You are looking at purchasing a house and your building and pest inspection has noted that there is evidence of cracking in the stumps or house footings and you should engage a qualified house restumping contractor. What does this mean? House foundations are a crucial part of the construction process. What are stumps? Typically houses in Australia in the 1950s-1970s were built on timber or concrete stumps. There is a range of reasons why this was done and may still be done when building today. For one thing, the earth naturally has lots of uneven ground and many foundations can slope or be unstable. Furthermore, the ground has pests like ants and termites that would have an easier time entering your home undetected if they sat on the ground. It also helps protect against groundwater and flooding. Thus, stumps were created to allow for houses to be elevated off the ground. They are pillars made from wood, steel or concrete. Stumps also elevate a house and allow for better views above, ...