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5 Ways To Prevent Mould From Growing In Your Home

Mould is a major threat to your home, health and overall quality of life. You should take proactive steps to prevent mould from growing in your home before it becomes too large a problem.

Mould has been known to cause health issues of all types, including a weakened immune system, allergies, severe asthma, nausea and lung disease.

It is also a major eyesore to any home and can bring down the value of your home considerably if you’re looking to sell it.

Thus, we have put together this guide to help you prevent a mould infestation in your home.

Mould is both dangerous to your home and an eye sore to look at.

1)     Prevent moisture build up

Mould needs moisture and humidity to survive. As such, the first thing you should do is to prevent the build up of moisture.

You can do this by first finding all places where mould builds up – do you have pipes that leak? Do you have a basement prone to flooding? Is there condensation around windows? Are your gutters clogged?

Fixing leaky pipes, unclogging gutters and making an effort to dry the wet areas around your home will do much to stop mould from growing

2)     Improve airflow

Mould thrives in areas with poor airflow – basements, rooms without windows and the like.

Without proper airflow, mould can grow on the floor, on windows and on the ceiling.

To improve airflow, keep windows and doors open as much as possible. You can also use fans to circulate air throughout the home.

By allowing fresh air to enter and move about your home, you are actively making your home cooler and making it harder for mould to grow

3)     Monitor humidity

Humidity can occur in the summertime and it is deeply unpleasant – the hot, damp conditions make us sweaty and uncomfortable.

Reducing humidity involves improving airflow and eliminating moisture. However, you should also consider using air conditioning or buying a dehumidifier for your home.

Make sure to keep your AC and dehumidifiers clean, or else they themselves will begin to produce moisture.

4)     Stop mould growing on plants

Plants need to be kept watered, so they naturally attract moisture. Thus, plants will regularly attract mould.

You should reduce the risk of mould on your plants by allowing soil to dry before watering it again. Consider adding a sprinkle of Taheebo tea, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar or baking soda to your soil, which act as natural anti-fungal agents.

Your house plants are another place where mould can grow. Monitor these plants closely and take steps to prevent mould growth.

5)     Be careful of bugs

Where mould occurs, pests generally follow – this is because many breeds of bugs thrive under the same type of conditions mould does.

Dedant Building and Pest Inspections can assess both the existence of bugs and mould on and in your property.

Give us a call on 07 3807 0122 or contact us on website to find out more.

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How to prevent rust

Our inspectors at Dedant see several regularly occurring faults with houses. However, one of the most common and most damaging is rust. You should know how to prevent rust in order to protect your home.

Rust is what occurs when metal is exposed to oxygen and moisture. It causes an orange-brown discolouration that erodes the metal, causing it to become brittle and prone to breaking. Rust has even been known to cause bridges to collapse.

You can take these steps to prevent rust in the metals around your home.

An example of rust beginning to form.

1)     Keep metals dry

Rust needs the right conditions to occur – namely, a high amount of moisture and exposure to the sun.

As such, you should endeavour to keep metals dry. Clean all your metal items and surfaces as clean as possible.

One of the most common places to find rust is your gutters, because water gets caught there and causes metal to oxidise, producing rust.

Thus, you should keep your gutters clean to prevent a build-up of moisture.

Gutters are a key source of rust, as they are one of the more common places for moisture to meet metal.

2)     Keep your metals clean

When metals get dirty, generally it is from things like mud or dirt. Mud and dirt can hold water, so when they stick to metal it creates moisture that can produce rust.

By keeping metal clean from dirt and mud, you are keeping them free from another source of moisture.

3)     Paint the metals around your home

If you’re looking to prevent rust, using a paint to insulate the metal from oxygen and moisture is a wise choice.

However, you must choose the correct type of paint. This is because certain paints, such as a water-soluble paint, only makes rust worse.

Instead, consider using rust proofing paints or zinc-rich primers. When applied, these products are specifically designed to stop oxygen and water from touching the metal underneath.

4)     Avoid damage

When metal is scratched or scraped, this removes any sort of coating from the surface and further exposes it to the elements.

Not only that, but the smoother the metal surface, the less water it can hold.

Scratches and cuts on the metal surface hold and trap water, which is why you should endeavour to keep your metal surfaces free from such damage.

The more damaged the roof, the more likely it is for rust to occur.

5)     Scrape away rust early

Rust spreads quickly, but you should be able to remove it if you act fast enough.

You can do this through physically scraping it off using a sander, grinder or oscillating tool. Alternately, there are chemical options you could use.

Ultimately, whatever method you use, the most important thing is to be vigilant. Get in early and get rid of rust before it becomes a larger problem.

Contact us

If you are buying or selling a house, contact Dedant from a building inspection today and we will identify easily seen areas where rust exists.

Call us on 07 3807 0122 or contact us on out website to book.

