Timber stumps out.
Concrete stumps in.
Replace old weatherboard-era timber stumps with modern concrete stumps. The right fix for any house still sitting on its original timber. Computer-levelled, fully permitted, and backed by a 15-year written guarantee.
The fix every
old weatherboard needs.
Most of inner-west Melbourne is built on timber stumps from the 1900s, 1920s, 1940s. Hardwood was cheap, plentiful, and the standard at the time. It also rots. Termites find it. Damp under the house finishes it off. By the time the floor starts to drop, the timber has usually been failing for years.
Conversion replaces every timber stump with a concrete one. Steel-capped, cast to size, installed into a fresh concrete footing pad in the ground. Same process as a full reblock, because that is what it is. The difference is the framing: this is the right call when the existing stumps are timber, not just tired concrete.
Six reasons to stop putting it off.
Once timber stumps go, they go quickly. The cost of doing the conversion early is always less than fixing the floor and the plaster after the stumps fail.
Crawl under and tap a stump with a hammer. If it sounds hollow or feels soft, the timber has gone.
Mud trails up the stumps, a previous treatment, or a pest report flagging activity. Concrete removes the food source.
Before you spend on a new kitchen, polished floors or an extension, fix what they sit on. Cheaper now than later.
Building inspections call timber stumps every time. Converting before sale removes the buyer's bargaining chip.
Persistent moisture under the house rots timber stumps fastest. Concrete does not care about damp.
If the original timber stumps are still in, you are on borrowed time. Past 80 years they are well past their life.
Out with the timber. In with the concrete.
Same process across every weatherboard we convert. Most homes are done in one to two weeks on site.
Free on-site inspection
We crawl under, count the timber stumps, check rot and termite damage, and confirm conversion is the right call.
Fixed-price written quote
Full scope, fixed price, timeframe in writing. Permits and engineering included where required.
Permits & set-up
Building permit organised. Site set up, sub-floor cleared, jacking points marked.
Conversion
Hydraulic jacks support the bearers. Old timber stumps removed, new concrete stumps installed and computer-levelled across the footprint.
Sign-off & 15-year guarantee
Final inspection, paperwork, written 15-year guarantee in your hand on completion.
Steel-capped concrete. No exceptions.
Every stump we install is concrete with a galvanised steel cap. No timber, no shortcuts, no third-party brackets that fail in 10 years.
Old timber out, concrete in.
A handful of conversions across Melbourne. Same job, same finish, every time.
The questions we get every week.
Is conversion the same as a reblock?
Yes, mechanically. Both involve replacing every stump under the house. The label "conversion" just signals that you are starting with timber, which is the most common scenario in older Melbourne weatherboards.
Why not just replace the worst stumps?
If the rest are the same age, they will fail soon. You end up paying for the same job twice, plus the disruption twice. Doing every stump in one go is always cheaper across the life of the house.
Can the house stay occupied during the conversion?
Yes, on most jobs. Work is staged so the house is fully supported throughout. You will hear us, and the floor moves a few millimetres at a time, but you do not need to move out.
Do new concrete stumps need maintenance?
No. Concrete with a galvanised steel cap is install-and-forget. There is nothing to paint, treat, brace or replace. They will outlast the house.
Will conversion add value to the house?
Yes. Building inspection reports flag timber stumps every time, and buyers use it as a price-down lever. A completed conversion with the 15-year written guarantee removes that.
Will it fix my sloping floors at the same time?
Almost always. We computer-level the whole footprint as part of the conversion, so the floor comes back to where it was meant to sit. Doors free up, cracks usually close.
Other work on the same job.
Reblocking & Restumping
The full whole-of-house service for any home that needs every stump replaced.
Learn more →Levelling, Lifting & Raising
Computer-levelled lifting that brings the house back to plumb during the conversion.
Learn more →Stabilising & Strengthening
Bracing and reinforcement for homes that show ongoing structural movement.
Learn more →
Still on the original timber?
Let us take a look.
Free on-site inspection, honest call, fixed-price written quote. If the timber stumps have life left, we say so. If it is time, you will know exactly what is involved.