Hi everyone,
I'm new here. We're planning on completing a extension at the start of next year. However in the meantime we're getting our floorboards repolished and front door replaced. The house is a very old weatherboard home on concrete stumps. In reasonable shape given the age. Walking around inside, I can feel that some parts of the floor seems lower. I can't find any apparent cracks, but then again we've only been in the home for less than a year. Maybe they've been patched up and we can't see them. I know the previous owner was quite a handyman. None of the doors and frames are stuck or seem too off... The floorboards do creak and parts of it you can tell is coming off parts of the joist that it was nailed on but not sure if this was a bad job with the floorboards to begin with or if even has anything to do with the house level.
My question is, given the works that a W to be carried out now and the extension that is bound to happen next year, should I:
- have the house levelled now, before the works on floor and door are carried out
- given there's no cracks, not significant enough to level?
- wait till I begin extension and go ahead and install front door and repolish floorboards
My concerns are that I've heard mixed reviews about when you should or should not level a house, particularly if the current floor difference isn't significant enough and levelling now may cause cracks and instability in the house as it may have been sitting this way for many years...
Also the levellers are charging approximately $1.5k-$2.2k to do the work which is a fair bit of money to spend.
Would appreciate any help!
Should I level the foundation of my house?
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Why not have the levels taken and stumps examined by an oppropiately qualified industry professional (NOT by someone with a vested commercial interest) so that you know the basics?
Why not have the levels taken and stumps examined by an oppropiately qualified industry professional (NOT by someone with a vested commercial interest) so that you know the basics?
Hi SaveH2O,
Thanks for your reply. Who should I contact for that?
Tee
You have concrete stumps which is good and some may possibly benefit from some minor packing but taking the levels is the first step. A structural engineer is the obvious choice and I feel that getting a qualified unbiased report would put your mind at ease. Are there some other things you might need him to look at as well?
You have concrete stumps which is good and some may possibly benefit from some minor packing but taking the levels is the first step. A structural engineer is the obvious choice and I feel that getting a qualified unbiased report would put your mind at ease. Are there some other things you might need him to look at as well?
Thanks again for your swift reply. As we are planning an extension, we have budgeted for an engineer to sign off the paperwork relating to extension and I guess I can contact them to assess this particular issue for an additional fee. How much should I expect for it to cost?
You need to ask the engineer but if he will already be onsite, it sounds like a good move.
You need to ask the engineer but if he will already be onsite, it sounds like a good move.
Thank you! Will chat to a few engineers and get a quote.
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