New South Wales

Concrete stumps are not immune to decay under extreme conditions.

Many elevated properties sit on some type of stump support whether it be timber , steel , masonry or concrete . Whist most people would consider concrete stumps to be maintenance free , this is far from the truth . Recently one of our Building Inspe...
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Asbestos Concerns? Call The Experts

Here’s an all too familiar story from the Newcastle Herald: A Glendale property is demolished after its owners found deadly loose-fill asbestos insulation. This type of asbestos was relatively popular in the1960s and 1970s. Science now tells ...
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Meth testing - the new norm for prudent home buyers

The New Norm? Including Meth checks in Pre-Purchase Building Inspections For home buyers there is nothing unusual about organising a Pre-Purchase Building Inspection on a potential property purchase. For smart buyers, a Pre-Purchase Building Inspe...
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Do you think that property you are looking to buy has asbestos?

If the house you are looking to buy was built or renovated before 1990, it is likely that it will contain some form of asbestos-containing materials. Did you know that approximately one-third of homes built in Australia contain asbestos products? ...
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The Block's Depreciation Schedules And You

So, “investors could claim an average of over $2.2 million in depreciation deductions for each apartment on Channel 9’s 2016 season of The Block,” according to new analysis reported by The Urban Developer. By far the biggest potential deprec...
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How Jim's Building Inspections Became Australia's Number One Choice

Jim’s Building Inspections has grown to become Australia’s largest building inspection business in just three years. How did we do that? It was actually pretty easy, which is probably a damning commentary on the state of the industry! The ...
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Two Things You Need To Know About Smoke Alarms

One: Smoke Alarms Aren’t Always Reliable Smoke alarms aren’t always reliable which is why a professional inspector can make your job easier and life safer. A good inspection takes into account adequate positioning and operational status in orde...
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WHAT’S THE MOST COMMON BUILDING INSPECTIONS SIGNIFICANT DEFECT?

Over the past two years, the most common Significant defect found, is the damp shower. Modern showers are aesthetically pleasing and appear to be installed to the highest standard. However, countless showers have been found this year to have damp cor...
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Inadequate Site and subfloor drainage

A sub-floor is the structure and crawl space between the lowest floor and the ground. High moisture levels in these areas promote fungal decay and other timber pests such as termites. All sub-floors and crawl spaces should be considered as having ...
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What Does Jim Know About Building Inspections Anyway?

ACTUALLY, QUITE A BIT MORE THAN WE EVER REALISED! We recently discovered that Jim Penman’s dad was a forensic engineer. From an early age Jim’s father was investigating materials, structures and their components which failed o...
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