Not much worse, right? You hear that there’s a storm on the horizon and you simply never know how bad it’s going to be. The Restumping Melbourne team obviously thinks about the safety and comfort of our customers first. It’s why our business was literally created on reinforcing the foundation of your homes. It might sound a little selfish, but if we contribute to that, then we immediately have a stake in the game, making sure that you’re taking care of the rest of your home. Customer service is a big part of it. If we could call each of our customers whenever there’s a storm – believe us, we would. But since we can’t, we share what we can right here on our blog. So, what do you do when there’s an impending storm? Let us tell you:

The first thing that’s going to come down around your property is any sort of trees and associated debris. If there are any examples around the property, especially close to your home, make sure that they’re cleared and removed.

Now, you have to look at fences and gates. It doesn’t matter what style or material, these are a small component of your home’s design and should a storm be fierce, it’s very possible that they’ll be crippled. There’s not a ton you can do, besides making sure that gates are closed and that there are no loose posts.

If you know it’s going to be a windy storm, you’re going to want to do some work inside as well. Heavy furniture should be alright, but if you have any qualms, the Restumping Melbourne team recommends that you secure all things. If you have expensive artwork on the walls, especially in precarious places, take it down, so that it doesn’t fall and smash.

Gutters are the bane of many of our existences, it doesn’t matter if there’s a storm or not. At least with storms, you hopefully know they’re coming. To that point, it’s a great excuse to clean out your gutters, no matter how much of an annoying job it may be. Carve out an hour or two, make sure that you have a sturdy ladder, and check that there isn’t a build-up that could prove problematic to the frame of your home.

Have the basics ready to roll. We’re talking food, batteries, all of the usual suspects. Insider tip – make sure that you don’t use them just because you’re running low on a random Sunday. Put everything in a box that would last you at least 72 hours, label however you please and then don’t allow yourself to touch it. It’s an emergency box for a reason.

There are dozens of other pieces of advice that we can give, especially as we head into a season where storms are a lot more likely. You know what’s great? Even if the power is off, we’re always on. Reach out with questions and comments whenever you’d like.

Snow can be polarizing, pun intended. It is quite literally found at the world’s two poles (North and South), but it can also isolate groups, based on their perception of it. It was probably all fun and games when you were younger. You couldn’t wait for school to be cancelled, to run and play in it, to start snowball fights and then hurry home for a warm snack or beverage. Conversely, your parents or grandparents may have made the historic comment, “I walked uphill in the snow to school, both ways.” Thanks to technology, keeping roads clear, ensuring that provisions are available to you, and keeping lights and heat on where possible is now the norm. That wasn’t always the case and as with anything we discuss on the Restumping Melbourne blog, the team is grateful for evolution.

Snow is a topic that hits home for the Restumping Melbourne team because it can easily – and greatly – impact the structure of your home. Some changes are noticed right away, and some damage is only noticeable over time. Let’s dive in.

While we pride ourselves on our expertise related to your homes’ foundations, the first place that snow or inclement weather will hit is your roof. If you know that your area or neighbourhood is one that will see heavy snow this season, make sure that you’re prepared. Both snow and ice can weaken or even make your roof collapse if you don’t keep an eye on it. That’s stressful because you don’t know exactly how much snow is too much snow, so our cheat number is 20 pounds per square foot. Note that packed snow weighs much more than fresh snow, giving you extra incentive to clean your roof and gutters in a timely manner.

Snow left untended around the base of your home can cause moisture to seep into crawl spaces, basements and even more frequently used social areas. Visitors and incoming traffic with bring snow and water into the home, potentially damaging the floors and causing them to warp. Moisture is one of the worst enemies of your home’s foundation because water causes soil to expand and contract. When the soil expands and contracts, the structure of the home, and especially the posts holding up the structure can buckle.

Finally, we need to touch on the interior of the home and its most important asset – the inhabitants. If you have younger family members or friends around, snow days can amplify accidents that are easy to avoid, so you’ll want to keep an eye on them. You’ll also want to be careful cooking or using anything powered by wood or fire. Remember the tips for cleaning the roof? These translate here as well. If you’re looking forward to a cosy fire, but haven’t swept the roof or cleaned the chimney, you’re looking at a much bigger fire than you bargained for.

Questions? Let us know! And stay safe out there.

We forget the epic impacts that every element of weather can have on your home. After all, once you sign your name on the dotted line, you probably think that most of the work of being a new homeowner is over and done with. The Restumping Melbourne team wishes that that was the case, but unfortunately it’s not. And while the weather may be getting warmer, this news is evergreen.

