The ceiling joist and batten has been compromised by the installation of the downlight.  Extra support is required to bring it back to original compliance.

Funnily enough the downlight fell through into the hall.

Our building inspector often finds the downlights installed like this.

Pipes corroding on the hot water system due to a chemical re-action between the copper and the sheeting around the hot water system.  The good thing amongst all of this is that the overflow has been directed into the stormwater system.  Top of the class Mr Plumber. Our building inspections often find this not to be the case and the water is left to flow around the footings.

Air vents must have 100mm clearance from external soil or path heights.

This defect is very common in building inspections.

Cracking in a straight line along side the house indicates some settling or movement in that area.  This will lead to closer examination of allied surfaces to check for structual cracking in walls and footings.

Timber in contact with the ground and damp subfloor area.

The ant capping to the timber stump has been compromised, allowing undetected access to the dwelling.

The moisture in the sub floor is ideal for attracting termites.

Poor maintenance has resulted in a leaky bathroom causing major structural damage to the flooring members.

Our building inspector found this in the subfloor area, which is the area that the client had not inspected.  Sometimes it is not very nice in the subfloor area.

The robe doors can only be used when the door to the room is closed as they encrouch into the entry door space.

This may become a safety issue when trying to exit the room in an emergency.

A little forward thinking and this may have been avoided.

A section of the plasterboard is missing from the bottom of the linen cupboard.

The reason for the damage is unknown.

Improper and ineffective installation has compromised the vermin proofing and wather proofing of the external wall allowing access to the internal areas.

A piece of broken fibro for an ant cap with packers scattered like a deck of cards and the bearer is left unsupported. This is but some of the different maintenance ideas our building inspectors find.

Our building inspector reckons every ceiling cavity tells a story about its past history good or bad.  This one has had Uncle Bob add a few extra lights.  This could be a good way to burn the house down Bob. We recommend licenced electricians to carry out any electrical work.  It just may save your life and home.

The external soil height was too high against the external garage and the result was that when it rained the garage was flooded.

Thes timber fence is in direct contact with the house wall.

This may allow termites undetected access into the house.

A clear gap of 75mm must be provided for a visual inspection zone with at least 25mm clear of the termite protection barriers.

Damp floor together with cardboard and timber makes for a big lunch for termites.

Rubbish in the subfloor provides a great nesting place for vermin.

This area needs to be cleared of all timber and cardboard.

New timber is noted in the ceiling void.  In this case there had been a new bathroom renovation and all warrenties were still in place. 

I can't feel my legs.

Like frost bite on a mountain climber, rust has taken the ends off the structural elements.

This was not the only support on this carport that was rusted out.

External soil levels are higher than the subfloor area which is causing water to pond in this area.

The building inspector noted that a drain had been started but not completed.

This area provides may be enticement for the termites.

The complonents do not operate as intended, allowing water penetration to the internal roof area.  This then leads to a whole lot of other problems.

This s a common problem in houses and is often caused by poor work practices during construction.

Huge dobs of Silicone indicated to our building inspector that there may have been water proofing issues inplace previously in the shower.

The shower area required re waterproofing with approved systems.

Leaking bath tub has cuased major structural decay to the subfloor timbers. This area was a major defect and urgent rectification was ordered.

Our client did not crawl in to the subfloor area when she was inspecting the property.

She  made sure that was an area that we would look into in our building inspections. 

If you were to take a wager on steel being stronger than leaves, check this out.

Leaves win.

If you have one of these at your house, look out because they are going to smoke you out.  Illegal connections are frowned upon by the council and a simple smoke test will see smoke coming out of your downpipes. It is then time to reach for the wallet and start explaining things.

Marks on stump left by previous temite mound attached to the stump.

Mud has been removed but the evidence is still there of termites.

Improper installation height of path around the external damp proof course.

D.P.C.must not be less than 150mm above adjacent ground level, 75mm above the finished surface level of adjacent paved, concrete or landscaped areas that slope away from the base of the walls, and 50mm above areas protected from the weather like verandas, balconys and decks.

This is the part of the roof that is not normally visible from the ground.  You won't know there is problem till you have water penitration in the ceiling. Recommend a licenced roofing contractor to inspect and recitfy as required.

There is water damage to the front door area which is caused by not having a weatherproofing sill, allowing water penetration and wet rot to establish in the surrounding areas.

Grey discolouration in a concentrated area with bubbling in the paint is usually a good indication of water penetration through the roof.

Our building inspector found this was caused by a blocked valley in the roof and it was confirmed by the plumber.

Defibration was noted to some roof timbers.

This is a cellular breakdown of timber caused by the exposure to either salt air or industrial fallout (eg. Motor vehicle gases).This is an extremely slow process and no chemical treatment is applicable.

In rare cases with small diameter timbers like tile battens, defibration can cause timbers to fail over time.

The structural integrity of the roof has been compromised by the cutting of the roof battens. 

Extra battens are required to support the roof.

This stump was presented like this on a renovated house by a spec-builder.

He didn't think the building inspection would  find that a piece of wire was holding the stump together and that it was not the correct remedy for a sick stump.

The light switch was interfering with the door closing.  Problem solved by checking out a section of the door and voila it closes.

Old style cabling with unprotected connections were noted to still be in use.  We recommend that this always be assess for safe use by a licenced electrician.