When you move into your home, you imagine it to be a place of comfort and security for years to come. Unfortunately, for the residents of Springfield Lakes, the 31st October 2020 changed that. The idyllic suburb had to endure a severe hail storm which caused significant damage to the 1,795 properties. This blog will explain why this event means that building and pest inspections in Springfield Lakes and neighbouring suburbs are essential.
Despite the storm only lasting around 10 minutes, the hail was so severe that they were described as baseballs breaking through the windows. The storm caused approximately $60 million worth of damage, leaving every household in the area without even a drop of power. The sheer size of hailstones that pelted down during the storm caused severe damage to both the roofs of people’s homes, their vehicles and other personal items. Many residents had to contact their insurers to put in extensive claims.
Springfield Lakes is a popular area for its shops, parklands, schools, transport access, and close distance to Brisbane. Advantages aside, it pays to be on the lookout for properties that have had dodgy repairs to storm damage, particularly by DIY’ers and dodgy ‘disaster chasing’ tradies. Let this be a swift reminder to only use licensed and insured tradespeople, including building inspectors in Springfield and surrounds.
What damage can hail storms do?
Like the one that struck Springfield Lakes, Hail storms left homes with cracks, holes and dents to roofs, skylights, and windows. Falling tree branches can severely damage properties and water from blocked gutters, downpipes and storm runoff. The strong winds can drive water into the roof and wall cavities. A resident explained to ABC News the extent of damage on her home in the Springfield Lakes storm. Her home had three hundred tiles broken, which landed on the ceiling — the ceiling soaked, the insulation soaked, and some ceilings collapsed.
The ways storm damage can be inadequately repaired.
The problem is that in some cases, homeowners aren’t covered for this kind of damage under their insurance policy or, they aren’t insured in the first place. When put in this situation, it’s tempting to cut corners when undertaking repairs by using cheap labour or undertaking DIY repairs. Of course, our advice is to hire a reputable tradesperson instead of throwing caution to the wind and going with a cheap option. However, the reality is that this doesn’t happen, and problems can fester and lead to structural defects down the track. Other dodgy DIY that we’ve seen done on storm-damaged properties include:
- Damaged plaster or paintwork that has not been repaired correctly;
- Carpet, tiles or other flooring has been laid over a damaged slab
- Grouting that has been replaced after the water has seeped through the tiles
- Cracks in the walls which have been covered up
- New paint that conceals rotted timber, rising damp and water leaks.
- Painted Colourbond roofing to hide any defects
- Supports used in the roof space to hold up a damaged roof
This is not an exhaustive list but an excellent example of what you could expect.
Building and Pest Inspection Springfield Lakes – What will it uncover?
Building and pest inspections are essential for any property you’re purchasing, and so is asking the building inspector the right questions. Without them, you won’t know what problems exist and how serious they are, particularly when it comes to storm damage coverups.
Key areas we inspect include inside the property, the roof space, the exterior, the subfloor, the external roof, including downpipes and gutters, fencing, retaining walls, driveway, paths, and drainage. The inspection will uncover any dodgy DIY work as outlined above, which will provide you with the information you need to decide on the property.
Be prepared for the South-East Queensland storm season
If you’re considering buying in Springfield Lakes, or any of the surrounding suburbs in Ipswich, it pays to understand the risks involved in living in this area. Brisbane, Logan and the Gold Coast aren’t free from the risks either. Storm season in South East Queensland typically goes from November to December. The cyclone season then starts in January right through to March.
A growth area for a reason, it’s easy to fall in love with Springfield Lakes and see why it’s one of the best suburbs in Ipswich. However, it pays to be wary and have a building and pest inspection considering the suburbs’ history, and it pays to have building inspections in Ipswich suburbs in general. And don’t forget, if you end up buying in the area, ensure your home is storm ready and adequately insured.
Have you got more questions about building and pest inspections in Springfield Lakes? Why not give us a call. We’d be glad to answer your questions.
