Inadequate Site and subfloor drainage
A sub-floor is the structure and crawl space between the lowest floor and the ground. High moisture levels in these areas promote fungal decay and other timber pests such as termites.
All sub-floors and crawl spaces should be considered as having ...
Read moreRental Reforms To Hit Queensland
Queensland’s 40-year-old rental laws are under scrutiny. One big potential change: making it easier for tenants to own pets and more pressure to address repairs in a timely manner. Property owners, however, may have more powers in their hands to ch...
Read moreThe Politics Of Smoke Alarms
From 1993 to 2015, CSIRO conducted tests on smoke alarms but the public is yet to read the findings. This comes at a time when activists want ionised smoke alarms banned due to alleged issues with response times to common fires. In America, the alarm...
Read moreRe-stumping red flags
A guide to Re-Stumping
Re-stumping - or re-blocking as it's known in Victoria - is big business in Australia and can be a very costly exercise, particularly if you don't know what you're looking at and you don't understand what you've bought into....
Read moreNew homes & Termite zones
An increasing number of councils across Australia are seeing the value in designating residential zones as termite prone areas in an effort to help local communities avoid costly repairs and horror surprises in the future.
Victoria is the only Aus...
Read moreGo With Licensed Pre-Property Inspectors
What makes a good pre-property inspector? Sourceable’s Howard Ryan writes: ‘To do the job properly, a qualified building inspector will have extensive knowledge of the Building Code of Australia, the Building Act, the Building Regulations and var...
Read moreThe Case For More Home Inspections
Building surveyors are calling on Victoria’s state government to mandate balcony inspections. This follows the tragic balcony collapse in Doncaster East in late 2017. Sadly, two people died and many others were injured, according to The Age.
In ...
Read moreAsbestos - Not Just About Housing
FEATHERS were flying in Red Hill last week when neighbours discovered asbestos sheeting was being removed from a disused chicken shed near their properties.
First reported in the Southern Peninsula News (6 November 2018) the story continues:
Mo...
Read moreWhat is franchising?
Franchising is the practice of using another business’s successful business model. By replicating a successful model, the new business owner or franchisee has a greater level of incentive than an employee, they directly benefit from the effort they...
Read moreThe Dirty World Of Termites
This summer it’s time to think pests. "Generally the soil moisture is high, that makes a big difference to termites. Termites are really just organised cockroaches," says Dr Ewart to The Age in an article titled: Hungry termites marching on Melbour...
Read more
