If you are planning to get your house renovated are strengthening the foundation, there are two concepts that you must be aware of, Restumping and Underpinning. While many people often consider the two to be synonymous, they have a completely different methodology. Let’s see what the two actually mean.
- Restumping: It is the process of replacing the old stumps under the house will new stumps. Stumps support the weight of the house and and help in balancing the load of the structure. . However, with time these stumps start to lose their strength to several factors, hence the need for restumping arises.
- Underpinning:Underpinning doesn’t revolve around the concept of replacing the stumps. Rather the focus is on stabilizing and strengthening them by extra support. Underpinning is done in house with a concrete slab at the bottom. Underpinning is focused more on stabilizing the soil under the house to enhance the stability of the structure.
A house may not require both restumping and underpinning and you must get expert advice regarding which one to go for. An experienced house restumping and underpinning contractor can help you in this regard.
Now that you know the difference between the two, it’s time you know the factors to consider before hiring a house restumping and underpinning contractor.
- Experience
The experience of a contractor plays a major role in the effective and timely completion of the project. An experienced contractor understands the intricacies of the process and will be able to tackle any minor to major problems. It may arise during the course of the aging of the house. Also, the contractor will have the right connections, which will make it easier to procure the materials, get the necessary documents and approvals for the job.
- Cost
The cost is another important factor that you must consider when hiring a house restumping and underpinning contractor. It’s important to state here that you must not go with the lowest bidder without taking the other factors into consideration as well. It’s often seen that the contractor offering cheap services neither has the right accreditations, machinery or team. To find the best contractor that offers value for money service, get in touch with a few and ask them for a detailed quotation. Then choose one of them after taking into consideration the other factors as well.
- Material and Machinery
Before hiring a contractor, consult about what kind of machines and materials do they use for the job. Also, verify beforehand if they are comfortable working with the materials you want for the job and have a fair experience with it. For instance, you want to go with concrete stumps when restumping. If the contractor does not have experience with concrete stumps, it’s likely to affect the quality of the work.
Also, the machines and instruments used for the job play an instrumental role in the successful completion of the project. If the machines are outdated and in a bad condition, they might often malfunction. Affecting both the quality and delaying the completion of the project.
- Insurance
Always check if the house restumping and underpinning contractor has insurance cover. If the contractor does not have insurance cover, you will be liable to pay for the medical fees and other charges in case an accident takes place during the job. Thus, it’s recommended that you hire a contractor with insurance.
After reading the article, you are aware of both the concept of restumping and underpinning and the various factors to consider before you go ahead and hire a house restumping and underpinning contractor. Get in touch with the best contractor in town and get the job completed at the earliest. You should never delay tasks pertaining to the structural stability of the house and its foundation as it can lead to major accidents and even collapse.
