Restumping vs Underpinning vs Reblocking — Which Does Your Home Need?
The short answer
Restumping replaces the timber or concrete stumps under a home that sits on stumps. Underpinning extends or rebuilds the footings of a home on a strip footing or slab. Restumping fixes the supports; underpinning fixes the foundation itself. Reblocking is another word for restumping.
Restumping, underpinning and reblocking get used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. Getting the right one matters, because paying for the wrong fix solves nothing. Here is the difference in plain English.
What restumping is
Restumping replaces the stumps that hold up a timber-framed home. Most older Melbourne houses are not on a slab; they sit on rows of timber or concrete stumps under the floor. When those stumps rot, crack or sink, the floor drops. Restumping removes them and installs new ones, then re-levels the floor. It is the fix for homes on stumps. See restumping melbourne.
What underpinning is
Underpinning strengthens the footing of a home built on a continuous strip footing or a concrete slab. Instead of replacing stumps, it adds new support beneath the footing so it reaches firm ground. It is the fix for homes whose foundation itself has dropped. See underpinning melbourne.
Is reblocking the same as restumping?
Yes. Reblocking is simply the older word for restumping, from the days stumps were called blocks. If one quote says reblocking melbourne and another says restumping, they are the same job.
Which one does your home need?
It comes down to how your home is supported. On stumps, you need restumping or reblocking. On a strip footing or slab, you need underpinning. Some homes have both, and some need re-levelling rather than either. The only reliable way to know is an inspection under the floor, which we do free of charge.
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