For many years, I had no idea what a damage contractor even was. However, all that changed when a pan of hot oil caught fire in my kitchen and set fire to my house. Half of the property was completely destroyed by the fire but thankfully, my family made it out OK. Once the fire service had finished doing what they needed to do, I called in a team of damage contractors who helped to clean up the property and to demolish the parts which could not be saved. I have since rebuilt the house on the same plot of land.
While your contractor may not be in a flap about restumping your house, you may find it a stressful experience. Having problems with your foundations is never much fun. If you've never had a house restumped before, then you may not know how this will affect you and the contents of your home.
Will you need to move out while the work is done? Do you need to do anything with your home's furniture and contents?
Are You Having the Property Raised?
Sometimes, you need to have your house raised as well as restumped. The raising process usually leaves the property without stumps for a period of time. In this case, you need to move out as it isn't safe for you to stay in your home until it has been restumped.
However, if restumping is the only issue, then you generally don't need to move out while the work is done.
Does Your Contractor Need Indoor Access?
If you're lucky, your contractor can restump the house from the outside. They may not need any indoor access.
Sometimes, however, parts of the job need to be done from the top down if there isn't sufficient room outside. This may involve pulling up parts of your floors.
Again, this doesn't mean you have to move out. However, if you are going to lose a lot of floor for a significant period, then getting around your home may be difficult and not that safe. In this instance, it may be better to move out until this part of the job is completed.
Do You Need to Move Furniture?
If your contractor will restump from the outside, then you don't have to move any furniture. The work can make the house move at times, so you may want to pack up anything fragile. For example, if you keep china in a cabinet, you may want to pack it away to prevent wobbles and breaks.
If some work needs to be done from the inside of your home, then you may need to shift furniture out of affected areas for a while. You'll also have to remove carpets and rugs from areas where floorboards will be pulled up.
Every house restumping project is different. To find out exactly where you stand, talk to your restumping contractor about how the job will affect you and the contents of your house. You can then decide whether to stay at home for the job or move out.
Share29 November 2018
