Restumping in Brisbane

What restumping in Brisbane actually involves

A stump that has leaned or sunk can be a symptom, with the cause in the ground or the water around it. CSIRO lists erosion, saturation, tree roots and leaking pipes, and notes that a floor on isolated piers behaves differently from one on continuous footings: where a pier falls away, the wall it carries may have to span twice the distance. It also says the visible symptoms do not simply reflect the original cause.

Why packing the gap is risky

When a floor bounces, the tempting fix is to pack the gap between a bearer and its stump. CSIRO warns that when the soil next swells, the extra blocking pushes the floor up into a dome and can cause local shear failure in the ground. If blocking is unavoidable, it says to use a pair of fine wedges and to check them fortnightly. It adds that remediation of footings and foundations is generally the realm of a specialist consultant.

If tree roots are behind a leaning stump, the tree is a Brisbane decision as well as a structural one. QBCC warns that cutting down a well-established tree next to a home could create a subsidence problem, and Brisbane City Council's guideline notes that interfering with protected vegetation can be assessed under the Natural Asset Local Law 2003. Settle both questions before a tree comes down.

Restumping in Brisbane — common questions

Is restumping licensed work in Queensland?

Above A$3,300, yes. QBCC requires a licence for building work valued over that amount, materials included, but it has no class called restumping, so ask a provider which licence they hold and what it covers.

How do I know whether it is the stumps or the ground?

You can't tell from the floor alone. CSIRO says the forces involved often complicate diagnosis because the symptoms do not simply reflect the cause, and it names doors binding as a common symptom. A specialist inspection is how a leaning stump is separated from whatever is making it lean.

What happens if it is left?

CSIRO says cracking from erosion or local shear usually keeps developing until the original cause is remedied. It also says cracks in walls and floors should always be monitored seriously, whether or not they look worse from one week to the next.