Reblocking in Altona, Altona North, Seaholme and Brooklyn

The housing

Altona has a mix of older beachside weatherboards, postwar homes and later brick veneers, along with newer townhouses. Seaholme is a small, mostly residential pocket close to the water and the wetlands. Altona North is dominated by postwar weatherboards, fibro homes and 1960s and 1970s brick veneers. Brooklyn has a small number of older homes on its residential streets.

Altona, Altona North and Seaholme fall within Hobsons Bay, while Brooklyn straddles the boundary with Brimbank. Timber-floored homes on stumps are common in all four.

Damp, salt and low ground

Parts of Altona and Seaholme are low-lying and close to wetlands and the bay. The water table can be high, and subfloors can stay damp for long periods. Salt in the air speeds up corrosion of metal fixings under the house. Kororoit Creek runs through Brooklyn and Altona North, and homes on lower ground nearby can have wetter subfloors too.

Basalt clay behind the beach

Move back from the beach and the ground becomes the familiar basalt clay of the western plains, especially through Altona North and Brooklyn. It is heavy and reactive, with rock close to the surface in places. Footing holes can be slow going.

Fibro homes in Altona North

Altona North has a lot of postwar fibro homes. As with any older fibro, the sheeting may contain asbestos. Reblocking normally leaves the walls alone, but if base sheeting needs to come off for access, it should be tested first. We plan the job to avoid disturbing it where we can.

What we often see

• Stumps rotted at ground level in damp, low-lying subfloors near the bay.
• Rusted stirrups, bolts and straps on homes close to the water.
• Postwar timber stumps under Altona North weatherboards and fibro homes.
• Brick veneers with cracking where the perimeter footing has moved on reactive clay.
• Poor subfloor ventilation where vents have been covered.

Older beachside weatherboards

Some of the original timber homes near the Altona foreshore and around Seaholme are among the older houses in the area. Many have been reblocked once already, often with early concrete stumps that can crack and rust at the reinforcing after years of salty air. Where that has happened, a second reblock or a partial replacement of the worst stumps may be needed.

Drainage matters

In low-lying areas, getting water away from the house is just as important as the new stumps. We look at downpipes, garden beds, paving falls and subfloor ventilation, and point out anything that will help the new stumps last.