A building inspection had taken place 3 weeks prior
A young couple purchased their first home in Picton and shortly thereafter I was asked to carry out an inspection for termites even though there had been a building and pest inspection carried out before they purchased the property. A very good move to have another inspection carried out as the initial one left quite a bit to be desired.
Whilst I didn’t find active termites I found termite damage in veranda posts and some very concerning fungal decay issues.
How could a building and pest inspection miss this significant damage.
One of the issues with building inspections these days is the number of companies around set up franchise style that give minimal training to people who have often had no experience in either building or pest control/inspection, and then carry out marketing that gets these under experienced people inspection work that is often on an asset that will be the biggest purchase in a persons life.
How did we get here? In NSW it is quite simple to carry out a course that will qualify you to carry out inspections for termites and building inspections. Two weeks will often get you through those courses. At this point the “trainee” has had no practical experience and is often not required to gain any.
The inspection of buildings for termites forms part of a progression in a pest controllers life and often only after years of experience and shoulder to shoulder inspections with a qualified experienced inspector.
Termite damage in post after removal
A termite inspection must be carried out by a suitably qualified and experienced person. Inspections are carried out to certain standards either AS 3660.2 or to AS 4349.3 both of these standards set out the minimum requirements for inspectors and inspections.
When an inspector has completed the necessary work to attain the qualifications and had enough time to gain experience in the field they tend to be very picky which is a good thing when you are purchasing a home. The inspector in this case not only missed the termite damaged post but also missed the fact there was fungal decay affecting 5 of the 7 veranda posts at the from of this house. The damage from the fungal decay was to the point that I could push a screwdriver completely through the post! The veranda was barely being supported.
Lucky for the young couple in this instance they had a relative that was able to carry out most of the repairs for them. If they had to pay the going rate it has been estimated at $23,000.00, of course that is a conservative number which doesn’t include painting or restaining the veranda deck and balustrades which had to come off to complete the job.
How can you select the best inspector?
Firstly understand that it is a rare person that can be an expert in more than one field.
- An expert pest inspector has preferably had many years experience in the detection, eradication and prevention of pests. This is often after a solid grounding in control/eradication of other pests.
- An expert building inspector has preferably had many years in the building industry and an understanding of all aspects of building design and construction. Ideally this building inspector has had years of physical construction experience.
- At our pest control company we have people on staff who have many years of experience with not only inspecting but treating termites. Often it will be their sole job. To book contact us
- A building and pest inspector that has little experience in either craft may not be able to recognise the subtle clues that are often the first signs of infestation.