Restumping or reblocking your house can save you from a damaged foundation and ensure your house stays standing for many years to come. You may consider restumping when you’re renovating a house to avoid foundation repairs down the road. However, restumping is necessary for any house with a damaged foundation, whether the homeowner is renovating or not.
Foundation defects are difficult to spot in the early stages. Unfortunately, this means a lot of foundational damage goes unnoticed, often causing the entire house to collapse in on itself. Damaged stumps are a serious problem in Australia. Remaining keenly aware of small changes in your home can save you from a failed foundation. Here’s what you need to know:
Signs Your House Needs Restumping
The best defence against foundation damage is remaining alert to its signs. Keep your eyes peeled for signs of structural wear, including:
- Sloping or uneven floors These indicate that the foundation is rotting rapidly. If you can’t spot the unevenness with your naked eye, pay attention to whether the floorboards creak when you walk on them.
- Doors or Windows not Closing Properly Sloping floors can also cause problems with your doors and window frames. You may notice that doors and windows are not closing properly or getting jammed for no reason.
- Cracks New or expanding cracks in your walls are a clear sign of an uneven foundation.
All of the above signs are strong indicators of a failing foundation, and there’s no guarantee of how much longer it will last.
But what if you don’t see any signs of structural wear? How do you know if your house needs restumping? If your house was built before 1970 and hasn’t already been restumped, there’s a good chance it needs to be. Depending on the soil quality, timber stumps usually last between 15 and 50 years. If you have no idea what kinds of stumps your house has, it’s always best to consult with a professional before major foundational damage occurs.
What Does Restumping Your House Entail?
Restumping your house is a delicate process that requires a professional contractor like Meier House Removals in Brisbane. When we restump your house, the first step is raising it and holding it with temporary supports. Then, we remove the existing stumps and replace them with concrete or steel stumps which last for much longer.
Once we raise the house, we can fix the foundational issues that stemmed from the uneven stumps. We typically install a new foundation, called underpinning, and drill steel helical piles into the ground to provide additional support for the foundation.
Talk to Brisbane’s Foundation Experts
The Gold Coast is prone to flooding and damp soil, which means getting your stumps checked for wear should be an essential part of homeownership. Meier House Removals has been saving foundations with house restumping services in Queensland for over 30 years. Investing in restumping now could save you thousands of dollars in damages later if your stumps break and your foundation fails.
Schedule a visual inspection of your stumps and foundation with Meier House Removals on 07 3849 1122.
