How to spot structural and pest problems
Paul Bloomer from Coastal Home and Building Inspections on the Sunshine Coast has provided a detailed rundown of some of the factors homeowners and investors should be aware of when they're conducting a building and pest inspection prior to purchase.
Bloomer outlines a number of useful suggestions below to help you avoid buying a lemon.
Termites
First and foremost if you go to a property and there are drill holes in the adjoining paths there's a strong possibility that this is a chemical termite treatment due to a past infestation. Holes are located in the path approximately 100 millimetres to 200 millimetres from the base of the external wall.
The spacing of the drill holes gives an indication of when the treatment has been carried out if there are no certificates. The wide spacing of 600 millimetres and 450 millimetres is from pre-2000. If the spacing is 250 millimetres then it'll be a recent treatment as regulations have reduced spacings of drill holes over the years.
It's very rare that this type of treatment has been done as a preventative measure. If you see these holes be sure to ask for a past pest report and treatment certificate. It's essential to check with the owner for evidence of repairs and/or receipts from a builder.
If no evidence can be produced then it may be a case where the termites have been treated but the damage is still evident concealed behind the walls. A further invasive inspection is essential.
One other way to check for termite damage is to lift the corner of the carpet in rooms. In some cases where past treatments have been performed we have found tracking under the carpet in most of the house.
This is undetectable to the buyer. This is considered to be an invasive inspection not in line with the Australian standard but it's easy enough to ask the owner's permission.
External drainage
The building code requires a fall of 50 millimetres in the first metre away from the base of the external walls. Poor drainage may show up as mould and efflorescence around the base of the home. In most cases this is contained under the damp-proof coarse line but that doesn’t guarantee that moisture hasn't encroached into the home on the slab edge.
Dry weather conditions may not show up excessive dampness or damage so it's important to inform your clients that a further invasive inspection is required and generally that can start by lifting carpet edges.
This is also an attractant for termites or decay and mould. Mould is used by tenants to break leases and make claims of ill health against property owners.
Floor slabs
The homebuyer should pay particular attention to how the home is situated on the land and if the site is a cut and fill then the home can be subject to settlement or structural movement.
One home we inspected had nothing more than a hairline crack on the outside render that was original. Beware of recently rendered properties, particularly in areas where the soil type has high expansion and contraction properties.
This particular home also only had one hairline crack above the door opening from the entry to the living room. The door was out of alignment by only two millimetres, however when we checked the slab we found it to be 30 millimetres out of level in 2.4 metres at the entry floor slab.
It turned out that it wasn't the front of the home that had subsided – the entire floor slab was tilted. This is why cracking didn't show any major defects.
Also, buyers should look for gapping or soil separation between the ground and the edge of the footing or any new soil or stones that may have been used to cover up this type of movement.
Retaining walls can also indicate movement in the soil that can affect the home. In our shire, retaining walls more than one metre high are required to have a structural engineer's design and final building approval.
Internal plumbing
Check plumbing waste fixtures where they are evident at floor level. If the waste is below the tile level this can be an indication of subsidence in the sub-floor soil. This can also cause cracked and damaged drainage pipework where additional drain camera inspections are required.
Most building inspections don't cover plumbing and recommend specialist inspections, and building inspectors may not notice or inform their client simply because they have a disclaimer.
Any home with larger trees close to the external walls should have a plumbing inspection.
Shower recesses are the most common leak found in the property. Many owners will just reseal the shower and in most cases not use it. It's easy to pick a shower that hasn't been used as the grout is dry along with no moisture under the soap or shampoo bottles. In some cases we know the shower hasn't been used as there are cobwebs and ants in the base. Ants in the base are a sign of leaks as they're drawn to wet areas, as are termites. Invasive inspections are required.
Additions – illegal structures
In our local area you're not required to have a building permit for a garden shed or roofed covered area less that 10 square metres. Greater than 10 square metres requires a building permit. This also applies to timber deck structures that are greater than 10 square metres. If the deck is smaller than 10 square metres but higher than one metre above the ground it requires a permit. If a structure is higher than 2.4 metres and more or less than 10 square metres it also requires an approval.
Most illegal structures are attached to the home however there is an ever increasing amount of thatched-roof, Bali-style gazebos that are sold where purchasers are not told approval is required.
Should one of these collapse and injure anyone then the home's insurer may walk away from any legal liability, leaving the homebuyer in hot water. Insurance may be denied if an unapproved structure is damaged in a storm or if it has its roof ripped off and spears into an adjoining property or person. In one case a violent storm went through a section of the coast and the roof of the addition was ripped off and never found.
Beware of unapproved additions being disclosed on the contract as this negates the seller's responsibility. You could still receive a demolition order or have to spend in excess of $1000 to have it drawn up and approved.
Thermal imaging
This seems to be the new breakthrough in the building and pest industry. What a lot of people don't realise is that there are limitations to thermal imaging.
Be sure to read the inspector's disclaimer with regards to this type of inspection. We found termites in a garage wall once and they were in an area approximately two metres along the bottom of the wall and halfway up under the noggins. The wall was sheeted with plasterboard on one side and ply on the other.
A representative from a thermal imaging company came out to demonstrate a $40,000 unit. It didn't show them on the plasterboard or ply sides of the wall. The representative's microwave movement sensor did confirm they were in the wall. The mud entry trail was concealed under black plastic on the slab edge. We are waiting till they become more foolproof before spending that sort of money.
Choosing an inspector
I'm sure it's always best to make your own choice with an independent building inspector. In my opinion agents shouldn't even be allowed to recommend either a building or pest inspector.
For a special report on the ways sellers try to hide structural defects and how you can detect them, don’t miss the December 2009 issue of API.
Source: Coastal Home and Building Inspections
