Most homes across Werribee and the wider Wyndham corridor sit on stumps — timber, concrete or steel posts that carry the weight of your subfloor. Over time, and especially on the reactive clay soils common to Melbourne's west, those stumps move, rot or fail. Caught early, restumping is a straightforward structural fix. Left too long, it turns into cracked walls, jammed doors and a much bigger bill.
Here are the five signs worth watching for.
1. Sloping or uneven floors
Grab a ball or a marble and set it down in the middle of a room. If it rolls to one side on its own, your floor is out of level. A gentle slope you can only feel underfoot is often the first symptom of stumps that have settled unevenly.
2. Bouncy or spongy floorboards
Floors should feel solid. If they flex, bounce or feel spongy when you walk across them — particularly near the centre of a room — the bearers and joists underneath may no longer be properly supported. This usually points to failing stumps or damaged subfloor timbers.
3. Cracks in plaster walls and cornices
When a house drops unevenly, the frame twists slightly and the plaster can't move with it. The result is cracking, most commonly:
- Diagonal cracks running from the corners of doorways and windows
- Cracks along cornices where the wall meets the ceiling
- Gaps opening up in the corners of rooms
A single hairline crack isn't cause for panic, but new or widening cracks are worth investigating.
4. Doors and windows that stick or won't latch
If doors suddenly catch on the frame, drag on the floor, or won't sit square in their opening, the frame around them has shifted. The same goes for windows that jam or won't lock. When several doors or windows start playing up at once, movement in the stumps is a likely cause.
5. Gaps around skirting boards and external cladding
Look where the skirting boards meet the floor and where external cladding or brickwork meets the ground. Gaps opening up, or sections pulling away, are a clear sign the house is no longer sitting evenly on its footings.
What to do next
One of these signs on its own may be nothing. Several appearing together — or getting worse over a season or two — usually means it's time for a proper subfloor inspection. A restumping specialist can get under the house, check the condition of every stump, and tell you whether you need a full reblock or just a few stumps replaced.
If you've noticed any of these signs in your Werribee home, [book a free inspection](/contact) and we'll give you an honest assessment and an upfront quote.