Home Inspection Warning - tlam100 youtube.com member

Lead Based Paint

Exposure to lead is a health hazard. Exposure to small amounts such as chips of paint containing lead generated during even minor home repairs - especially when conducted internally or externally to homes built before 1970 is a real concern.

As a rule of thumb the 1% lead limit set to paint by the National Health and Medical Research Council was adopted by 1970. However houses built after 1970 and using paint manufactured prior to 1970 may contain more then 1% lead. Today domestic paints have a maximum permissible lead percent of .25%. When purchasing a home built approximately pre 1970 is it important to note that the Australian Standard Pre Purchase Building Inspection does not cover the inspection of lead based paint. If you are concerned about the lead levels in paint present, then an inspection by suitably qualified person should be commissioned specifically to investigate the lead level in paints present. This may require samples to be taken for analysis.

Building Completion Report

We apply the term ‘Completion Report’ to dwellings of new or recent construction. The Completion Report is conducted on dwellings not previously habited or buildings which have been habited for less than three months. Commonly these inspections are commissioned by purchasers just prior to settlement and final payments, who would like a final list of defects and poor finishes to the builder for final repairs.

Quite often purchasers will also commission another Completion Report approximately two months after settlement. All dwellings completed have a 90 day maintenance period where the builder will come back to ‘touch up’ items that are defective or require maintenance. The second report (one prior to settlement and the second being within the 90 day maintenance period) allow identification and rectification of maintenance items within the 90 day maintenance period.

Completion Inspection Reports are different from a Standard Building Inspection Report. The inspection is detailed room by room and gives an evaluation of the structure as well as the general finishes. It covers everything from poor paint, excess mortar in tile joints, appliances which haven’t been installed square and so on. If you suspect poor workmanship by the builder, this is the inspection to commission. Remember, if the building was completed after 1st July 2002, the Home Warranty Insurance is six (6) years for structural problems and two (2) years for non structural items. These periods are from the date of completion. Prior to 1st July 2002 and from 1st May 1997 the cover was for seven (7) years for both structural and general matters.