Your house may need some stump love for various reasons; if the walls have holes, rotten floor condition, sticky windows and doors, etc.
Most homes will eventually require restumping unless situated on a concrete slab. Timber stumps, upon which older homes were constructed initially, have a lifespan that varies widely, from 15 to 80 years.
Be sure the existing stumps can support the weight of the building before beginning any substantial modifications; if you have any doubts, restumping should be a part of the project. You’ll avoid future hassle and financial costs by doing this.
If your home may use some little TLC, it’s time to get the pros involved. The cost of restumping might vary depending on several factors. If you do it well, it will cost you little money over time.
Get the lowdown on how much it will set you back to restump your home.
What Is Restumping a House?
Restumping, also known as reblocking, is raising a home on jack stands, removing the old wooden stumps, and installing new ones. Restumping requires resetting the floor levels, which might damage the surrounding structure (such as door frames, plaster, tiles, etc.). Concrete replacement stumps are more common now than wooden ones and are expected to endure far longer.
Partial restumping is possible if only some portions of the house are settling. Nevertheless, if half of your stumps are decaying, healthy-looking ones will likely decline. It’s ideal for swapping all stumps at once. You can determine the optimum course of action with a restumping professional or building inspector.
You should replace your stump anywhere from every 15 to every 80 years, depending on the material they are made of. The foundations of most modern structures are built of concrete, with the remaining 10% typically using timber.
Why Do You Need You Restump Your House?
Building a house on a solid foundation is essential if you want it to last for generations. Restumping your home ensures that you and your loved ones will be safe inside, your floors will remain undamaged, and your home will not lean to one side or another.
An additional advantage of restumping is the increased energy efficiency and resale value of your home due to the improved insulation.
Continue reading this post for insight into the current Australian real estate market trend.
Problems Associated with Re-Stumping
It is a complex task to restump a house. A new set of stumps will have to be installed in place of the existing ones. Several difficulties arise from this:
High Cost
Re-stumping can be expensive, especially if there is a lot of damage and the whole house has to be raised to replace the stumps. The cost can change depending on the construction size, the number of stumps that need to be replaced, the materials used, and where the house is. This can make it hard for homeowners to pay for the necessary repairs and may force them to seek financing or other help.
Disruption
The re-stumping process can be troublesome, especially if the home needs to be lifted. This can mean moving furniture and other things out of the house, which may make the place unlivable for a while. The process can also be loud and dusty, annoying for homeowners and their neighbours. Depending on how much work needs to be done, the disruption could go on for weeks or months.
Structural Damage
Unprofessional re-stumping techniques can damage the strength of the home’s framework. This can make the building even less stable and unsafe and require more repairs. For example, if the house isn’t raised evenly or the new stumps aren’t lined up right, it can cause the home to shift or twist, damaging the walls, floors, and roof.
Delays
Re-stumping can take a long time, especially if it takes a long time to get the necessary permits or materials. This can make the homeowner’s life harder for longer and may cost them more money. For example, if the contractor has to wait for a particular order of materials, the project could start later or take longer to finish.
Incomplete Repairs
In some cases, the re-stumping process may only partially fix the problems with the building’s foundation, causing more problems, and you may need to fix them again. For instance, if the soil under the house is unstable or there are drainage problems, they may need to be set separately from the re-stumping process.
Difficulty selling
Houses that have been re-stumped may have a more challenging time selling since potential purchasers may have safety concerns about the structure. This may extend the selling time and reduce the final sale price. Requiring homeowners to reveal that their home has been re-stumped may hinder their chances of selling the property fast or for a high price.
The Costs Involved in Restumping a House
It is estimated that the average cost of restumping an Australian home is between $12,000 and $20,000. The price of restumping might range from $10,000 to $30,000.
Inspection
You should inspect the state of your blocks, even though specialists do not recommend it. Remove dirt from around a handful of them. After the stump has been uncovered, touch it. See dampness or deterioration. Assume the remainder of the stumps are in the same state or will be soon.
In any case, you should seek the assistance of a trained expert. They’ve been doing it longer and notice details you might have overlooked.
Soil Condition
These days, soil samples are obtained and examined before construction on a property begins. However, this may not be true if you built your home before the 1950s.
Before quoting a price for restumping, experts will collect a soil sample to analyse the condition of the soil. The soil’s composition will determine the depth at which the stumps are set.
Jacking up the House
Workers will need to raise your house to access the stumps, which will drive up the price immediately if your home is on the low side. Additional labour, digging, and excavation will be needed to jack the house up and move it away from the blocks.
Stumps That Need Replacing
you might replace the stump in whole or in part. The average restumping cost is between $500 and $800 per stump, with a minimum of $400 required if no special conditions exist.
- Partial restump: This is done when a few stumps appear to have rotted. It would be more economical to replace only a few rather than all at once, but remember that if even a tiny number of stumps fail, the others will soon follow.
