# Forum Home Renovation Sub Flooring  Soleplate for timber stumps - what to use?

## Triodz

I will be building a small 20m2 bunglaow that will be sitting on H4 treated pine stumps. I live in Victoria, Australia if that helps in any way. 
I have heard conflicting reports on whether to use concrete with timber stumps. My current understanding is that timber stumps should not be concreted around, but a concrete pad can be used.  
I have also heard the a concrete pad can cause the wood to rot from the bottom prematurely due to concrete retaining moisture. If this is the case, could I (or should I) use something between the timber stump and the concrete pad, like a galvanised metal plate or crushed gravel? 
Thanks for any help, all!

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## jimfish

In my opinion ( and I know many here disagree) concrete stumps are a much better option. Order them to length concrete pad in bot of hole, backfill with soil and you will never have to worry about rot.

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## Triodz

This was my first thought, but the cost is far higher and we've been turned off the idea due to the concrete stumps under the house getting concrete cancer. They are getting replaced with redgum soon. It's quite possible that they were installed incorrectly or were cheaply made or we were simply unlucky, but I am going with the timber option in any case.

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## Optimus

Concrete stumps are cheap as chips.. $8 per lineal meter..  
Don't do timber stumps mate, you will regret it in 10 years time when you need restumping.. 
If you're adamant on timber stumps, use redgum

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## r3nov8or

All the good redgum in VIC is gone. If you aren't paying heaps for it, you will be disappointed with it in the ground 
Use concrete, get them from a restumper who makes his own and has been around for a couple of decades

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## Triodz

Ok, so thanks for all the advice and concerns so far, I'll take them on board.  
Does anyone have any answers regarding the original question though? I can't find an answer to this anywhere and it would be interesting to see what would be done in this scenario.

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## OBBob

I agree concrete stumps are really cheap, not sure where you looked?  
As for sole plate, it would originally have been redgum but you just use 200mm of concrete now I'd think.

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## r3nov8or

You could place malthoid between the concrete sole plate and timber stump, but I doubt it'd help as it's all underground. Malthoid also between the top of the stumps and the bearers

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## SilentButDeadly

We used first grade red gum sleepers cut to 700 long for sole plates under our red gum stumps. It was specified by a local designer and went through no worries...the alternative was 600 wide by 800 deep holes filled with concrete and steel piers...way too much concrete...given the 72 stumps we had to put in. Red gum much cheaper. Check out our old WIP Thread... 
We get the stumps from the local shop who gets them from Arbuthnot's in Barham or Koondrook.  As for how long they last...my house was built in early 20th century and still has serviceable split timber stumps. Some of the more recent stumps date from early 1980s...and are nearly bullet proof.

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## Triodz

> You could place malthoid between the concrete sole plate and timber stump, but I doubt it'd help as it's all underground. Malthoid also between the top of the stumps and the bearers

  Thanks for this. I had never seen anything online to help with this situation. I will look further into concrete stumps, but it's good to have information regarding timber stumps.

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## Optimus

Redgum sole plates as pointed out above.. 
We use a product called "kordon" for between the stump and bearer, it is a termite barrier.

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