The stumps of your home are one of the most important pieces of supporting architecture anywhere in your home. They hold up your floor and, in turn, ensure that you have a level, stable surface all throughout your ground floor. Unfortunately, because you can't see them, it can be hard to diagnose a problem with your stumps until there is quite literally a gaping hole in the floor. Stumps do get old and need to be replaced by a licensed restumping contractor, but knowing when that time has come can be tricky. Here are a few signs you should be looking for to get advanced warning of your stumps decaying.
Cracking Appearing In Walls
It is not until problems occur that you really understand just how important a level surface is to build your house on. When stumps start to give way or even move a tiny bit, the interior walls of your house can start to display cracks in the paint. If these cracks get bigger, it means the problem is getting worse, and you should think about moving out of your home while a restumping contractor fixes the angled slant your home may be on. As soon as a crack forms, call an expert. It will not get better on its own, and the only cure is a total restumping.
Floorboards Not Firmly Set
If you begin to notice that your floor seems to have a small separation between it and the supporting structure beneath, then that could be a very clear sign of a broken stump. If, when you put your weight on the suspected area, you feel a little bit of give or movement, then this means the flooring has shifted off of its supporting base. This will likely be only a precursor of problems to come if it is not dealt with immediately. It can also be a tripping hazard which could cause you severe injury if you are not careful.
Doors Do Not Lock
Doors are very precisely measured against the surrounding frame so that the locking mechanism slides through perfectly. Even a slight displacement of the floor and surrounding area will mean that a doors locking mechanism will be incorrectly aligned and probably not work at all. This is not just true of your front door, as it is not uncommon to feel as though your internal doors are much harder to close than they used to be. This is not just in your head; your doors are warning you about the problems going on underneath your feet. Don't let this advanced warning go to waste, call a restumping contractor as soon as possible.
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