I have two young girls who like to play games. My youngest especially likes picture puzzles where you have to find something hidden, missing or out of place. When I was looking at these two pictures from the basement of a home I inspected it reminded me of the picture puzzles.
I showed my client first the finished half and then the mechanical room - laundry to demonstrate my discovery. The finished portion of the basement must have been intended for a game room with a ping pong or pool table. Why? Because someone removed the column from the support beam. Opens the room right up, doesn't it? The absence of the column also would explain the pronounced dip in floor above.
It never ceases to amaze me why people think a support column can just simply be removed because it's in the way. Columns are well secured in place so they take a lot of effort to take out. That being said don't you think that would clue someone in that it should be left alone?
Every year I find several homes where either a support column has been removed or a structural wall. Homeowners want to open up a room and never consider the consequences of altering the homes structure.
Removing structural support should not be treated like a game of Jenga.
James Quarello
2010 SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC
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