Room Addition Footing Problem
Here's a good example of a room addition that was
installed without building permits or structural engineering. As you can
see in the picture above, there is very little sheer wall strength,
since most of the walls have been removed.
This could create a problem with the home, if there was ever an
earthquake or hurricane force winds. This seems to be a problem with
room additions that were built by homeowners or inexperienced
construction workers and I run into them quite a bit during my travels.
There's a good chance that the footing below this small wall is not
strong enough to carry the weight of the remodeled structure. Who knows
if the beams are the right size either. The new beams would have to be
strong enough to carry the weight of the roof.
It's hard to tell how long something like this will last or the damage
that will be done to the home over time. The damage could be as simple
as the floors sagging or cracking eventually. It's really hard to tell,
because I've seen situations like this, last for many years with very
little problems.