Discerning if Your House Needs Raising

Although your foundation is integral for the stability of your entire house, not many people think of this structure and its condition. As a result, minor issues that could have been repaired early end up festering and, consequently, this increases the risk of having to overhaul the entire structure down the road. If your foundation sits on wooden stumps, you must be keen about the condition of these stumps, as they tend to succumb to wear over time.

From unfavourable soil conditions to exposure to moisture, identifying the signs of stump damage is crucial so that you can seek restumping services in good time and, in turn, restore the stability of your property. To ensure that you do not end up with a catastrophe on your hands, here is how you can discern if your house is in dire need of raising.

1. Excessive moisture at the exterior of the house

Although the timber stumps supporting your foundation are supposed to be strong and resistance to premature damage, there is only so much resistance that the stumps can have against excessive moisture! Factors such as gradual soil shifting that exposes the stumps to inclement weather patterns that lead to water collecting around the base of the home will eventually cause these stumps to deteriorate. Take note, moist timber is not only vulnerable to decay, but it is also highly attractive to termites and other wood-boring insects!

Hence, you end up contending with decaying timber that is also riddled with structural damage from a termite infestation. The moment you notice water keeping pooling around your house, it is essential that you seek house raising services. The restoration contractors will not only eliminate the damaged wood stumps but they will replace them with the galvanised steel variety that is resistant to both decay and pest infestations.

2. Gradual tilting of your flooring

A leading indicator of underlying foundation damage is when the floors in your house start to tilt to one side. However, most people miss this symptom of the need for house raising services since they assume that it will be conspicuous but this is incorrect. The flooring in your house will start to slope gradually and imperceptibly to the naked eye and this can manifest in a couple of ways.

To begin with, the floors in your house could start to tilt in one direction and you can check this by placing a rolling pin or a tennis ball on the floor and watch its movement. If it rolls down in one direction, it means that particular side of the house has damaged stumps. Secondly, the unevenness could be localised, meaning some parts of the floor are flat and others have sagged. Leaving these issues unchecked will lead to other structural problems such as cracks in the foundation, walls and so on.

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