Foundation Problems in Melbourne — Advice, Answers & What to Do Next
A crack in the wall, a floor that has started to slope, a door that suddenly will not close: foundation problems are unsettling, and the advice online is often either scaremongering or a sales pitch. This is the plain-English alternative. Everything here is written to help you understand what is actually happening under your Melbourne home, and to work out whether you need to act.
Most foundation trouble in Melbourne comes back to one thing: the ground moves. Our reactive clay soils swell in the wet and shrink in the dry, and that seasonal movement lifts and drops the footings and stumps that hold up our homes. The guides below explain the warning signs, the difference between the common fixes, what each one costs, and when a crack is nothing to worry about at all. When you are ready, every guide links you to the right fix and to a free on-site inspection.
What Is Underpinning?
Underpinning is the process of strengthening and extending a building’s foundation so it reaches firm, stable ground.
Read guideSigns You Need Underpinning
The main signs you need underpinning are stair-step cracks in brickwork wider at the top, doors and windows that suddenly stick, floors that slope toward one corner, gaps at cornices or skirtings, and external cracks wider than 5mm that keep growing.
Read guideRestumping vs Underpinning
Restumping replaces the timber or concrete stumps under a home that sits on stumps.
Read guideIs Restumping Covered by Insurance?
Usually not.
Read guideReactive Clay Soil in Melbourne
Reactive clay soil swells when it absorbs water and shrinks when it dries.
Read guideCracked Walls: Causes
Worry about wall cracks that are wider than 5mm, run diagonally or in stair-steps through brickwork, are wider at the top, keep growing, or come with sticking doors and sloping floors.
Read guideWhat Is Concrete Cancer?
Concrete cancer is the corrosion of steel reinforcement inside concrete.
Read guideSticking Doors & Windows
Doors and windows that suddenly stick are often a sign of foundation movement.
Read guideLiving in a House During Restumping
Yes, in most cases you can live in your house during restumping.
Read guideReady for the fix?
Not sure what your home needs? Find out for free.
Book a free on-site inspection and get an honest, fixed written quote. We will even tell you if you do not need the work yet.