I purchased a home made in the 1940's and was wondering why there is no support columns in the basement. I have seen other homes in the same area and probably made by the same developer with these columns. Should I be concerned? I pray that these columns weren't removed at some point and it puts me and my family in danger. I have spent my life savings in other repairs and the purchase of this home and I really don't have any money left for this repair if needed. is this common not to have them in the basement? Please help!
Basement support
basement
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Best Answer
It depends entirely on the design and construction of the building.
If there were columns that were removed there will typically be visible traces of where they were on the floor and in the framing overhead.
A pre-purchase inspection would typically note something like this if it was a problem.
If the house is not showing signs of instability such as the bouncing floors and cracks that Aloysius inquires about, it's unlikely that it's on the verge of falling down, particularly if it has been standing for many years (or since it was built) without any basement columns.
If they are missing and need to be replaced, they are actually quite affordable.