- Full restumping: Restumping is a necessary maintenance procedure for any ancient house, but it is essential for structures supported by wooden stumps that have deteriorated over time. According to the experts, half of the stumps being worn out means you need a complex.
Type of Stumps
There are primarily three types of stumps used in Australia:
- Rock or concrete block stumps, utilised in 90% of all properties, are the most expensive option but also the most durable.
- Wood stumps (traditional, low-cost option) are the cheapest option but must be replaced frequently.
- Properties constructed on waste areas often have plastic sheet pile stumps.
Existing Foundations
There could be significant cost savings if the current foundations can be reused. If you need more time, you should be ready to pay more to prevent problems. The results of the soil test will provide crucial information to construction experts.
Existing Stump Holes
you can put some of the space vacated by the removed stumps to good use. This leads to less money being spent and a shorter time needed for restumping. The operation will take longer and cost more money if the new stumps require the stump removal business to dig out additional holes.
Duration of Work
Some homes only need one set of new foundation posts. Yet, teams typically need to break up their work into portions, increasing the overall time and cost of the project. How long it takes and how you reblock depends on the size of your lot and the elevation of your home above ground level.
Smaller homes take one to three days, larger ones approximately ten; but, if there are issues, it can take up to two weeks.
Structural Amendments
Repairing any interior or exterior damage after restumping is completed is essential. The door frames and walls might be damaged, as can the grout between tiles. This sort of thing can drive up the total price of the restumping.
The business will forewarn you of the difficulties and dangers of restumping the property, yet you ought to still undertake it if you want to keep the house for a long time. Owning a property with homeowners insurance is a huge relief.
Extra Costs
- In addition to expenditures, licenses for restumping have a significant influence. Obtaining the necessary permits will guarantee your project’s safe and well-supervised completion. The local government will issue the required support.
- Homeowner’s insurance is a good idea if something happens to your house during the renovation.
- Ant caps and stump packers will extend the life of the stumps, and the cost for each of these accessories is between one dollar and three dollars.
How Much Does It Cost to Restump a House?
Restumping, you can pay for your home in a few ways:
- The facility could be valuable if you pay cash for the restumping, an offsetting mortgage account, or a redraw. You’ll have to contact your bank to get your money back out of the account, but you can get into your mortgage account whenever you like.
- Another excellent option if you want to improve your house is to refinance your mortgage. You should inquire about cash-out refinancing options and determine if your bank provides them. The money is deposited directly into your account and is yours to spend as you see fit.
- Home equity lines of credit are another option; similar to a credit card, they allow you to borrow and reborrow funds against the equity in your home for various investments.
- Last, you may always apply for a new loan, which is okay for minor to medium-sized improvements like restumping if nothing else works out. On the other hand, personal loans have a few drawbacks: they are unsecured, the interest rates are often higher, and they might impact your credit rating.
Restumping firms are abundant; it is recommended that you shop around for the best price. Select the option that serves your needs the best.
How Do I Know if My House Needs Restumping?
Unless your home or business is built on concrete slabs, you should expect to replace your stumps every 15 to 80 years. There will be telltale indicators that indicate the time has come:
- Walls within your home are cracking;
- visible fissures in your home’s exterior walls;
- Defective flooring;
- The water around the house’s base.
What Does It Mean to “Underpin” a Building?
You can underpin the foundations of your home to make them more stable. The process involves removing the soil beneath the structure and replacing the weaker support beams with new, stronger ones. The foundations are stabilized, and future damage is prevented as a result.
Underpinning is a method of extending the life of a building by strengthening the blocks rather than replacing them. Concrete flooring is required for underpinning to be successful.
Bottom Line
To restump a house is to put a lot of money into making the home safe and secure for the long term. The total cost of restumping a home depends on several factors, such as the size of the house, the type of foundation it already has, how easy it is to get to the site, and the building materials used.
A professional contractor should be called in to give an accurate estimate and ensure the job is done correctly. Restumping is a good investment that can save homeowners money in the long run by preventing further damage to their home’s structure, increasing its value, and giving them peace of mind.
FAQs:
1. Is it challenging to Restump a house?
Restumping a home presents its own unique set of obstacles and should only be attempted by skilled experts. The method entails ripping out the old stumps and replacing them with new ones. Physically demanding and requiring specialized knowledge and equipment.
2. What is the average price to restump a house in Victoria, Australia?
The average cost to replace a stump is $600 to $900. Brick veneer homes can cost up to $10,000 for a full restump, while dwellings with weatherboarding start at $13,000 and require more labor.
3. What happens when a house is Restumped?
When your home is restumped, the original building blocks are removed, and new ones are placed. To gain access to the stumps, it is necessary to either jack up the house or remove the flooring. The next step is to remove the old stumps and dig new ones if needed. The final step is putting in new stumps and returning the home to its former level.