Need advice on building issues

[ivanptr]

Hi Brain Trust,

We are helping our aunt buy her home. It's a fixer-upper. Our cousins and we will help her repair minor damages.

We certainly don't mind some elbow grease or hiring some tradespeople.

However, we attended the inspection. It's a highset house, and there are some things that we're not sure about if they're huge issues.

1. Mould on the soffit. Does that mean the roof is damaged, causing water damage, and needs to be reroofed? It's a metal roof.

2. The upstairs bathroom tile was cracked, and when I stepped on it, it felt sunken. Does that mean the beam under the tile is broken?

Please watch the short video we took🤔😵‍: 

https://youtu.be/_RNZQdN4sho?si=1LA9A5hWEB5FPpaw

Thank you so much for any ideas

[JacobZ]

Hi @ivanptr,

Thank you for your question about some issues at your aunt's home. 

The mould on the soffit indicates moisture has been allowed to sit on the board. It is very likely that there is a leak in the roof allowing water to get into the roof cavity. To confirm this, you would need to get into the ceiling cavity to inspect for leaks and further damage. If there is further damage, specifically to the roof trusses, there may be structural issues that would need to be addressed for the safety of anyone inhabiting the house.

If you were to get into the roof cavity to inspect further, please take caution as there may be asbestos-containing materials in the roof cavity depending on the age of the property. You can access resources from the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency for guidance on safe practices. Prioritise safety by educating yourself and seeking professional assistance when needed.

The cracked tiles indicate that there has been movement in the floor of the bathroom. This could mean that the tile substrate, likely a fibre cement sheet, has broken allowing movement in the tiles, or it can mean that the floor framing has rotted, allowing movement of the fibre cement sheet. Either way, this indicates a problem that must be addressed as the waterproofing membrane has likely been affected meaning there is an increased risk of moisture damage to the bathroom and the surrounding structure.

While they don't 100% confirm further issues, they are both red flags that say there is potential for further issues that should be assessed.

If your aunt hasn't purchased the home yet, having an assessment done by an independent building inspector would help you make an informed decision on the severity of the issues. 

If your aunt has already purchased the property, I would have a licenced builder inspect these issues and give their recommendations. 

If there are structural issues, it is likely outside the realms of a D.I.Y. fix and a licenced builder would be required. 

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[ivanptr]

Thank you so much, @JacobZ , Your advice really helped my aunt a lot. She told me that she feels very grateful for it..!

[wazza77]

Just a thought, but if there are water issues are anywhere in the structural parts of the house, I'd strongly suggest a termite inspection could also be worth doing.

A termite infestation can lead to quite serious structural issues for a home.

[EricL]

Hello @wazza77 

Let me tag @ivanptr to make them aware of your recommendation. I strongly agree that a termite inspection is in order due to the heavy water damage that's occurred. 

Thanks for sharing your ideas with the community.

Eric