Pest Inspection in Melbourne

Pest Inspection is an essential part of the pre purchase property inspection process. The purpose of building & pest inspections is to assess the following-

• Existence of any visually observed timber damage
• The susceptibility of building to timber pests and whether further investigations are required
• Evidence of timber pests

Generally, we all call it building and pest inspections Melbourne but primarily we are talking about a termite inspection.

Why is Pest and Termite Inspection Important?

Termites are infamous for being the silent destroyers. They eat up a property and make the timber hollow- when the infestations goes undetected for years, the structure becomes unlivable. Termites have the potential to quickly destroy a house or cause irreparable damage leading to structural issues within the property. A building & pest inspection should be undertaken as early as possible before buying a residential or commercial premise- this way, buyers know the condition of the property and can make a sound decision whether or not they wish to proceed with the purchase. Silent destroyers can turn your dream home into a nightmare and cause significant structural damage costing you thousands to repair. That’s why a building & pest inspection is so critical before investing your hard-earned money.

You may not know, but AS 3600.2 recommends that a routine inspection for termite management shall be undertaken annually. Unfortunately not many people go by this principle which can cause problems with your warranty.

The pre purchase building and pest inspections in Melbourne shall include all buildings, including any detached or semi-detached items such as garages, carports, laundry, garden sheds, retaining walls, paths and driveways, steps, fencing and the like and is limited to 30metres from the main building.
Inspection will cover-

• All interior including the roof space, the sub floor and the exterior
• All timbers in accessible areas shall be inspected including all sub floor timbers, walls, floors, stairs, ceiling joints, ceiling battons, and roof framing.
• All joinery and decorative timbers like doors, door frames, windows and window frames, skirtings and joinery
• All outdoor items including pergolas, patios, balconies, verandas and sheds, as well as all garden timbers fences, pool surrounds, garden boxes, firewood, paving and sleepers as well as trees and stumps.

A termite inspection carried during the pre-purchase property inspection is a visual inspection only- not an invasive inspection. It is carried out using thermal cameras, moisture meters and other specialized equipment to detect the presence of crawling pests. However the use of this equipment is beyond the minimum requirements of the Australian Standards.

Items to Be Inspected

Limitations of Standard
A building and pest inspection report prepared in accordance with this standard is not a certificate of compliance of the property within the requirements of any act, regulation, ordinance, and/or local law and is not a warranty against problems developing within the property in the future. It does apply to classes of building as described within the Building Code of Australia.

The Standard is intended to be used for non invasive inspections of buildings and conducted for pre purchase inspection or timber pest management purposes.

The inspection does not include concealed timbers, including areas and items where inspection is limited or prevented by restricting access e.g., furniture, furnishings, and stored items such as clothing. Examples limitations are legal right of entry, locked doors, no access to roof space, sub floor inspection entry is too low. In many instances, no entrance door, sub floor is filled with vendor’s personal belongs or debris obstructing the inspectors vision, thick vegetation and adverse weather conditions are covered within the terms and conditions of the report.

Reasonable access as described does not include the cutting of access holes or the removal of screws and bolts or other fastenings to access covers, removal of any sealants, coverings or cladding. More to know-

• The inspector is not expected to remove roof cladding to gain access and the inspector shall determine whether sufficient space is available to allow safe access to confined areas.
• The access hole for inspection of the roof shall be 400mm x 500mm with a crawl space off 600mm x 600mm accessible from a 3.6metre ladder only.
• The access to inspect the roof exterior is by the use of a 3.6metre ladder placed on the ground.
• Access to the subfloor should have a minimum of 440mm to the underside of the bearer from the ground.
• Inspector is not obliged to remove any debris or other goods to obtain access.
• It is to be noted that the termites that the report refers to are subterranean and damp wood termites. Report does not report on drywood termites or mould.

Why Are Drywood Termites Not Covered in the Inspection Report

Drywood termites are not included in the standard pest inspection report due to extreme difficulty in locating their small colonies and they are rare in Australia. Chemical delignification is not a timber pest under the scope of this standard even though it closely resembles timber that has been decayed by rot fungus, underground inspections do not form part of this report. House stumps below ground level, tree roots and fence posts are also excluded from this standard report.

Many a time, disputes between clients and the inspector occur because the client didn’t expect the inspection to be subjected to so many limitations. To avoid occurrence of such disputes, it is recommended to check the terms and conditions displayed on the inspector’s website. This way you will be aware about the limitations before proceeding with the pre purchase building and pest inspections.

The inspector shall determine the extent of accessible areas at the time of the inspection based on the conditions he encounters. All access shall comply with occupational health and safety requirements.

At Building Pest Inspections Melbourne we intend to make the pre purchase building and pest inspections process as easy as possible. When you book your inspection with us, we will contact the real estate agent on your behalf make a time for the inspection. We will confirm the time with you so that you can join us for the inspection and see things yourself. If not we will give you a call after the inspection explaining all major or minor defects found. Our team will follow this up with our detailed report including photos the same evening to let you understand the overall condition and status of pest infestation in the property.

Let our qualified staff guide you in making the right decision- contact 0468 740 761 for free advice or to book an inspection today.

All our inspectors are VBA registered ,contact us now for more information.