Mr Inspector is a qualified building inspector service and has been conducting pre-purchase building inspections Melbourne wide since 2004.  We aim to assist home buyers and home owners to identify and rectify major defects, structural defects and safety hazards.

The photograph above was taken during a recent house inspection in Melbourne and shows a gap between balustrade on an upper balcony of a recently built home.  The photograph shows that the gap between two balustrade posts is 140 mm. which is defective and a safety hazard.

Gaps between balustrades, posts and the like can not exceed 125 mm.  This is considered the average size of an infants head and thus we don’t want children crawling through these gaps and falling.

This regulation applies to any landing, stairs, balcony and the like that is 1 meter from the ground.  This includes internal areas as well.

The above finding is a safety hazard and must be rectified by the builder to avoid potential injury or death.

The importance of engaging a qualified and knowledgeable building inspector is paramount before you buy a home, as indicated above.  Unfortunately not all builders know about every single building requirement and these defects can go unnoticed until it is too late.

If you have any questions about house inspections around Melbourne do not hesitate to call and I will be able to assist.