The purpose of the Restumping Melbourne blog will always and forever be to be your advocate in everything that’s going on in the home renovation industry. That means landscaping, that means the inside of your home, and that means everything in-between. As we transition seasons, that’s exactly what we’re focusing on. Namely, in 2019, how does rainwater effect your home’s foundation?

It seems like a minor disturbance, especially when you’re outside. Most likely, you’re simply excited to arrive home and shake off the weather. But what we forget, is that that damage follows us home, and here’s how:

First off, a simple check on assumptions: just because you see minor damage, like cracks in your walls, floors or ceilings, doesn’t mean that you necessarily have a problem on your hands. The key number is here is less than one-eighth of an inch. Those are super common in foundations that have been created with poured concrete, so don’t let them get into your head.

That being said, you always want to be ahead of the game – right? So, despite knowing that cracks that small may not be a problem, they could easily be the catalyst for problems in the future. It never hurts to be vigilant. Cracks can lead straight to leakages, simply because groundwater WILL find a way into your house, however it sees fit – and this can include minor foundation cracks.

That was minor rain damage, but as many of us know, you can’t avoid heavy rain damage… depending on where you live. When you see a ton of rain damage, it can quickly lead to your foundation either settling or sinking. That’s just a domino effect of a problem, spreading throughout the house. Want to know how? Heavy rains lead to soil moving lead to the foundation spreading. Equally, when a drought follows, then you see the soil shrink, which means holes and chasms that the foundation can very easily sink into.

Never fret, as always, the Restumping Melbourne team will always have the signs that you should look for. Here are the highlights:

• Any leaning chimneys
• Cracks that you find in and around doors and windows
• Cracks in drywall or concrete floor
• Doors and windows that jam and stick
• All of the major cracks in the areas that we’ve discussed

Looking for bonus points? You’ll find them when you notice that the soil has moved and caused the foundation to swell all the way up until the point that it provides THAT much pressure on the foundation.

Like we said? Stick with us and you’ll be in good shape. Reach out to the Restumping Melbourne team with any questions.

Some of us love the cold, no doubt about it. And some of us truly hate it. It’s why you head south of the equator. You know that birds fly south, why wouldn’t you? (They’re way smarter than we give them credit for!) While, whether or not you think that the cold is the way to go, you also have to think about the ways that it impacts your home. Every season does. When the heat tends to penetrate, that means that circulation declines immediately. When the temperatures begin to cool, it’s time or you to re-evaluate the insulation that you choose to invest in when you designed and constructed your home.

You know what investment you won’t regret year-round? Any to do with taking care of your home. It should be comfortable, it should be safe, it should be aesthetically pleasing, and it should put a smile on your face. You should never have to feel uneasy about the price of the timeline that it will take. You should never feel like you don’t have the information that you need to make the decision that makes the most sense for your family and loved one. And this, our friends, is where we made the decision to start the best blog around as far as ensuring that your home is comfortable and safe. If we’re continually pushing ourselves, that means that we only continue to offer more and better services and products for you – our customers. That means that we always have your back, and in this week’s installment in the Restumping Melbourne blog, our goal to set you up for success as the temperatures get lower and lower. Read on for more information:

The biggest theme is preparation and it covers a ton of different tips. The first may seem totally obvious, but… “stay warm” This could be the first thing that comes to mind easily, for your body, but not necessarily for your home. While a lot of maintenance doesn’t need that much of a heads up, anything at this level, related to your home, does. We’re talking like eight months ahead. Insulation should be one of your favourite words about eight months prior to when you know that the area where you live may be hit pretty hard by Mother Nature. Properly insulating your home doesn’t just help you physically, it takes care of the longevity of your home! Want a magic number? Look for 18 degrees, Celsius. If this isn’t the case, you could be looking at frozen pipes pretty quickly!

Double-check your chimneys! (Say that ten times fast). Even when it’s cold outside, there are actually higher likelihoods that home fires will start. Not to fear, when you listen to the advice of Restumping Melbourne, you’re good to go. Inspect your chimney once a year, towards the beginning of colder months and put screens over your fireplaces.

Our last tip of this post requires a slight comfort with heights. Yes, we’re talking about your gutters. They’re one of the least loved and most mis-remembered parts of your home, but we share this as a cautionary tale. Just as easily as your pipes can freeze over, so can your gutters to the actual structure of your home. Your roof is definitely one area of your home that you don’t want sleek and icy during cold and wet months!

Need more advice? Keep checking back in to the Restumping Melbourne blog!