In countries like Australia, stumping was common practice. It involves the usage of timber posts for use in the foundation of a house, the usage of timber stumps eventually birth the name stumping as a term to name the practice. The quality of wood plays a major factor in the endurance and overall quality of the foundation thus often hardwoods like poplar are used in the process of stumping.
What Is Re stumping?
Even the best of wood is not susceptible to the ravages of time, and after prolonged use, woods used in stumping will often be found infested with termites and in rotting. This is why it is necessary to maintain woods by painting, polishing, or other methods to enhance its life. If the wood is no longer salvageable then you might want to look into re stumping.
What is re stumping? Re stumping is also known as re blocking is replacing old timber stumps with stronger and more durable concrete or steel stumps. Timber stumps that have suffered damages over the years resulting in rotting or termite infestation and having them replaced with new ones. This is done by having the area around the old or damaged stumps jacked up and then having it lowered back to new stumps which are then secured in place. The process is complex to perform and requires the expertise and experience of a professional to do so efficiently but once completed your house will be more structurally level and solid. The precise positioning of the stump is key to the procedure. In re stumping work, floor levels need to be reset, and the movement may cause warped door frames, cracked plaster, damaged tiles.
Timbers like Victorian Red Gum are commonly used in the re stumping process due to their high resistance against rotting making them ideal materials for use in re stumping. However, in recent years galvanized steel or concrete or a combination of both are often used as materials instead of wood which was traditionally favored.
When Does Your House Require Re stumping?
After a period of use, eventually, your house will start giving off signs of when it requires a re stumping of its timber posts. Noticing these signs early on will save you time and money in the long run.
- Slanting floors
- Difficulty opening or closing windows and/or doors
- Cracking tile floors
- Moisture in foundation
- If your floors are beginning to creak, it would be the result of an uneven floor or stumps settling
- If you find your floor spongy, this could be a sign of settled or rotting, which could cause the floors bearers to be separated from the stumps
- If you find cracks, it could be the result of sinking from one side of the house.
- Sticky doors and windows could be the result of an uneven floor due to their frames no longer inappropriate size with the floor levels.
How To Select A Re stumping Services
The procedure to re stumping is complex thus it is always a wiser choice to hire re stumping services for such an operation. When hiring re stumping services, it is always recommended to have at least three quotes, which details the materials used, the number of timber posts that are to be replaced and other details which can be crucial to the operation. Having a guarantee from your contractor that the house would be set back to level upon completion of the project. Ensure your service provider adheres to not all the required building regulations but also the safety standards followed in the state you reside. If the service provider you are hiring is completely unknown lookup work reviews from earlier completed jobs for a brief understanding on its quality of work and professionalism.
Hiring a good re stumping service not only will save you time but also money as good service providers often promise a guarantee to the quality of their work and you will not require to hire another one anytime soon.
