Essendon North has a mix of older brick homes and renovated dwellings where past alterations, roof ageing, and ground movement can hide costly defects—an inspection helps you buy with clear facts.
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Our comprehensive service includes everything you need to make an informed decision about your property.
We assess signs of foundation movement such as stepped cracking in brickwork, separation at window corners, sloping floors, and binding doors. In Essendon North, where homes may have been altered over decades, these clues help distinguish cosmetic cracking from issues that can affect structural performance and future repair costs.
We inspect roof materials, ridge capping, valleys, penetrations, and flashings, looking for damage, corrosion, lifting, or failed seals. Roof leaks often present as ceiling staining and swollen cornices long after the initial entry point, so we trace likely pathways and note any maintenance items that could become major repairs.
Where there is safe access, we examine the subfloor for ventilation, moisture conditions, timber deterioration, and support adequacy. This is critical for older dwellings and renovated homes with changed load paths, as subfloor issues can lead to springy floors, ongoing movement, and accelerated decay.
We check wall straightness, cracking patterns, lintel support, mortar condition, and any signs of past patch repairs. This helps identify areas where moisture has affected masonry or where structural loads may be transferring incorrectly after renovations or removal of internal walls.
We look for visible indicators of waterproofing failure in bathrooms, laundries, and kitchens, including loose tiles, grout breakdown, swelling skirtings, and mould-prone corners. In renovated Essendon North homes, cosmetic updates can mask underlying moisture problems that later require strip-out and re-waterproofing.
We identify visible safety and compliance concerns such as outdated switchboards, DIY cabling signs, unsafe downlight installations, leaking pipework, and poor drainage falls. While not a full certification, these observations highlight areas that may need licensed trades to verify and rectify before settlement.
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Professional inspections with attention to every detail. Here's a glimpse of our work.
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Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about our inspection service.
Essendon North homes often include older brick dwellings and updated properties where renovations can hide movement, patch repairs, or moisture entry. A building inspection checks for cracking patterns, roof and gutter leakage points, subfloor moisture (where accessible), wet area waterproofing warning signs, and external drainage that may direct water toward footings. We also note visible electrical and plumbing compliance concerns that can become urgent after settlement.
Yes, where safe access is available. We enter roof voids and subfloors when there is adequate clearance, lighting, and no safety hazards that prevent entry. These areas are important for identifying leaks, insulation and ventilation issues, timber condition, and structural components that can’t be assessed from living areas. If access is restricted, we document the limitation and recommend next steps.
A building inspection is well suited to spotting renovation-related red flags such as mismatched floor levels, cracking at extension junctions, altered load paths, poor drainage around new works, and wet area defects that appear after cosmetic updates. We also look for signs of non-compliant or unsafe workmanship that may need further assessment by licensed trades. Where appropriate, we recommend targeted follow-up inspections.
Often, yes. Even well-presented homes can have drainage that falls back toward the house, blocked or undersized stormwater points, or gardens built up against walls that trap moisture. These conditions can contribute to damp subfloors, mould-prone corners, and deterioration of timber and masonry over time. We assess visible site drainage, subfloor ventilation (where accessible), and internal moisture indicators to flag likely sources.
Inspection time varies with property size, access, and complexity, but most take long enough to complete a thorough internal and external assessment plus accessible roof/subfloor checks. Your report will outline major defects, safety hazards, and maintenance items, supported by photos and clear descriptions. We focus on what the issue is, where it is, why it matters, and what type of trade or further advice may be needed.
Still have questions?
Contact us for more informationCall ACE Building and Pest Inspections on 0413 163 187 for a detailed Building Inspection in Essendon North that focuses on structural integrity, safety hazards, and renovation-related defects before you commit.