The article below about house re-stumping is quite an old one, so I don’t know how relevant some of the technical information is, but the more general information seems to be quite good. It is copyright 1997, so that would explain some of the diferences that I have seen between what they write and what I’ve seen around Townsville now.
One thing that is definitely lacking is that there is no mention of steal stumps for your re-stumping project. Almost all of the new homes that I have seen up here in Townsville that have been re-stumped in the last 5-years or so have used steal stumps instead of the older timber or concrete stumps.
Archicentre: DIY Restumping Checklist
You can check out my own checklist for what we are currently walking though in getting our own house lifted and re-stumped here, House Lifting and Restumping Schedule, we are currently at step number 1 still, although I should have the plans for the house tomorrow to move on to step number 2 which is taking it to the Engineer.
I have read your checklist with much interest. I think it is fantastic how you have described the procedures and steps for this large project. I don’t think a lot of people understand the complexity of organizing a project of this scale. I am an avid fan of horses and there’s a well known saying that can be applied to house stumps “No foot, No horse” and this certainly is the case for house stumps “No stump, No house” In the old days, there was no technology to help with building. The good old water level was used to find the building plane. These days we use Lazer levels and we are continually being updated with new procedures, engineers are always finding new and better ways to improve building structures. One cannot afford to be left behind thinking the old way is the best way nowadays. We are always finding buildings that have not been built on a level building plane which can hugely affect other structural components of these buildings once the house has been leveled. We also find many extensions or other renovations have been performed without correctly addressing the level of the buildings footings. This can cause some grief to owners after the project has been completed but at some stage one has to consider where to first start. In the case of any home renovation, it must be done from the bottom and then work your way to the top, after all, this is how the house was built. It would be naive to think the houses roof was built before the floors. Steel stumps are our specialty. We use quality galvanized steel and also manufacture galvanized steel adjustable heads which helps with the stumps ability to be adjusted up or down according to the seasonal conditions of the soil. The soil plays a huge role in the ability of the stump to remain in it’s installed position. At the end of the day, it is far more important to explain the pro’s and con’s to customers of leveling before completing the task. Keeping the customer informed about the stumps role will go along way in the future maintenance of the stumps. After knowing what I know about house stumps and learning about soil and how it affects your house, I would still choose a stump home over a slab home anyday. I would be rather be faced with a Re-Stump bill rather than an underpinning bill – and the repairs that are associated with fixing the house.
Regards
Restumping a home is a very large project. I am surprised that someone would have enough self confidence to try and take on the job alone. I would hope that anyone trying to do this would have someone supervise them because one mistake could cost you your home. http://www.budgetreblocking.com.au
Thank you so much for sharing this. My parents were recently told that they need to get their house restumped/reblocked. They didn’t know what that really meant, and frankly, neither did I. After reading this and a few other things, we have a better idea of what goes into this process. I think we have this handled.
http://www.ausreblocking.com.au
janefairfax18 Glad that the article helped you understand the process a bit more.
The house that my wife and I bought a couple of years ago is an extremely old house. I don’t think it’s ever been re-stumped before. I don’t see any evidence of it needing to be re-stumped. However, you mentioned the newer steel stumps that houses have now. Is it worth the investment to get those put in, even if the old ones are still functioning properly? http://www.earthwormrestumping.com.au
House restumping sure sounds quite new for me to hear about. Well, what is house restumping and how does it work? I’m constructing a new house around my town and plenty of my friends have mentioned somethings about house restumping. http://www.ausreblocking.com.au/company.html
Restumping is a process and you need to be involved in it, cannot just delegate it. Batten, concrete stumps, concrete pads, long-term footing settlement, rot resistant stump- these are some of the technical terms which are used in the restumping business. It is useful to understand them: http://www.restumping-melbourne.com.au/restumping-buzzwords-need-know/
Many Australian homes have a foundation of stumps – wooden stumps are typical for older houses, and concrete stumps for houses built in the last decade. Over time, wooden stumps undergone a lot, some even begin to crack. The concrete slabs may also crack or even sink into the ground. In any case, the structural stability of the entire building is put at risk. When this happens, you know it’s time to have them repaired. Restumping will replace the stumps, and underpinning will reinforce the existing concrete slabs with new material but will not remove the slabs. Read more: http://www.tacticsreblocking.com.au/blog/services-tactics-offers/