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Finding cracks around your property

Finding cracks around your home can be evidence of a much more serious problem. As such, you should be cautious of any cracks found in and around your property.

In this blog, we’ll go over the causes of cracks, where they’re commonly found and what you can do about them.

1)     Finding cracks in floor

Cracks in your floor are generally caused by problems with the foundation. These cracks can worsen over time, which can result in water leaks and other issues.

Changes in soil are generally the cause for such cracks.

When the ground around the foundation of your home becomes too try, the soil around the foundation can shrink.

This shrinking weakens the support for the foundation and causes it to move or sink, resulting in cracks.

Inversely, when the soil becomes filled with groundwater, it can expand and push the foundation up, also resulting in cracks.

Cracks found in the floor of your home can be evidence of settling.

2)     Finding cracks in walls

Cracks can also be found in the walls of your home. The cause of such cracks can depend on what the wall is made from and can travel up to the ceiling.

The existence of cracks in brick walls can be the result of settling or movement of the soil. However, it can also be the result of poor construction.

Furthermore, cracks in drywall can be the result of faulty taping in panels. Drywall is held together with mud and covered with tape as a way of sticking the various drywall panels together.

If the tape is not properly applied or there is not enough mud to stick the panels together, this can cause tape to peel away and result in fine cracks appearing.

If there is dampness around the crack, you may have issues with water leakage.

Cracks such as this in brick wall can be evidence of shoddy construction work.

3)     Finding cracks on roof tiles

There may also be cracks in the tiles of your roof.

These cracks can form as a result of moisture penetrating the tiles and seeping into the pores of the tile. When these tiles heat up from the sun, they expand and cracks form.

Cracks can also form as a result of people walking on the roof or damage from hail, wind, pests or falling debris.

These cracks can cause water to leak into your home resulting in mould and puddles of water in your home.

Cracked roof tiles such as these can be evidence of damage, structural issues or both.

What to do about cracks

 

Dedant Building and Pest Inspections offers quality inspections and reports for an affordable price. Contact us on our website or call us on 07 3807 0122 to book or find out more.

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4 Tips to help you get rid of Wasps

Wasps are a dangerous and troublesome pest. Your home will never be safe until you get rid of wasps that lurk around your home.

This is because wasps can deliver a nasty sting to you that can cause you pain and even serious injury.

From 2000 to 2013, wasps and bees caused twice as many hospital admissions as snakes.

However, unlike bees, wasps can sting you as many times as they want without dying.

As such, our 5 tips will help you get rid of wasps and ensure your home is always protected.

1)     Fake Nests

As they are naturally territorial animals, wasps will instinctively work to avoid the nests of other wasps and hornets.

Consequently, if they see a nest in an area, they will be more likely to avoid setting up their own nests in this area.

You can take advantage of this by having your own artificial, fake nest placed on your property.

This method is not an 100% effective way to get rid of wasps Instead this option should be should be complimented with other treatment options.

A wasp about to sting a person. Wasp stings can cause a fatal allergic reaction in thousands of people across Australia.

2)     Prevention

There is a common saying that “prevention is the best medicine. This is true of the medical industry and in pest control.

One method of prevention is to stop wasps from entering your home by shoring up any entry points, including cracks in the roofing, damaged windows, doors left ajar and other places small bugs can use to get inside your house.

Sealing off any nooks or crannies around you home will also stop wasps from having the space they need to build their nests.

You can limit opportunities for wasps by taking away sources of food.

Wasps and hornets are attracted to sweet or protein rich foods. These include dog food, soft drinks, fruits or the like.

By disposing of leftovers and keeping these types of foods locked away, this will prevent wasps from being attracted to your home.

get rid of wasp nests

A wasps’ nest. If you see any of these around your home, call a pest inspector immediately.

3)      Bait and Traps

Using traps to bait and dispose of wasps is another method of preventing an infestation in your home.

These traps generally work by luring wasps into a tempting bait inside of a chamber. When wasps go for the bait, they become caught in the chamber and are unable to escape. They quickly die, caught in the trap.

You can make your own trap using a soft drink bottle, scissors and something sweet like sugar or jam. Using this method, wasps will be attracted to the bait rather than your food supply.

However, emptying these traps can prove dangerous as it exposes you to a potential wasp sting.

4)     Pest control

For the best results, you should consult an expert to remove wasps on your behalf.

You should not risk trying to remove a wasp sting on your own. Wasp stings are one of the most common causes of severe allergic reactions, which can be fatal.

Pest controllers have the expertise and training to remove or kill wasps safely, using pesticides.

Dedant Building and Pest Inspections offers a General Pest Treatment that is comprehensive. This treatment is recommended every 12 months to be applied inside and outside the home.

The scope of this treatment includes the roof void, subfloor, garage, carport, shed and clothesline. It is effective at treating and killing spiders, cockroaches, silverfish, ants and wasps.

