit much. Maybe trying to save on shingles? Besides this one, see which home renovations you’re likely to regret later.

look-under-the-carpet
Carpet partially rolled back reveals wooden floorboards; small table with a potted plant and bowl nearby in a living room setting.

One way to save money on flooring

I’ve got a great idea! We don’t need new flooring under the rug. Nobody will ever know.

hanging-fan
Ceiling fan hangs from wires, appearing unstable, in a wooden-paneled room.

Hardhat area

It’s never a good idea to hang a ceiling fan solely by electrical cable.

Which problem solver would you choose?

There are always options when it comes to buying a toilet—some better than others.

duct-tape-drains
Pipes wrapped in duct tape, poorly secured, under a wooden kitchen cabinet with a hole in the wall behind them.

Duct tape compression fittings

What’s weird about this is that it appears that the drain parts are brand new. Installing drain lines and p-traps under a sink doesn’t normally call for duct tape. Bound to be a few plumbing leaks here. Like this one, see other home renovations you are likely to regret later.

medical-lights-in-garage
Ceiling-mounted surgical lights hang in a garage with a wall-mounted TV, fire extinguisher, clock, and a small window near the door.

A garage prepped for elective surgery

Come on down to Bob’s Really Good Surgery Shack! This week’s special is brain transplants! Actually, this might provide pretty good shop lighting in the garage.

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Candles are arranged on a fireplace hearth near a metal grate and electrical outlet, surrounded by brick walls.

Outlet in fireplace

The home comes with a fireplace but it’s merely decorative because there’s an outlet in it. Tough sell.

obstructed-cleanout-1200×1200
Outlet, partially covered by carpet, located in a corner with wooden baseboards and gray-painted walls.

Cleanout cutout

Nice job with the baseboard but how the heck do you expect to get the clean-out plug out?

lint-screen-1200×1200
A dusty basement window with a small flap, surrounded by green hosta plants, set against a textured, light-colored wall.

Lint screen

Maybe it’s a good thing all the lint collects in one spot, it could be easier to clean. But then again it doesn’t look like cleaning is happening. Dryer lint is responsible for around 25,000 fires every four years. And be sure you know these 20 hidden things in your home that could be a fire hazard.

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joist hangers into stucco

Joist hangers into stucco

There’s no ledger board with this deck and that should be cause for concern. There is nothing right about this.

homemade-undercabinet-light-1200×1200
Light bulb base points upwards; an adapter floats nearby. The ceiling shows cracked paint, and a shelf is visible below.

Homemade under-cabinet light

Someone is tempting fate with this light under a cabinet. It plugs right into an outlet, but it looks like it could be easily broken from being bumped. And there’s a serious issue with the amount of heat it’s giving off – there’s not enough clearance for the light be situated there. This guy should know that inexpensive LED low-voltage kits are available at every home center.

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Air conditioning unit mounted on wall, cables attached, outside house with siding; sunlit and surrounded by greenery and mulch.

High air conditioner

Better hope that platform is rated to handle some incredible weight. Cooling your home doesn’t have to take lots of cash to run this high air conditioner. These 7 air conditioning tricks will help you feel cooler and spend less.

garage-door-spring-on-screw-1200×1200
Garage door tension spring mounts near wooden beam, depicted with a close-up inset showing attachment details. Ceiling beams and metal rail visible around.

Garage door spring on screw

Garage door springs carry a tremendous amount of tension and having one supported by a screw poses a serious danger.

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Furnace rests on stacked concrete blocks in a basement, adjacent to a white brick wall and a wooden board.

Furnace on blocks

Your car on blocks is one thing, but your furnace is another thing. If you’re looking to save money, try these clever home improvement ideas under $200.

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Plug loosely inserted into a damaged electrical outlet, with frayed cable, on a beige wall.

You don’t have the power

Don’t (seriously, just don’t) run an extension cord through a wall. Extension cords can never be buried or hidden inside a wall. In fact, you shouldn’t even hide them under rugs or carpets. There are too many things that could go wrong. Before you even know about it, it’ll already be too late.

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A light bulb with a pull string hangs, surrounded by PVC pipes in a wooden basement ceiling. Text includes "CRESLINE" and "PVC DWV".

A real scorcher

An incandescent light bulb will kick out some heat if left on for an extended period of time and when one is near something with a low ignition point, watch out. At the very least this bulb should be replaced with an LED.

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Power strip lies on red carpet, plugged into wall, beneath a wooden desk holding a calculator and a phone in a paneled room.

Baseboard heater?

Does that baseboard heater… ? Yes. Yes it does run through the partition. And, yes, several cords rest near it.

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Gutter pipes awkwardly connected on a building corner, showing a mismatch between two sections against a textured wall.

Dryer duct gutter

Who are they fooling with this fix? It’s admirable that they went to the trouble of painting a dryer vent the same color as the other gutters, but you have to figure someone would see it. While it is an unusual spot in the roof, this cheap fix isn’t the right solution. There are just some home projects that you shouldn’t DIY.

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Column supports an adjacent beam on a wooden ceiling with ridged texture.

Downspout hidden in column

This is either really dumb or really cool. It’s kind of hard to imagine it being dumb because if you were going to run a downspout through a column you make sure it was safe, right? Hopefully, that is not a structural column.

carpet-over-floor-register-1200×1200
Wooden shelf sits against beige wall beside leather chair; infrared thermal image shows heat spot on the floor near shelf base.

Carpet over floor register

These heat sensor photos can reveal a lot. This one shows a floor register that has been carpeted over. Seems like a quick fix, but how do you forget about the register when you re-carpet?

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Wooden post rests on large stone amidst lush green vegetation.

Boulder footing

If this boulder wasn’t being used as a deck footing, we swear we could’ve mistaken it for the brain of the person who came up with this idea.

baseboard-heater-in-crawlspace-1200×1200
Duct lies connected to a vent, surrounded by wires and insulation in a dusty, cluttered crawlspace.

Baseboard heater in crawl space

It might sound like a good idea to heat your crawl space in winter to perhaps prevent frozen pipes and warm your house a little more but it’s extremely dangerous. This a huge fire hazard. Check out these items in your home that are a huge fire hazard if you don’t clean them enough.

bad-egress-1200×1200
Ladder leans against a two-story house next to a tree, reaching the roof near a second-floor window.

Bad egress

Nothing about this screams safety or viable emergency escape. It looks bolted to the roof and there’s a chain to help keep it in place.

adjustable-support-column-1200×1200
A steel support beam stabilizes a wooden structure within a concrete-walled basement, surrounded by scattered construction tools and materials.

Adjustable support column

Adjustable support columns like this, with steel supporting pins, should only be used as temporary support columns, according to an American Society of Home Inspectors article.

ac-condenser-installed-in-deck-1200×1200
Condenser coil sits on wooden deck amidst scattered leaves, with an inset diagram showing installation requirements, airflow clearances, and positioning near trees and decks.

Does the table go above it now?

Somebody booted this deck project, but, then again, it probably should have never been started. The door to the deck is low off the ground and with the air conditioner near it, it’s impossible to create a deck with enough clearance for the AC unit without stairs from the door. Just take the whole thing down.

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covered basement window

Covered basement window

We’ve seen floor registers covered, now check out the opposite. That’s right, someone covered a window in the basement with drywall. But this isn’t the craziest thing that could be in your home. Remember these 39 secrets home inspectors won’t tell you so you can thoroughly vet your new place.

All photos courtesy of Structure Tech.

Read full story on Reader's Digest

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