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Category Archives: Building Defects
House restumping, how to get it wrong
Recently I inspected a home that has been restumped so badly that owner would have been better without it and kept his $18,000 Not only has the contractor failed to level the floors (as promised and required) but the floors … Continue reading
Posted in Ask Building Expert, Building Defects
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Roof leaks! How will you know?
Not all roof leaks are immediately obvious. Sometimes it is only a small amount of water that gets in and it will take time for ceiling lining to show damage. This can happen in any home and even new home. … Continue reading
Building expert evidence prevails in court!
Recently I appeared in court proceedings in a dispute regarding quality of workmanship. Owner builder (but a professional in the building field) claimed cost of demolition and reconstruction of paving upon which contractor applied finishing works. The works were around … Continue reading
Building Expert evidence prevails in VCAT
Recently I appeared as expert witness in a failed bathroom tiling dispute. The tiles had failed and had cracked because of defective waterproofing and shower enclosure leaks caused swelling of tiling sub strata. The home was approximately seven years old. … Continue reading
Guide to standards and tolerances, It’s useless!
Anyone reading about Guide to Standards and Tolerances would think it provides a reasonable view as to what is acceptable in domestic building construction. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality the guide is used by builders as … Continue reading
Posted in Building Defects, New Home Inspections
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Wall dampness detection with thermal imaging
If your passage floor looked like that you would be pretty upset knowing what caused it and why: The cause of timber floor fluting (cupping) is a water leak getting under timber, swelling it and causing it to expand … Continue reading
Playing Russian roulette with building inspections? Will the gun go off?
People often overlook independent building stage inspections either through ignorance or because they are making choice to save money. However this is not a simple commercial decision and the risks are far greater than you can imagine. If something does … Continue reading
House frame, the lost art of setting out
On my independent frame stage inspections I am regularly appalled at how badly the house frames are set out. Why? It seems they are designed by a dumb computer program with no regard for workmanship. I am told that the calculations … Continue reading
Building leaks, forensic testing with thermal imaging
Building leaks are annoying and can be extremely frustrating particularly if they (as usual ) are hard to find. Recently I found a cause of roof leak on a multi million dollar penthouse apartment in a few minutes (after owners … Continue reading
Posted in Building Defects, Building Inspection
Tagged blocked pipes, dampness, forensic testing, thermal imaging, wall dampness
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House framing, saving on inspections?
The inspection today was a perfect example why you should have your own expert keep an eye on the build of your house: This house frame was fully loaded with roof tiles and there was a score of other … Continue reading