If you want quality, great value pest control give Dedant a call on 07 3807 0122 or contact us on our website.

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Water damage and how to avoid it

Water damage poses a major threat to any property. By allowing water build up and excess moisture in your home, you risk the safety and liveability of the home you love.

Moisture attracts dangerous pests, such as cockroaches, silver fish and termites. It also breeds mould which releases toxic spores into the air which can ruin your health. Such moisture and excess water can also cause structural and aesthetic damage as well.

Given the risks associated with excess moisture, you should do all that you can to avoid this. As such, you’ll share with you our top tips to stop moisture build up in your home.

1) Keep gutters clear

Gutters are designed to control the flow of water off roofs and into an area that will not damage the house.

However, gutters can become blocked by the build-up of debris such as leaves.

A blocked gutter can’t carry water. Instead, water overflows and travels down walls.

This water can seep into your home’s electrical system, pool around your foundation and ruin the external walls of your home.

Ensure down pipes are properly fitted and in good condition as well.

Clogged cutters can cause water to roll off the roof and soak the foundations of the home, damaging it over time.

2) Divert water away from home

One of the most important things you can do to prevent water damage is to make sure water is diverted from your home.

It is ideal to have a landscape in your property that naturally directs water away from your home.

However, some people are not so fortunate. Instead, water will pool up around the home and damage the foundation.

You can help divert water by digging a trench with gently sloping slides to ensure water runoff I directed away from your home.

Water from air conditioning condensation must flow from away house too. Consider getting a catch basin or pipe installed that accomplishes this.

An example of an air conditioner without sufficient drainage.

3) Ensure good ventilation

Poor ventilation creates internal moisture issues. Without proper ventilation, moisture becomes trapped and conditions are ripe for the growth of mould.

Not only that, but air quality suffers, and excess moisture can ruin carpets and stain walls.

The best way to improve ventilation is to keep doors and windows open as much as possible. This allows fresh air to circulate through the home.

You can also make use of fans to further circulate air throughout the home.

Thermal imaging showing excess moisture, conducted during an inspection.

Contact us today

If you’re concerned that your home has been damaged by excess moisture contact Dedant today.

Our Annual Termite Inspection uses a thermal imaging camera and moisture meter to detect pests and excess moisture in your home.

If you would like a comprehensive inspection contact us on our website or call on 07 3807 0122.

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5 Winter Pests To Prepare For

As we move toward June and the start of winter, it is worthwhile to be mindful of winter pests that can lurk around your home in the cold months.

When seasons change, various animals change their behaviour to cope with these conditions. Preparing early for changing seasonal conditions will make keeping your home pest free that much easier.

As such, we have put together this blog to help you know what types of pests to prepare for before winter begins.

1)     Mice and rats

Mice and rats are warm blooded animals. That means they will seek out places of warmth and shelter that have food.

Unfortunately, your home fits that description purposefully.

These rodents will hide in your walls, near warm pipes, in ceiling insulation or in areas like basements.

Rats can spread disease, eat away at electoral wiring and even raid your kitchen if left unchecked.

To treat a mice or rat infestation, consider getting baited traps. Alternately, you may wish to get a cat, which are very good mice catchers.

2)     Bed bugs

Bed bugs, unlike many other forms of insect, do not hibernate during the winter. Instead they remain active.

Bed bugs also are attracted to a similar temperate range as humans. Thus, our bodies are their favourite host. Once they attach to humans, they suck our blood and cause itchy bites.

They attach themselves to clothes such as jumpers or hide in our bags. They are most known for attaching themselves to blankets and doonas and living in our beds, hence their name – bed bugs.

winter pests

What bed bugs look like.

3)     German cockroaches

German cockroaches are a breed of cockroach that like to find warm places to procreate in the winter.

Your home, which is both warm and containing plenty of food, is a prime place for this breed of cockroach to hide.

German cockroaches are an introduced species not native to Australia, but they are a particularly difficult try and get rid of.

However, getting rid of them is an absolute necessity. Cockroaches spread disease and can contaminate the food in your home.

4)     Termites

Termites are active all year round, so you must be as vigilant against them in winter as you are in summer.

These pests will eat away at the wood within and around your home if left unchecked. If any termites are found, do not disturb them and instead contact pest control experts.

5)     Overwintering pests

Overwintering pests are those that will use your home as a place to hibernate in the winter.

Although they are not active during this time, they will become active once the weather heats up again.

Such overwintering pests include flies, ladybugs, moths, mosquitos, caterpillars, stink bugs and crickets.

If you see any of pests hibernating in your home, it is best to remove them before they awaken and continue to threaten your property.

While ladybugs don’t need to worry about snow here in Australia, they will still hibernate in the cold

Contact us today

Dedant offers comprehensive pest control services to deal with any infestation you might have.

