Rebar 101

Posted by admin on

rebarRebar… what is it? What’s it used for? What’s the point and what benefits does it indicate? What does the word even mean? All solid questions and ones that our Restumping Melbourne customers should know the answers to. As a company, we don’t think that there’s much more important than properly educating out customers on the work that’s going to take place. This is your home, one of the most important (and frequently expensive) investments in your life. You should care about the quality of work that takes place and who is crossing your threshold. The Restumping Melbourne team is dedicated to reinforcing your foundation, so really, everything depends on a quality job. And one of the core, mechanical ingredients in the recipe for success is rebar.

It’s everywhere you look. Every building, every bridge, every concrete structure uses it in some way. Rebar is short for reinforced steel bars, and these are the framework that help concrete structures keep their form. They mean that you don’t need to worry about cracking, and you don’t have to worry about the shifting of the structure. Without it, you’re looking at a lot more structural issues. Need a comparison if you’re trying to see a visual? Think of it like the spine of a man or woman. It provides support and keeps structures upright.

It’s an overly complicated structure for a need so simple. It’s basically a network of metal that holds up the structure above. As you may have seen on this blog or when embarking on home improvement projects It’s what really ensures that your home or business is sound and safe, the very best peace of mind.

For us as contractors, the proper way to use rebar is a vital skill. While we are oversimplifying its benefits, it is still a process to learn how to use it. When done manually, it can take days and weeks to bend the rebar, tie it to together and create the best possible foundational structure. You’re looking at long sticks that frequently need to be cut to shorter lengths even before they’re bent during the installation process. The Restumping Melbourne team recommends that you cut first and bend later.

Other helpful tips to have in mind? Make sure that you bend it right. We live in the information age, so there are no excuses for not being able to track down the right resources online. What you will still see are “opportunity” stories, where homeowners or contractors have not done their homework… and it does not benefit them in the long run.

Finally – there is an art to tying it up. You can weld each junction point if you have the money, time and resources, but that’s not often the case. If you’re working on a budget, the Restumping Melbourne team recommends that you use pliers and wire for ultimate success.

Questions? Comments? Let the team at Restumping Melbourne know. We can’t wait to hear from you!

The Materials Used in Restumping

Posted by admin on with 0 Comment

1If you didn’t understand how houses are painted, would you feel comfortable entrusting the service to someone you barely knew and who didn’t explain their work at all? If you didn’t know how taxes worked, would you be okay calling up the first CPA in the phone book or listed on the internet and saying, “hey, take my money.” If you’ve answered yes to either of these questions, then we may have a larger problem on our hands.

The team at Restumping Melbourne knows our stuff inside and out. We have the decades of experience to prove it. But why should that be enough for you to choose us? It shouldn’t. You should feel comfortable asking us, “what on earth we’re doing and how,” at any point in the process.

Part of this is the materials that we use. The fact alone that restumping and reblocking are phrases used interchangeably depending on where you live, is probably confusing enough. Here’s a breakdown of the different materials used in the restumping process, all over the country.

Victoria:

  • Victoria chooses rot-resistant timber stumps. Victorian Red Gum is one of the most commonly used. There is an advantage with Victorian Red Gum– it’s 10% cheaper than concrete. However it does have the disadvantage of limited life expectancy. Many don’t care about this because they will still last upwards of 20 years and many assume that they won’t be in their homes that long. It’s still something to keep in mind, regardless.
  • In our opinion, an equally as impactful disadvantage with Victorian Red Gum timber stumps is that they won’t be nearly as well-secured to the the bearers as concrete stumps will be. This ultimately means that the home won’t be leveled as accurately.

Concrete:

  • Concrete stumps are used throughout Australia. They’re on the market in several different types. Those that cause the best connection have a 10mm diameter threaded rod at the top of the stump, which is then secured with a footing from a poured concrete pad. This threaded rod is what allows the stump to be bolted securely to the floor frame. Once you do this properly, you prevent both upward movement and downward movement. Then the concrete pad provides protection against the settlement of long term footing.
  • These concrete stumps last indefinitely– the longest shelf life by far. The only exception here is the most damp conditions because even the best concrete stumps are amenable to rust. If a stump rusts, it may expand and cause weakness.

Queensland

  • Life Victoria, Queensland has specialized stumps that they tend to use frequently when they enforce the foundation of their homes and businesses. In the past, the stumps that contractors used in the area were made from 300mm diameter ironbark or rot-resistant timber of a similar style.
  • These days, these choose CCA (Copper Chrome Arsenate) treated pine, or concrete stumps. In a lot of areas where the ground is particularly soft, a concrete footing is poured first.
  • High wind stresses are also particularly prevalent, so anchor bolts are required in each corner, around the perimeter every four meters and also under bracing walls.

We want to equip you to ask the right questions. If there is content that we don’t cover, feel free to reach out to any of our team members. We’ll be happy to help.