couple buying a house

Buying a House? Choose a Reliable House-Raising/Restumping

You’re thinking of buying a house, at a temptingly cheap price, but it needs a major renovation. Or maybe you’re starting a business of buying houses for restoration and reselling after you’ve improved them. Either way, you will need some assistance such as house raising or lifting, and restumping or re-blocking services that Black & White House Raising can provide.

Before you do any restoration to the house, it’s best to consult with your agent first. Ask details about the house regarding its age and what materials were used, amongst others. This way, you can have a better idea of the house’s condition, before shelling out more money.

House Raising Defined

Efficient house raising  is a service done by construction experts. It literally denotes lifting the entire house, but of course, these contractors specialise in foundation repairs, demolition and they provide solutions to address water damage.

The three most popular reasons for having a home lifted are:

  • Preventing water damage;
  • Fixing a foundation, especially those already destroyed by water causing rotten timber foundations; and
  • Building an additional floor.

What is Restumping or Reblocking?

Restumping or re-blocking means resetting or replacing stumps or foundations that have already rotted or settled due to soil movement. When portions of the house’s flooring don’t seem to be on the same level or emit a creaking sound when stepped upon, especially on wooden floors, typically this means that restumping is necessary .

The common signs that a house needs restumping are:

  • Continually cracking interior walls;
  • ‘Soft’ or uneven floors;
  • Exterior cracking on brickwork; and
  • Doors and windows not functioning properly.

When replacing stumps, it’s usually more advisable to use concrete or hot dip galvanised steel ones, but they can be a bit expensive, although the lifespan will be almost indefinite and require low maintenance. Timber stumps are 10% cheaper than concrete, but they can only last for at most 20 years.

Not all stumps have to be replaced since the percentage of rotting may differ, depending on the amount of water damage or exposure. But if almost all your stumps have to be replaced, then it may be time to consider house lifting/raising, especially if you’re short on garage or basement space.

House-Raising and Restumping Linked

House lifting or raising and restumping are linked to each other because they’re both necessary to improve your home investment. Restumping cannot be done properly without raising the house, and a house won’t be stable enough to live in without good stumping underneath it. Once you have this settled, and hire the services of contractors like Black & White House Raising, you won’t have trouble renovating the property and eventually reselling the investment you made.