North Star Inspections meet the Bank Financing Weathertightness Inspection Criteria!
A commitment to Weathertightness
Because we have years of Building and Weathertightness experience…. combined this with our specialist moisture detection tools ensure you have a first rate Comprehensive North Star Inspections service.
Certified Weathertightness Building Surveyor
Mark Paterson
√ Registered Member NZIBI
√ Professional Indemnity Insurance
√ Bank approved Inspections (ANZ, Westpac, ASB, BNZ, etc)
√ Experienced Building Inspector
Weathertight Inspections Reports Includes:
- Full Moisture testing of each room at various levels – around joinery, external walls, and high risk areas.
- Interior percentage readings for each room.
- Details of moisture ingression findings.
- Inspection of all wet room fittings (Shower etc).
- Photos highlighting defects.
- Comments on the suspected causation and remediation recommendations.
- Exterior assessment of potential weathertightness risks, and/or shortcomings.
High levels of moisture in walls, ceiling or floors have the potential to cause major material and structural deterioration, and health problems. It is can be very expensive to repair. If left it only gets worse.
It is a common misconception that if leaks are present there will be visible signs; and an accompanying smell. But this is not often the case!
Yes, some leaks show staining, swelling to trim, bubbling to the gib, and often wet concrete smells; but this can often be visible a long time after ingression began and the damage within the walls can be severe.
Other times water can infiltrate the rear of the timber (often due to the type of guttering) framing causing decay, while the front of the timber is dry and showing no visible evidence of the structural decay or unhealthy moulds within.
The Unprecedented Era of Leaky Homes
During that mid 1990's to the early 2000's the weathertight performance in a large number of homes and commercial buildings failed, causing an expensive and devastating period in New Zealand property history known as Leaky Home Syndrome.
Although the failures affected homes of all cladding type, predominately Plaster Homes (Monolithic clad) were the hardest hit; generally because this cladding style was in popular during this building period.
The failures occurred due to a multiplicity of factors, allowing water ingression into house structures causing rot, compromising the structure and producing unhealthy homes. Compounded by the introduction of Untreated/Kiln-Dried exterior timber framing during 1996 -2004.
This created crippling financial circumstances for home owners, all building trades, developers, insurance companies, designers, commercial building owners, building product manufacturers, investors, inspectors, councils, and even government properties such as schools.
For many years these homes were a high percentage of the time North Star Inspections workload. Today many improvements have been carried out and the actions taken within the council and government, by trades and home owners to reduce the impact on existing and future builds. But without regular maintenance or upgrading of risk details and materials then failures resulting in water ingression still occur.
Outcome of Water Ingression on Auckland Properties
Non-Invasive Moisture Meters
Our Inspection Tools – Moisture Detection Equipment
Visually walls may appear dry but below the surface the framing can be wet, moulds may be present and timber deteriorating, so non-invasive moisture meters (some with invasive probe capability) are utilised to detect elevated to high moisture readings below the surface. We carry a range of Moisture meters for varying materials and depths from Dielectric, Capacitance, Resistant, to Microwave technology.
Infrared Camera – Thermal Imaging
During a Comprehensive Weathertightness Inspection our Flir Infrared Camera compliments and expands our ability to locate moisture, spread, and ingress points; beyond what can be seem.
The infrared camera offers a non-invasive means of scanning large areas and entire ceilings, increasing the capacity to confirm the presence or absence of a defect. The camera detects using thermal temperature highlighting thermal moisture or cooler anomalies within an Imaged Area and is invaluable in conjunction with our Weathertightness knowledge and non – Invasive moisture meters.
NZIBI Registered Member
- Professional body of Building Inspection experts.
- Qualified experienced members only.
- Ethical, inspection and reporting standards.
- Approved for Bank Weathertightness Inspections
Get an Inspection today!
Contact: Julie Paterson – 021780004 or
Mark Paterson (Building Inspector) 021 499744