How to check your own stumps — the safe 20-minute version
You don't need to crawl the full subfloor to learn a lot about your stumps. Here's a safe check any homeowner can do from the edges — and the honest line where DIY should stop.
Outside: 10 minutes
- Sight the floor line. Crouch at each corner and sight along the base of the weatherboards. Dips and waves = settlement.
- Walk the perimeter looking at brick piers/base cladding for stepped cracks or lean.
- Check subfloor vents: shine a torch through. You're looking for visibly leaning stumps, damp or pooled ground, and rubbish stacked against stumps (moisture trap).
- Downpipes and taps: any discharging beside the house is actively feeding the movement machine.
Inside: 5 minutes
- The marble test in each room — consistent roll direction beats any gadget for a first pass.
- Door audit: which doors stick, which have been planed (look at the top edge), which have latch plates moved — a map of past and present movement.
- Crack map: photograph every plaster crack with something for scale. In six months, compare. Growing beats guessing.
At the access hatch (if you have one): 5 minutes
With a torch, without entering: the screwdriver test on any reachable timber stump — press firmly at ground level. Sound hardwood barely marks; failing stumps take the point easily. Look for ant caps (rusted or missing), and bearers pulling away from stump tops.
Where DIY stops
Do not crawl a subfloor with under ~450mm clearance, visible wiring on the ground, or any smell of gas or heavy damp — and never jack anything yourself. A professional inspection is free, insured, photographed, and covers the 80% of stumps you can't see from the hatch. Book one here, or run the 2-minute self-check first.