IPI

Inspect the pipes in your home regularly to determine if all is well, or if replacing your plumbing is a reality and not just a pipe dream. Here are a few tips to make sure your water is running smoothly.

Check under the sinks in your kitchen and bathroom to make sure there aren’t any signs of plumbing problems.
Over the decades, the water pipes in your home gradually corrode. Eventually, replacing plumbing is necessary. If you don’t, leaks may occur—and possibly a flood of water or sewage that can cause thousands of dollars of damage.

Inspect plumbing regularly to determine if your pipes are in good condition, or if replacing plumbing is necessary. Simple regular maintenance helps prevent costly plumbing replacement.
If your house is more than about 20 years old, make it an annual ritual to look at any exposed pipe—in basements, crawlspaces, and utility rooms—for telltale signs of trouble. Check under sinks in your kitchen and bathrooms.

• Look for stains on walls and on surfaces underneath plumbing pipes that indicate leaks. Even if drips aren’t apparent, stains indicate a past leak that signals future trouble.
• Check the pipes for discoloration, stains, dimpling, pimples, or flaking, which are all indications of corrosion. If you find irregularities, bring in a plumber to do an inspection.
• Watch for leaks. Even small ones that are easily repaired may be indicators that the time for replacing plumbing for your whole house is approaching. It’s likely that the original pipes in your home are the same vintage, made of the same material.
• Look at the colour of bathtub water when you fill it—especially after a vacation when water has been sitting in the pipes for a while. If the water looks brown or yellow, what you’re seeing is rust, a sign of decay inside the pipes. Consider replacing plumbing soon.

Book an inspection today – call David on 0410 358 703.

There are more than three hundred and fifty species of termites in Australia but only about twenty or so cause economic damage to houses. These species are mainly subterranean termites. They set up nests underground and in the trunks of trees, and prefer damp dark habitats. They tunnel through the soil then build mud shelter tubes up the side of structures to gain access to the building.

Termites will travel a considerable distance underground to attack buildings in search of food. Up to 50m is realistic – some species in the north of Australia are known to travel further. Termites can therefore attack from beyond the property boundaries, so when assessing the risk of attack, bear this in mind.

Termites don’t just attack timber houses.
The overall risk of major damage to houses is low, but all types of houses are at risk. A recent CSIRO study (Cookson 1999) found that steel and masonry houses had virtually the same chances of attack as timber houses.

Termites don’t just infest structural timbers.
Termites can also damage plasterboard, carpets, plastics, books, artwork, clothes, electrical insulation and fi tout timbers.

Not all termites have the same feeding habits.
Some species are more aggressive than others. Those in the far north of Australia are particularly voracious feeders. Older and larger colonies will also have a greater impact than newly established colonies.

The risk of termite attack varies according to where you are in Australia.
The risk varies from being negligible in Tasmania, to high in far northern Australia.

 

Termites usually swarm in summer in an attempt to start new nests.
New nests created by this means are rarely established in buildings unless there is a permanent source of moisture – the main threat is therefore from underground. In any event, it usually takes at least 3 years for a new nest to grow to a size large enough to be capable of causing economic damage.

Book a timber pest inspection today – call David on 0410 358 703.

IPI was asked by the sales agent to inspect and report on the house that no one could sell.

This property had been on the market for two years and four different agents without an offer.

IPI found the brick joint cracking that was evident in every wall was not a structural defect but a shrinkage defect caused by the original bricklayer laying the bricks when they were soaking wet. When they finally dried out each brick shrink ever so slightly and at some point the joints just had to crack.

There was no evidence of movement on any other component in the building. IPI recommended rendering the exterior. The cost of rendering $12,800 and on completion the property sold for $22,000 over the original asking price.

A little bit of expert IPI advice turns into a profit for the vendor and a sale for the agent.

Cost of inspection $400, Cost of IPI advice FREE, Vendors profit $8,800.

Book an inspection today – call David on 0410 358 703.