Leaking and dampness in walls, ceilings and floors can be the result of many things.
I recently came across a dwelling with many dampness related issues, from multiple sources.
As a structure with multiple levels, leak points came from all over the building.
Rendered wall sheet cracking had allowed for wall moisture in all 3 floor levels to the extent that the removal of the external wall board sheeting was recommended to rectify this issue.
Cracked mortar to the tiled roof top area and failed sealant joints had allowed for moisture ingress to the ceiling area below. Rectification work would require the ceiling to be removed, as well as the tiling grout joints requiring removal and re grouting. The flooring on the third level had leaked and allowed moisture to soak into the flooring substrate and cause swelling and subsequent tile cracking. To rectify this area, the tiling would need to be removed and the flooring substrate replaced.
An out of view box gutter had blocked due to a curtain blowing into it and allowing the box guttering to overflow. The box gutter overflow however was positioned over the cracked wall sheeting. This allowed for leaking into the wall  areas of the rooms below.
Moisture had leaked right down to the ground floor ceilings and floor areas.
Lack of painting maintenance had also allowed for the window trim timbers to have excessive wood rot, as the timbers were located on the second and third storey.
On this same house the tiled laundry floor area had excessive cracking with moisture visibly leaking out of the cracks.
My job as an inspector is not to judge the property and suggest if the client should or should not purchase it, but to advise on the faults.
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​Trusting that the building inspector is fully investigating your future house is very important for many reasons. I spend a minimum of 90 mins looking over, through and around the property. Looking for issues that you did not notice at the 10 minute open house. I carry tools fit for the purpose of building and termite inspections with me at all times. The T3 Termatrac termite radar unit is used on all pest inspections looking for termite movement within a wall frame or flooring, and also a Tramex moisture metre to look for dampness issues that are attractive to termites. During house inspections, I use a Flir thermal camera for looking into walls for moisture irregularities, an electrical testing tool to check for correctly disconnected old wiring, a cavity camera for hard to see areas that require further investigation. I even carry a metal scanner for checking the location as well as the depth of steel rebar and mesh hidden in concrete slabs. This is important to determine if DIY concrete has been adequately constructed or if it will fail in just a few short years. I use laser measuring and levelling equipment to see if house slabs have subsided as well as checking for movement in walls.
The most important tool is the knowledge of what to look for and report on, this can only be had with many years of building experience. All the tools in my car are useless without training and experience.
To put it simply, if the building inspector you have chosen, just walks around with a camera, a pen and a piece of paper, you are probably not getting value for your money spent or a real report on the actual condition of the house.

Old electrical wiring is something that I test if it looks dangerous. I am not an electrician and all electrical work should always to be performed by an electrician, so my job as an inspector is to note issues in the report for you the purchaser to act upon if you buy the house. Often old electric water heaters or evaporative air conditioners are disconnected or removed from the roofing space in older homes. In most of these houses the wiring has been correctly terminated or disconnected. I however still do find  poorly insulated, cracked and exposed live wiring, or junction box's not covered from home DIY projects in quite a few houses. Accidentally touching any of these while crawling through the ceiling space can be hazardous. Electrical work when done by licensed tradesman is generally very tidy, with clips holding the wiring tightly back to the hanging beams and along rafters, additional wiring has been trimmed off when the cable run was installed. When wiring is seen coiled up you know that the work is sub standard or most likely it has been a DIY effort.
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Due to restrictions and just common sense, the way building inspections are being done has changed because of this pandemic.
For the home owners safety, latex gloves, face masks and hand sanitiser are applied during the inspection of the house. My gloves are replaced during the inspection multiple times, to stop the transfer of germs from different surfaces that I have touched and hand sanitiser applied prior to the new gloves, in case the gloves tear. The mask is a P2 grade (N95), so the return air is filtered through the mask, not dumped through a valve into your house. Your safety is important, as is mine to me. Each house inspection has a new mask and the old one dumped with the gloves in my bin for disposal. My tablet and phone are wiped down with antiseptic after each inspection too.
I would recommend that you do not at this point in time, be present for the inspection, due to the risks associated with touching surfaces that may not be sterile. Of course when you do move into the house, you will give it a good clean, but during the private inspections it may have been touched by many people.
Keep safe, keep ringing for inspections if you are buying and we are allowed to work doing them for you.
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Ant caps are used as a physical barrier, to deflect the termite mud works, so the termite workings can be seen and then treated appropriately once observed. A physical barrier such as an ant cap, will not stop termites, but allow for a visual inspection to be able to be done more easily. The house pictured above has none installed. A pest control company has obviously inspected this property and applied a chemical barrier. This is obvious due to the wall penetrations that have allowed access into the underfloor areas.
Note that due to the poor demolition, unsupported floor joists are now also an issue. 
​Debris from the demolition is also scattered around inhibiting viewing for possible termite mud workings.
This house had no active termites that I could locate, the under floor area was dry and ventilated, reducing the risk of termite activity.
The treatment chemical used was Premise, that has an active working life of 5 to 7 years and it was last sprayed in 2010 so was well overdue.
I recommended to my client that this termite treatment should be on going and to contact the last company involved, as they should also reinstate some of the brickwork.
​ I recommend this as I have duty of care to the purchaser.

Evaporative air conditioners can cause rust issues with roofing,guttering and down pipes. This is due to the reticulation of water increasing the salinity of the water run off.
Ideally PVC pipework should direct the water into a down pipe, not just a gutter and if the down pipe is PVC, no issues with rust can can develop. Unfortunately, this is not often done and hence rust issues, like in the photo above can happen.  This down pipe is extremely damaged but more commonly surface rust or rusted sections are seen around the down pipe near the air conditioner overflow. 
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​Seaside living has many disadvantages, one being the rusting of steel items around the home. Staircase balustrades in particular, if steel, requires constant maintenance. Best practice is for hot dipped galvanising of all external rails, balustrades etc. Painting of red primed or mild steel that has not been hot dip galvanised as a finished manufactured product will undoubtedly rust.
Pre manufacturing of fully galvanised balustrade sections is common on higher end houses, but unfortunately more budget orientated houses are often produced cheaper. This results in the issues such as in the picture above. Total replacement is required, costing many thousands of dollars.

​Having been involved in the replacement of complete balustrades as a building work supervisor, I know first hand that each balustrade section can cost over $1,100. 
Each balustrade section requires measuring up, manufacturing, galvanising, powder coating then fitting. Most balconies have several pieces, so it's an expensive project.
If your'e looking at buying a coastal home and you notice a bit of rust, think of the consequences and expenses that may be involved. Or better yet, pay for an inspection from some one who knows what to look out for, so then you will know what you are really buying.

Timber trusses are an engineered product that cannot be modified in any way. A truss must be installed without flexing, hence should be lifted into position using an overhead crane. Even when first delivered on site must be stored flat.
Every time I see a damaged or modified truss in a roof and this week I have seen two houses like it, the rectification work required will be expensive. To fix an issue such as in the photos below, require an on site engineer to visit and assess the damage and find a solution. Then the required modifications, if the truss can be repaired, will need to be done by a licensed builder. This will be followed up by other trades to make good the damage done to the ceilings. Repair bills will be thousands of dollars, it isn't a cheap fix.