Timber Stump Decay

Without a qualified Building Inspector in Brighton thoroughly going over your potential home, defects may go unnoticed and you will soon find that they could cost you a small fortune to rectify as indicated by this photograph taken during a recent building inspection in Brighton.

The building inspection photographs is depicting  timber decay in the stump footings which is classified as a structural defect.  The timber stump footing will require replacement with concrete stumps at a cost of around $15,000 and if not picked up during the building inspection process you would be in for a disappointing surprise.

This defect is a fault of deviation from its intended structural performance and hence, a structural defect.

A thorough building inspection of accessible areas under the home is essential to check for footings rot under the home.

The above photograph was taken by Mr Inspector, a qualified building inspector in Melbourne, during a recent inspection in Brighton, Melbourne.

It depicts excessive dampness under a home and upon assessing the sub floor plumbing during the building inspection it was discovered that a storm water pipe connection running to a tank bladder was leaking and no overflow was connected to the tank.

Considered a major defect in the building inspection world, although easily rectified.  The problem is that the excess water around footings and foundations can cause some structural movement in masonry walls depending on how long this has been occurring.

This shows the importance of obtaining a thorough building inspection by a qualified building inspector in Melbourne before  buying.  A competent building inspector will access the sub floor as this is where most major issues are located or where the cause of a lot of issues start.

Blocked guttering


The above photograph was taken during one of his building inspections in Brighton.

Although relatively easy to rectify, debris and blocked gutters can lead to rust in the gutters and down pipes and then possibly $5000 plus to replace everything.  Stagnant water and air will cause rust and keeping these areas clean of debris will save you money over time.  There are numerous small business in Melbourne that come out and clean your gutters for a reasonable fee.

Uneven roof line

uneven-roof-line
Mr Inspector took this photograph during one of his building inspections in Brighton.

It depicts an uneven roof line and you can see the cause being the removal of an underpurlin (horizontal timber member).

The only way this could be found was by a thorough external roof and roof  void inspection.  The unevenness was only visible once you climbed onto the roof.  This will be an expensive fix as additional support is required to prop the roof and is considered a structural defect by Mr Inspector.

Mr Inspector says this defect is why people need to have their potential homes inspected by a qualified and experienced building inspector as this expensive defect would not have been found unless the roof space was inspected.