Selling
When selling your property you don't want to be surprised by an agent advising that the potential purchaser has just had a timber pest inspection completed and there are signs of termite damage, or worse still active termites on the property.
You should organise your
own Timber Pest Inspection before putting the property
on the market. If the report identifies any issues
or potential issues these can be addressed, thus minimizing
the opportunities for the buyer to have grounds to
justify a price reduction.
Buying
The purchase of a home is usually the single biggest investment in your lifetime, so it's important to take the right steps to protect that investment. Termites, borers and wood decay can severely damage a property and repairing it can be very costly. The advice of a pest inspector could be all that prevents you from buying a home that is severely damaged or it could protect your home from thousands of dollars of termite damage.
When requesting a building inspection you need to know what a thorough inspection involves and you need to choose a company with suitably qualified operators that can provide it to the Australian Standard.
Things to ask your pest control professional:
- Are they insured?
- Are they licensed?
- What qualifications and experience do their inspectors hold?
- Are they a member of AEPMA? (Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association)
- What equipment do they use for detection of termites?
A number of companies will only inspect for termites and not borer or wood decay fungi. These pests may have a lower public profile than termites but their damage potential is such that any building inspection which ignores them is incomplete.
A guide to the building inspection:
1. Inspection should take between ¾ to 2 hours depending on the size, construction type and state of the property.
2. All accessible areas should be inspected and reported, however many houses are very difficult to inspect. To inspect for timber pests, good access to all timbers in the house is needed.
3. A timber pest report should include areas that can't be inspected and the potential risk from this.
Sherlock Pest Control Inspects:
Subfloor Spaces (where appropriate)
- Visually inspect all subfloor areas such as foundation walls, piers, behind plumbing pipes, air/ heat ducts, under loose timbers, builder's debris, and stored materials.
- Visually inspect and test timber members, such as bottom wall plates, baseplates, bearers, joists and the underside of flooring, and all other timbers especially those close to plumbing and drains.
- Visually inspect and test all timber members in contact with soil, such as stumps, posts and formwork, or any other cellulose containing material.
- Visually inspect and test soil around piers and foundation walls, noting the existence and condition of termite shields.
- Visually inspect any electrical junction boxes and conduit for evidence of subterranean termite mud-packing or shelter tubes.
- Visually inspect and test any other susceptible areas or timber.
Interior areas (where appropriate)
- Visually inspect and test interior walls, ceilings, partitioning, stairways, flooring, skirting boards, cupboards, and timbers around windows and doors.
- Visually inspect behind plumbing and around pipe penetrations through slab-on-ground construction, and test all timbers adjacent to plumbing or plumbing fixtures.
- Visually inspect in and around fireplaces from floor to ceiling. Masonry absorbs moisture and fireplaces often contain voids for subterranean termite nests.
- Visually inspect slab-on-ground floors.
- Visually inspect and test any other susceptible areas or timber .
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Roof Space (where appropriate)
- Visually inspect and test timber roof truss members / roof framing, including rafters, ceiling joists, ridgeboards, purlins etc.
- Visually inspect and test timber members adjacent to the fireplace chimney, noting evidence of excessive moisture around the chimney flashing.
- Visually inspect and test any top wall plates and accessible roof/wall juncture (eaves) timbers.
- Visually inspect the roof lining, around air conditioning units and water heaters.
- Visually inspect and test any other susceptible areas or timber .
Exterior Areas (where appropriate)
- Visually inspect eaves, window/door frames and exterior walls, noting obstruction of ventilators or "weep holes" and signs of activity or excessive moisture such as defective drainage, plugged or damaged gutters and inadequate moisture sealing.
- Visually inspect slab edges including any cracks and expansion joints, noting evidence of insufficient slab edge exposure.
- Visually inspect and test timber members that rest on or extend into concrete or soil such as support posts on decks.
- Visually inspect paths and driveways abutting the building.
- Visually inspect and test stairways, decks, handrails, and external joinery in general.
- Visually inspect and test rafters, such as carport or garage that protrude from the roof/eave area.
- If the structure has a flat roof, note any areas that will hold puddles of water which could serve as a moisture source for subterranean termites.
- Visually inspect and test landscaping timbers, fences, logs, pool surrounds, garden boxes or tubs, fire wood, paving blocks, and sleepers.
- Visually inspect trees and tree stumps, noting any details of termite nests found.
- Visually inspect and test any other susceptible areas or timber.
4. The report should give relevant information on conditions contributing to timber pest attack and how to protect the property.
5. Old damage as well as any current activity should be recorded in the report and if active timber pests are found, should be formally identified before any chemical treatment is applied.
Following are some prevention methods to protect your home from timber pests.
1. Minimise moisture in the soil beneath and next to buildings, as subterranean termites and wood decay fungi are attracted by moisture and humidity.
2. Keep building timbers and sub floor dry and well ventilated. Moisture in walls can encourage termites to move upwards, so any leaks or plumbing faults should always be repaired.
3. Vegetation which grows on or close to buildings can prevent the escape of moisture from walls and soil, impede airflow through ventilators and make inspection of the buildings exterior difficult or impossible.
4. Don't attract termites with woodpiles stored directly on soil nearby the house or other buildings. Similarly, don't store timber of other cellulose-containing materials such as cardboard and paper directly on soil underneath or next to buildings.
5. Some form of barrier against termites should be installed in new buildings.
6. Replace previously damaged or susceptible timber with timber that's more termite resistant.
7. Create access points for regular inspections
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