What We Do
Important information about maintaining
your home
Some minor cracking and movement will occur in a significant proportion of residential dwellings, particularly homes built on reactive clays. Continual monitoring and inspecting is required. Conduct your own house inspection occasionally as doing so may reduce significant repair costs. It will be worth it financially and building and repairs is not getting cheaper.
All soils are affected by water but most problems occur on clay foundations. Clays swell and shrink due moisture content changes and the potential amount of movement is implied in differing site classifications. Local councils can inform you of the site/soil classification in your area or you can have your home inspected and tested by a geotechnical and foundation engineer. The basic classifications are listed below.
A - Most sand and rock sites with little of no ground movement from moisture changes.
S - Slightly reactive clay sites with slight ground movement from moisture changes.
M - Moderately reactive clay sites which can experience moderate ground movement due to moisture changes.
H - Highly reactive clay sites which can experience extreme ground movement and moisture changes.
E - Extremely reactive.
P - Problem sites, soft soils, soft clay or silt, loose sands landslip, mine subsidence, collapsing soils, soils subject to erosion.
Class A & S sites should be protected from becoming extremely wet by adequate drainage and prompt repair of plumbing leaks.
Class M, H & E sites should be maintained as essentially stable moisture conditions and extremes of wetting and drying prevented.
Site Drainage: The site should be graded or drained so that water cannot pond against or near the house. A uniform fall of 50 mm per meter adjacent the house is advised.
The sub floor soil should be graded of drained so no water ponds along footings or inner walls.
Gardens: Gardens should not interfere with drainage requirement of sub floor ventilation and weep holes. Do not overwater gardens adjacent footings.
Trees Avoid planting near foundations. Restrict planting to a distance of 1.5 x the mature height for Class E sites, 1 x the mature height for Class H sites and .75 x the mature height for Class M sites. For example, mature height is 10 m on a class E site - do not plant within 15 m of home.
Leaks Any leaks in plumbing, guttering, down pipes should be repaired immediately.
- Pre-purchase inspection
We inspect the sub-floor space, the roof space, the interior of the building, the exterior of the building, the roof exterior, the property within 30 m of the building for any Major defects, Structural defects and Minor defects/Maintenance issues. - Timber pest inspection
We inspect for Termite Infestation, Termite damage, concealed entry points for termites, conducive conditions for termites, borer damage, timber fungal decay (rot) and advise re eradication or preventative treatments. - Sub floor Inspection
We enter the sub floor space to inspect for Rising damp, leaking drain pipes, overflowing sewer pipes, timber floor board fungal decay (rot), joists and bearer frame fungal decay (rot), rotten stumps and excessive moisture in sub floor soil. - Roof frame Inspection
We inspect the roof space for detached frame members, timber fungal decay (rot) poor or inadequate fixings of load bearing frame, roof leaks, insulation, termite presence or damage as well as borer damage.
