Removing Stumps

[-mick-]

Hi all how good is this forum hugely informative
I've got a question that is sort of wood related but I figures I'd chuck it up here anyway because I'm sure lots of you more experienced guys have done it before. I'm a first home owner of only 6 months so my diy experience is limited like the vocal range of a footy player

My place is a 2 story 30 yr old timber fibro place which is only built out on the top floor. Underneath is 15 or so concrete stumps that make it hard to swing even a little cat in there The previous owner was kind enough to lay a nice big slab for me and I'd like to open it up and make it useable by removing most of the posts. So its a pretty simple matter of installing I beams or something similar but I'm wondering how much I might expect to pay for this?

Seems simple enough to me. Height to the bottom of the bearers is 2.1m so there's plenty of working room. Just a matter of supporting the house, knocking out the posts and installing beams right I'm just north of Brisbane if that changes prices and keen to know what I can expect and what others have paid.

Cheers all

[joe greiner]

Cost will depend on the size of the beams, how many, etc. You'd best engage an engineer to establish those first.

Joe

[SilentButDeadly]

Yep you'll need a structural engineer to do the design and prepare plans for council because altering the foundations will require council building permits as a minimum. As for the install, only you can judge your competency but you may need to get an OB permit as well if you intend to do it yourself.

Either way I'd bargain on a few grand.

[-mick-]

Quoted $125/m for 180mm I beam (spans about 5m without support), $150/m for 230 I beam (spans about 7m without support). Removal of any concrete stump completely is $50 after beam replaces it (knock down and grind off). Replacement of any concrete stump with a 75mm supagal post $330.

So for 5k I'll be able to turn my stump closet into a 70sq open room Using budget restumpers in Brisbane, really helpful.

Another question though. I can't legally enclose it with proper walls because that's considered building a new dwelling I believe and then I'd have to rip out the slab, redo plumbing and wiring because they're not up to the code for new houses. May well do that + a raise in the future but for now I just need to close it in so its reasonably weatherproof.

I was thinking just timber battens between the outside concrete stumps with some fibro sheeting or colorband behind them. Taking some care to fit this well I should be able to basically weatherproof the space (not completely but no rain or wind should blow in bar a cyclone) . It would still not be 'built in' by any sense, just make the space relatively comfortable and useable. Anybody have other clever ways of closing it in without building proper walls......

[Wood Butcher]

I think you can build in solid walls underneath but you won't be able to use it as a dwelling space. On the building application you will have to call it "storage space" or similar. You need at least 2100mm (I think) for it to be allowed as dwelling.

[null & void]

Quoted $125/m for 180mm I beam (spans about 5m without support), $150/m for 230 I beam (spans about 7m without support). Removal of any concrete stump completely is $50 after beam replaces it (knock down and grind off). Replacement of any concrete stump with a 75mm supagal post $330.

Just a thought for you.

Removal of existing stumps and replacing with steel beams is going to place more weight on the remaining stumps. It may not be a problem depending upon how they were constructed but if their footings are crap you may have problems like subsidence.

I'm getting my place raised and most of the posts removed and the engineer has a number of big ass 600mm diameter footings where there will be a substantial amount of load on the posts in the middle of the house. I know my existing concrete stumps are already in a bad state with cracks etc and placing more wight on them may cause them to fail. One has a crack so large you can see the star picket inside the post they used for rio.

[-mick-]

null and void thanks but that's not a real problem. Its a timber and tin construction which is prett light and the exisitng stumps are pristine. Appreciate the thought though

Wood butcher sounds like you're spot on. I rang the local certifiers Friday arvo and even though I couldn't get an actual certifier a real helpful bloke told me the same as you. I don't want "living space", just entertaining room I'll double check with an actual certifier of course but it all sounds good for building proper walls. Just need to add a termite barrier when I rip out the capped stumps

[julianx]

I'd be heeding nullandvoids advice if I was you, 70 square metres of space is a lot of stumps. thats going to put a lot of extra weight on the remaining stumps. I think you may need to increase the size of the footings on the remaining stumps even if the stumps themselves are in good condition.
I've worked on a few places where this has happened.
It may not be the case with your place but it would be worth getting an engineer to check it out just for piece of mind.