">HomeOwnerNut

Accidental execution by electrical shock is NOT one of the leading causes of death in the home.  Falls are the single, largest cause. But I did see that 3,000 lives a year are taken by home fires, and that brings me back to faulty electrical wiring as a hidden culprit in home disasters.

Okay, a third of home-fire deaths are caused by smokers, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. But if you had home wiring setups like some of these people, you’d smoke, too.

You Get Meatballs With That?

This look might be fashionable for people who love Reggae, but when it comes to home safety, clean and uncomplicated is the key. And put a cap on it! You certainly don’t want anything that looks like this:

or……

Rotate Until Done

The clever homeowner who installed this additional lighting fixture is, one could say, in touch with his inner pyro.  It’s important in this scheme to leave an open socket for “finger-testing” the connection.

Visionaries Are Born, Not Made

From our friends at There I Fixed It comes this example of how to green up a sustainable disaster at home. Today’s efficient Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs produce about 75 percent less heat than conventional bulbs, according to EnergyStar. That means you can overload your fixtures with confidence!

Faulty Brain Wiring

Every so often, appliance manufacturers recall a potentially dangerous clothes dryer. But in this case, the homeowner is responsible for the recall of this family to their maker.  If you’re wired this way, make a point of cleaning your dryer vents and lint traps regularly.

News Alert: Village Idiot Escapes!

True mindfulness is difficult to attain, even after several lifetimes.  One can’t tell the ultimate destination of the power cord that’s resting comfortably on the baseboard heater. With any luck–in a Darwinian sense–it’s wired into a hair dryer or heating blanket.

You’ve seen them, the home additions gone horribly wrong.  Some homeowners delight in them. They like the unease created by dropping a turret or cupola atop a ranch house. Or there are those who cut out a wall and back a small house trailer up to it.

You’ll find more examples of the Oxymoron School of home design in Los Angeles than in any other city. That’s why I love Ugly Angel, a blog that takes never-ending delight and misery in reviewing Los Angeles architecture and urban development.

On to the uglies:

Montecito Depths

“$308,900 will get you this Montecito Heights remodel,” reports Ugly Angel, claiming that this home — “disfigured, perhaps more than once” — couldn’t be saved by even the best Photoshop effort.

Forensic Remodeling

Can you spot the part of the home that was added to this colonial charmer, dear reader? Take your time. Close one eye and look at the photo. Try the other eye. Need a hint?

Boxing Match

On the positive side, if there is one, the addition is a perfect match to the original dwelling. I found this clever example at Ugly House Photos, your one-stop shop for habitats for the inhumane.

Green with Envy

Another head-turner from Ugly House Photos: an Arizona home addition that boasts of “No heating or cooling to addition.” Talk about sustainability! When I think of spending a relaxing evening at home in it, I have to hide the bullets, sleeping pills, and razor blades.

Commie Pink-Oh

Perhaps this example of the “rustic rambler” is a home addition to the pink house for use in a socialized living situation, commune, or penal colony.  I’d relish a space with open design and immediate proximity to the trash receptacle.  It harmonizes!