Stumps, bearers & floor joists
Soft or sagging floors often trace back to what's underneath. We prop the house, replace damaged stumps, bearers and joists, and relevel the floor.
07 3186 5445
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M.Ewald Building repairs termite damage and timber rot in Brisbane homes. Once your pest controller has treated the termites, we open up the damage, find out how far it goes and rebuild it properly, from stumps, bearers and floor joists to wall framing, stairs and verandahs.
Termite damage and rot usually go further than you can see. A floor that feels soft, a door that starts to stick or a stair that moves underfoot is often the first sign of a bearer, joist or stringer that has been eaten out from the inside.
We support the structure, cut out the damaged timber and replace it with new, so your home is sound again. Then we finish it to match, so the repair sits comfortably with the rest of the house.
It's usually the timber you don't see every day. These are the parts of the house we open up, repair and rebuild.
Soft or sagging floors often trace back to what's underneath. We prop the house, replace damaged stumps, bearers and joists, and relevel the floor.
Damage often starts low and works up through the studs. We strip back the cladding, replace the framing and close it back up.
A failing beam can show up as sagging, cracks or doors that start to stick. We support the opening and replace the beam.
Stringers and handrails rot where water sits. Michael specialises in external timber stairs, both traditional and modern.
Termites can eat through ceiling battens and joists out of sight. We replace the framing, then fit new plasterboard and cornices.
On an old Queenslander in Clayfield we replaced the timber fascias and cover strips on two gables, working from a scaffold tower.
These Queenslander stairs had rotted through at the stringers and handrails, and had been taped off so nobody used them.
We rebuilt them in new timber, with new balustrades and a landing that suits the verandah above. Michael specialises in external timber stairs, and matching new work to an old house is where that experience shows.
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This Tarragindi home had severe termite damage. Once it had been treated, the owners asked us to assess and repair it. They knew the damage was bad, but nobody knew how far it went until we opened it up.
No surprises. You'll know what we've found and what it will take before any work starts.
A licensed pest controller treats the activity first. We can suggest a pest inspector.
Michael comes out, looks at the damage and checks how far it's likely to go.
You get a detailed, no-obligation quote for the repair before we start.
We support the structure, cut out the damaged timber and fit new.
Linings, trims and paint go back so the repair blends in with the house.
Both weaken timber and both are repaired the same way, by replacing what's damaged. The difference is what caused it, and what needs sorting before the repair.
Before repairs: call a licensed pest controller to treat them.
Before repairs: work out where the water is coming from, so it doesn't happen again.
Not sure which you've got? It doesn't change much. Book a consultation and Michael will take a look.
In leafy southside suburbs like Tarragindi, Yeronga and Fairfield, termites are common and can do real damage to older timber homes. Many Queenslanders still sit on timber stumps, with stairs and verandahs out in Brisbane's weather.
About 80% of Michael's work is renovating and extending Queenslanders, some more than 130 years old. He started out as a carpenter and joiner, and spent years as a leading hand and site foreman before starting M.Ewald Building in 2009. That's where he learned to replicate the original timber work, so a repair blends in instead of standing out.
"Michael also had the unenviable task of having to also restump part of the house which he found while doing the paving. The original job of stumping was a very poor quality job, however, Michael rectified that as part of the first job."
"Michael replaced my traditional front stairs. Using top grade hardwood and traditional hand craftsmanship, he replicated the existing stairs with only the changes I had requested."
"Michael's skill in building the steps meant that we eliminated a dangerous step at the bottom of the steps and onto a paved area ... Michael is punctual, courteous and respectful of the client and their property."
Based in Greenslopes, repairing older timber homes across Brisbane, especially the inner south.
Tell us what you've found. Michael will come out, see how far it goes and give you a detailed quote. We aim to get back to every enquiry within 24 hours.