# Forum Home Renovation Sub Flooring  Is our restumping a DIY job??

## bluemobi

We have a solid brick house with just a few rooms which are bouncy in the middle. Each room has the solid brick footings (I hope that's the right term) extending all the way around the room, so there is no cracking, movement or sinking to the walls or edges of the rooms - they simply bounce in the middle. 
We cut a hole in the floorboards enough to see that each room has a single joist with either one or two timber stumps. 
My husband wants to give the restumping a go himself - buy the concrete stumps, whack 'em in, attach them to the floor joists and pour some concrete. I am not sure whether this is as simple a job as it seems (since there are so many specialist restumpers in business). 
Given the problem is just the bounce in the centre of the rooms, I would appreciate your thoughts or opinions on whether this sounds like a DIY job, or should we be calling for quotes? Also, if it's a DIY job, is there anything we should know about? I thought we might need to jack up the floor level while the concrete sets, but hubby says no need? 
Thanks.

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## bugsy

maybe you could just chock them up with wood cut in a wedge shape?
It all depends what the condition of the stumps are like.
Or are you just going to put more stumps in?

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## Gooner

This is something I am also interested in as I have a similar issue. My concrete stumps are all in good order, but in my dining area there is some bounce in the floor. For some reason the distance between the bearers under the house is larger in this area causing the floor to bounce. Even the dog walking across the room makes the crystal cabinet shake a little.  
I was thinking of tiling this area in the future and was probably going to put in extra stumps myself. As I have good sub-floor access, I was planning on digging the holes and putting in the concrete stumps and then perhaps using wedges nailed into the bearers to support the load. I assume this is the only way to do it. How can you concrete in a stump and have it bear load before the concrete sets?

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## leeton

Gooner...you need to use stumps that have wire type hooks on the sides...hanging stumps...dig the hole, measure the length of stump needed, hang the stump on the bearer, ( a nail in each hook, pour in the concrete and let it dry...if you happen to jack the bearers, remove jacks when concrete set...simple.

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## leeton

Bluemobi...your husband is sort of right...but firstly the stumps hang from the bearer, not the joist...providing the floor is level and the bounce is due to insufficient stumps...yep you can add a couple of stumps...but I would check the condition of the exisitng stumps, and is there a gap between the stump and bearer...might be as simple as putting in some wedges...get under the house and have a good look first.

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## pawnhead

I'm with bugsy.
If the floor is bouncy, just chock it up somehow. 
Get hubby to climb under there with a torch and a camera, and post some pictures.
You'll get better advice that way.

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## bluemobi

Thanks for all your responses.  
My husband crawled under the floor again today and two hours later came out with two rotten stumps! Turns out the stumps were still happily attached to the bearers but had rotted at ground level, so they were just hanging in mid air. The sole-plates were still buried in the dirt below, so he has dug those out now. 
So the latest plan is to get two concrete stumps "re-stumpers" are apparently the way to go - with two loops at the top to attach to the bearers and sole-plate at the bottom, pour the concrete below then after it is set see if extra chocking is needed to raise the floor level any more. 
So I can't exactly post "before" photos any more, unless anyone is interested in seeing the half rotted stumps, but I could post "after" photos if anyone's interested.

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## Tools

> So the latest plan is to get two concrete stumps "re-stumpers" are apparently the way to go - with two loops at the top to attach to the bearers and sole-plate at the bottom, pour the concrete below then after it is set see if extra chocking is needed to raise the floor level any more.

  Concrete stumps don't have a sole plate,just the concrete you set them in.  
Tools

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## BRADFORD

Make sure you have got your floor level before fitting the stumps, then  ater the concrete is set remove the jack or whatever you you have used to hold it level. No need for extra chocking. 
I have done this many times, it is easy to do and works a treat 
Regards Bradford

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