29 Mar 2018

Here is a few reasons why you should always have a Independant building inspector perform a pre purchase building inspection before you purchase any property.
insufficient balustrade rail fixing and incorrect timber used causing fungal rot in the timber

Insufficient balustrade rail fixing and incorrect timber used causing fungal rot in the timber

Adelaide’s southern suburbs of victor harbour this high end property has insufficient balustrade rail fixing and incorrect timber used causing fungal rot in the timber. This particular balustrade was unstable and a fall height of over 3 meters will result in injury’s or worse.

split silicone sealant to a box gutter

This Esplanade property in Encounter Bay was viewed for a pre purchase inspection. The customers were already renting the property and were concerned about prior issues of water running down the walls. A previous inspector said that there was no issue.
Upon inspection I have found some split silicone sealant to a box gutter. Once down pipe resivoir is half full water seeps through the split and causes capillary attraction which sucks the water through like a straw. If this issue was not found the damage over time would have been huge and very costly to fix.
28 Feb 2018

Inspection Of Leaking Gutter Reveals Rotten Timbers

Rotten timbers needing replacement

Timber rotted right through due to moisture damage

Maintenance is key!

Timbers showing severe fungal rot

Timbers showing severe fungal rot

This is the aftermath of a slightly leaking/rusted gutter in a property I am working on in Glenelg, South Australia.

After years of turning a blind eye to a slightly leaking gutter, problems did eventually arise for these residential home owners and unfortunately it was much worse than a roof gutter.

If the problematic gutter was replaced earlier it would have been a cheap problem to fix. Instead now, not only are we replacing the defective gutter but we are also replacing timber fascias which have severe fungal rot in them. Rectifying this issue will require a substantially greater amount of materials and is also very labour intensive compared to what it could have been.

Preventative maintenance is key.

Are you unsure about potential problems around your property?

A2Z can help.

Our property inspector Aaron has extensive experience in the building inspection industry and will easily identify for you any potential risks that have arisen from a lack of maintenance.

INVEST WITH CONFIDENCE with A2Z Building Inspections in Adelaide. CALL NOW.

06 Feb 2018

Australian LPG Bottle Standards

lpg cylinder placement

We often find in our pre purchase building Inspections here in Adelaide, South Australia that When using bottled  LP gas for the home often Australian standards are not met. There are minimum distances to openings, power switches, internet boxes and light gauge chains needed to avoid toppling over.
If the Australian standards are not met these issues can be dangerous, even deadly, and even void your insurance if the unfortunate does happen.
INVEST WITH CONFIDENCE!
Here is a great article by Elgas on the issue, read here >
24 Jan 2018

Beware the DIY Home Reno NIGHTMARE

Improper decking construction resulted in rotten timbers

In the day and age of DIY jobs around the home due to everyone getting exited with THE BLOCK etc I often find issues like this!

It is now more important than ever to get a pre-purchase property inspection in order to identify potential problems like this. Sure, it might be easy to spot some old timbers or fixtures that are already rotting, but what about a recently completed renovation? You know, the type of jobs that are rushed through quickly in order to make a great impression with a minimal cost?

It’s these types of ‘upgrades’ that home buyers really need to watch out for. The use of incorrect materials or improper installation are easily masked by the ‘wow factor’ these botched up renovations can create. You owe it to yourself to invest in a professional, somebody who can see past the smoke and mirrors of a property presentation and get straight down to what’s important – how valuable or how much of a liability is this property you are considering investing in!

This was at a property in Morphett Vale, south of Adelaide, South Australia.
Incorrect materials for certain jobs will not last when exposed to the elements of weathering and moisture etc.
These are just some of the issues that can be found with a pre purchase building inspection.
INVEST WITH CONFIDENCE with your biggest asset.

Improper decking construction resulted in rotten timbers

Repairs to this decking could've been costly

Repairs to this decking could’ve been costly

18 Jan 2018

Do you need a pre purchase inspection?

Pre Purchase Inspection - moisture detection

Tramex Moisture Encounter Plus – if there is moisture it will find it.

Do you need a pre purchase inspection?
Well this is up to you! But keep in mind Realestate is usually your biggest investment!
there are some things you may or will not see when you view the property.
Some of these issues can be very costly.

-moisture test performed in a shower area. This returned a failed test due to no sealant applied around the tap to stop moisture/water entering into the wall cavity. This in the future can lead to fungal rot within the wall which can lead to costly unnecessary bathroom maintenance or even renovations.

Here you can see damage sustained from moisture inside the wall

Here you can see damage sustained from moisture inside the wall

02 Jan 2018

Green Living Buildings

Green Living Buildings
There’s a lot to consider when building a new home besides styling.
Future running costs can be reduced dramatically if thought is pit into the building design process like
-building situation of certain rooms used later in the day.
  • insulation
  • window films or types of windows
  • wall products
  • cooling systems
  • solar
Investment in design research will be valuable in the future. Feel free to contact me with any questions that you may have.
08 Dec 2017

Staged new building progress inspections

At A2Z Building Inspections we also perform staged/progress building Inspections to homes during construction all over Adelaide, South Australia.
Trusting trades with your greatest investment can be a gamble.
Staged new building progress inspections
Here we have a high pressure copper water pipe which should be fixed to the centre of the stud NOT on the edge for the possibility of a screw to penetrate the pipe. This may not leak or show up in a water pressure test but a few years down the track once pipe or screw corrode there will be a major issue to rectify.
Staged new building progress inspections
This house in Victor Harbor has not had any structurally rated fixings through the base plates anywhere in the house next to the uplift straps. Brick layers and plasterboard fixers were all onsite. Once trades had closed in all walls you would have never known that this extemely important item had been missed.
INVEST WITH CONFIDENCE!
01 Dec 2017

Pre Purchase Building Inspections Save Expenses

Pre purchase building Inspections allow you to have your biggest investment be checked over and often issues can be found which you can’t see.
Issue here is within the roof space of a 5 year old home South of Adelaide in Victor Harbor, South Australia.
If the Split Hip Beam is left unresolved it can become dangerous and expensive in the long run.

Pre purchase building inspection

A pre-purchase building inspection saved this Adelaide home buyer a lot of hassle.

Pre purchase building inspection - damage highlighted

Unnoticed, this type of damage can not only become expensive, it can be dangerous.

16 Nov 2017

Pre Sale Inspections

Pre sale Inspections can be a great step to selling your home in Adelaide, South Australia.
The pre sale Building report will give you insight to some possible issues that may be favourable to rectify prior to sale.
You can provide the report to the possible buyer and point out any rectifications that you have made which looks good on your behalf.
This was a pre sale inspection performed at Aldinga, South Australia.
 Pre Sale Inspection - Outdoors
A brilliant cottage style home with loads of character at Christies Beach, South Australia.
Pre Sale Inspection - Exterior
Pre Sale Inspection - Internal