House restumping is something that mainly has to be done to old houses that still use a wooden stump foundation. These stumps might have rot or become infested with termites. The foundation of the house itself might also have become unstable, which causes the need for restumping. More modern houses are instead underpinned with concrete, as restumping is a method only for this particular type of foundation, but there are ways to modernise also this procedure. The most important thing is to choose what material that should be used for the restumping itself.
Wood
As the already existing stumps most likely are made out of wood, this is a material that comes easy to mind. It's a good material to choose if your house is of historical significance or you are dead set on keeping the original feeling of your house from the inside and out. However, the material itself offers few advantages, as it isn't very durable when it comes to being exposed to moist environments. All the original problems that you might have with the stumps in your house are possible to resurface when using the same material once again. Especially if the restumping is caused by an outbreak of termites, you should be very careful with introducing new wooden structures under your house.
Concrete
Concrete is a common material for modern restumping. It's used for modern houses as well, but then in the form of underpinning. Concrete is reliable and durable as material for a foundation and won't be affected much by moisture if poured and treated properly. An issue with concrete when it comes to restumping is the risk of it cracking when the ground under the foundation moves. Cracks could allow for moisture to enter the structure and ruin the mesh holding the concrete up from the inside. If you expect for the soil under your house to undergo further changes, concrete is not advisable.
Steel
Steel might be the most expensive solution when it comes to materials used for restumping, but it's also the most flexible one. Steel stumps can be adjusted on site when the workers are performing the restumping, and it can also work with movements underneath the building better than wood and concrete, as it will take tremendous forces to get the steel to crack. If the steel is also properly galvanised, it won't be affected by moisture, and pests won't affect it at all. The only problem with steel stumps is that because of their rigidity, they might make the house unbalanced in the case of changes in the soil, which will lead to yet another restumping.
Share15 March 2016
The kitchen is the most used room in my home, and in the past, I found it could get messy and chaotic very quickly. Trying to cook dinner when you can't find an essential appliance or see past the clutter on the counter is no fun. I realised I enjoyed my time in the kitchen more and was more productive when my kitchen was organised and laid out in a way that optimised functionality. I changed my kitchen cleaning and organising routine, decluttered, got rid of appliances I don't use and moved things around to ensure frequently used items were easy to reach. I started this blog to share my tips for creating a kitchen that's enjoyable to use, and I post about ways you can optimise the space you have. I hope you find my posts useful.
