Raising your house is a great way to add more space and goes hand-in-hand with other renovations to do the same. However, just because all of your home renovations are out to achieve the same goal doesn’t mean you can complete them out of order. If raising your house is part of your home renovation plan, you should make it the first step.
Here’s why we at Meier House Removals recommend raising before renovating.
The House Raising Process is Not a Smooth Sweep
When raising a house, we take it in small portions because quickly and simultaneously lifting the entire foundation causes significant cracking. That said, regardless of time and technique, small cracks are unavoidable.
Even Brisbane’s most experienced house raisers like Meier House Removals know to expect small cracks, which are natural as your house settles onto its new foundation. Would you rather repair those small cracks as part of your home renovation or repair damage to your beautifully renovated home?
Recent Home Renovations Take Time to Settle
If you’ve recently completed home renovations, you must alert your house raisers because this requires modifications to our process. It can take several months for new plaster, tiling, and flooring to settle, and your house will also continue to shift as it settles into its new raised position. Therefore, raising your house within just a few months of renovating increases your risk for cracked plaster and flooring.
Make More Thoughtful Design Decisions
You’d be surprised by just how much space raising your house and adding a new lower level creates. It might even make you rethink your entire renovation plan. For example, if you wanted to create a guest room and ensuite, you might decide you’d rather build it on a new level than try to make space upstairs. But, if you’ve already renovated the upstairs, you’re stuck with regrettable design decisions.
You Might Need Foundation Repair
While your primary reason for raising your house might be to add space, house raising is also the first step to repairing a damaged foundation. You might not even know you need to repair your foundation until we raise your house and inspect it.
Repairing a foundation involves replacing the old, decaying stumps with new ones in a more durable material like concrete or galvanised steel. Then, we level your current foundation or pour a new one.
A damaged foundation can cause uneven floors and frames in your house. If the damage is gradual, you probably won’t notice these signs. The problem is that if you undertake renovations to fit your uneven floors and frames, they won’t correctly settle onto even ground after we level your foundation.
The Bottom Line: Lift First, Remodel Second
All of the reasons to raise your house before renovating boil down to a single dilemma: Would you rather have instant gratification or spend time and money redoing renovations and repairs? Meier House Removals assures you that raising your house, allowing it to settle into its new foundation, and then remodelling will guarantee a seamless and stress-free home renovation.
To learn more about raising your house in Queensland, request a detailed estimate from Meier House Removals on 07 3849 1122.
