What to Know About Restumping a House

 

Restumping a structure involves replacing older stumps on the subfloor with newer ones due to several reasons. The main reasons include settling of the house as a result of soil movement and wooden stumps that are rotting due to termite damage or excessive moisture.

Homeowners often rely on this process as a great opportunity for raising their home. A key reason why most people raise their homes nowadays is staying safe from floods. A raised house stands better chances of being saved from floods.

In other cases, raising a property is seen as an effective measure of buffering against damage or destruction in areas prone to floods. But when should a property require restumping?

There are quite several signs that can tell you when it is time to restump. These signs include some cracks on interiors walls, bowed or uneven floors, doors and windows that won’t open or close properly, and cracks on the bricks.

It is good to note that some of these conditions might not be evident in a house and depends mainly on soil conditions on which it is built.

This process may be done partially or by replacing all the existing stumps that a property is sitting on. In some cases, the stumps might appear as if they are in a perfect condition but they might be having some defects that aren’t easily visible during the initial inspection. Hence, some circumstances might require you to raise the house anew.

 

timber stumps for a victorian house

 

Your ideal contractor will generally check the current state of timber stumps and dig into the soil to inspect the stumps beneath by scratching them. Timber stumps that require replacement tend to give easily once scratched.

Another key sign that timber stumps require replacement are water marks that have gone high along the stumps. This is an indication that moisture from beneath has been seeping into the wooden stump.

Once the current condition of the wood stumps has been assessed and the contractor has determined that the house should be raised, then the necessary permits will be obtained and the properly is elevated gradually using a heavy duty jack.

Your contractor will replace any damaged stumps, old stumps, and those that are marked as no longer fit to support the house.

The stumps that are still fit enough can be packed to assist in dealing with soil settling. When the moving process is taking place, everyone who is residing in the property undergoing restumping should shift to a temporary location for their own safety until the process has been completed successfully.

 

house requiring foundation repairs

 

Raising and restumping a home is a huge investment. Although it assists in improving the structural integrity, safety, and value of a house, if done improperly, there can be serious consequences.

Hence, it is crucial to choose a restumping contractor with vast knowledge in the field and has many years of experience in restumping. Make sure to clean your house after restumping or hire a cleaning service, as suggested by Green Ladies Cleaning.