When you live in an area with a temperate climate like Auckland you are bound to get a lot of wet weather throughout the year. With so much rainfall potential it is important that your home can withstand the weather. While no home is 100% weathertight but the better the maintenance the more weathertight it will be. With poor maintenance, there is a chance of leaks. Therefore checking for weather tightness before you buy a home is very important.
Problems with a home that isn’t weather tight
Moisture can gain access during extreme weather events and start deterioration without being noticed until it is too late. Excess moisture in your home can cause mould and mildew which in turn can lead to health issues, especially if you already have respiratory problems.
Damp can also cause problems to the structure of a home causing timbers to rot and floor coverings to deteriorate. It can even cause damage to your furniture and soft furnishings.
Common signs of a leaky home include:
- Ceilings sagging or developing bulges
- Floor surfaces like vinyl lifting or floorboards becoming uneven
- Skirting boards and other wooden surfaces swelling
- Mould growing on surfaces
- A musty smell
- Staining on carpets
Checking for weather tightness – book an inspection from Innohome
If you are concerned about weather tightness at your property or one you are thinking of buying, talk to Innohome about getting a weather tightness report. We can arrange moisture testing as part of a pre-purchase house inspection or building inspection. When we are checking for weather tightness, non invasive moisture testing is a good starting point because it gives us the chance to see where problems lie without causing any damage to the property.
With years of experience in the building trade and the home inspection industry, registered building inspector Kevin from Innohome has extensive knowledge of building materials, design and practices and where problem areas might be.
These might include:
- Flat roofs
- Where the wall meets the roof
- Windows and door frames without flashings
- Decks which go over living spaces
- Balustrades
Areas where decks or groundworks have not been properly connected to the property with flashings or other protective methods
The subfloor – particularly if the floor is wooden or the house is on piles
Kevin is backed by high-quality equipment that gives very accurate moisture readings. Usually, non invasive testing is enough to satisfy most banks or lenders as part of a report. However, if the problem is extensive we can also carry out thermal imaging moisture testing and invasive moisture testing. We can also carry out more testing if you need it to show to your insurance company or to a builder to plan repairs.
As part of the report, we can also advise on potential repair options and maintenance schedules to prevent problems from spreading or escalating.
To arrange an inspection contact us.