Contact us on our website or call today on 07 3807 0122 to inquire.

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Our 3 Pre-Purchase Building Inspection Steps

Your pre-purchase building inspection is so important to get right, as it allows you to make note of faults you might not have otherwise seen. At Dedant, have 3 pre-purchase building inspection steps that we follow, to ensure we do the job right.

By knowing these faults, you can make an informed decision about purchasing a new house. Because buying a home is so expensive, you’ll want to make a careful decision about the final purchase.

With this knowledge, you may wish to negotiate down the price or compel the seller to fix it. Alternately, you may choose not to buy the house at all.

At Dedant Building and Pest Inspection, we conduct a comprehensive inspection that looks at structural issues, moisture issues and pests.

These three things can all have a major impact on a house you’re looking to buy.

Looks like a perfect home, right? Well maybe not. A pre-purchase inspection can reveal hidden flaws.

Looks like a perfect home, right? Well maybe not. A pre-purchase inspection can reveal hidden flaws.

1)     Structural issues

The first of our building inspection steps is to examine structural issues.

Structural issues are examined and found through a visual inspection of the home and surrounding area, provided they are able to access it.

These structural issues that can influence the safety and price of the home include a damaged roof, cracks in the walls, uneven floors, timber rot, rust stains, distorted windows etc.

Even minor problems can become major concerns very quickly. It is vital that you know as early as possible where these issues are.

2)     Moisture

Dedant conducts moisture detection using Ultrascan.

While a pre-purchase building inspection does not directly look at plumbing, scanning for moisture can reveal a lot about the quality of the plumbing. If moisture is detected, this could be a sign of a problem.

Common plumbing and drainage problems include leaking pipes, blocked gutters and defective showers.

Also, moisture can come from other sources, like from cooking in the kitchen or inadequate ventilation.

Furthermore, areas where moisture is likely to build up, such as kitchens and bathrooms, are inspected for any potential damage.

An example of rust.

3)      Pests

Dedant scans for pests using Infrared Thermal Imaging. This technology allows us to see termites and other pests that might be crawling inside your walls or otherwise hidden.

These pests can cause long-term damage to your home and even threaten your health. Certain pests can carry diseases.

If any pests are found, we will let you know the best treatment to get rid of them. Dedant offers a general pest treatment which treats spiders, cockroaches, silverfish, ants and wasps.

Furthermore, Dedant can install a chemical barrier to protect your home from termites.

Though these, and any other pest control services, are a separate service and not included in the cost.

If you’d like to inquire about a Pre-Purchase Building and Pest Inspection, call Dedant on 07 3807 0122 or contact us on our website.

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5 Tips For Buying a Home In Logan

If you’re thinking about buying a home in Logan, you should know about our 5 tips that can help you make the right decision on your purchase.

1)     Be honest about what you can afford

One of the worst things you can do is purchase a home that is beyond your means to pay for.

Buying the wrong home can lead you to slave away paying off an expensive mortgage for your whole life. Or worse, it can become too costly for you to pay at all, forcing the bank to repossess your home.

Affordability is not a matter of borrowing the max amount you can borrow. Instead, you should consider just how much you ca afford to pay every month.

Plan a budget based around your home loan repayments, with enough left over for emergencies and maintenance. That way you can have a great home while still enjoying the life you want.

buying a home in logan

John Davison Place, a street in the Creastmead suburb of The City of Logan.

2)     Know your zoning and overlays

Knowing your zone and overlays is very helpful when purchasing a home.

“Zoning” is the way that the government controls how land can be used. As such, zoning laws determine how large buildings can be and where they can be placed.

Meanwhile, “overlays” are more specific and relate to specific elements of the land such as vegetation, heritage, character values or risks (erosion, bushfires etc).

If you’re looking to modify or build on a property, knowing what zoning laws and overlays apply to the area will let you know what you’re allowed to do to on your own land.

3)     Look at the area of the home

The home you want can vary based on your lifestyle. Thus, you should make sure the area your home is in caters to that lifestyle also.

For example, if you are a family with young children, you may want to position yourself near a school.

However, if you’re a professional who works in the City, you’ll want to buy a home as close as possible to the CBD.

If you’re someone who does not own a car, you would be wise to buy a home somewhere that has ample public transport within a short walking distance.

Living near public transport is an important consideration when buying a home.

4)     Negotiate as much as possible

Buying a home is the biggest investment that many people ever make. As such, you should not be afraid to negotiate as hard as you can.

You should begin with a reasonable, lower end offer on the price of the home. If this price is not accepted by the seller’s agent then gradually work your way up until a compromise is reached.

Set yourself a maximum price cap and do not go over it.

5)     Book a building and pest inspection

One thing that can influence the price of the property is the existence of any flaws.

Such flaws include a termite infestation, degraded fencing, damaged roofing, bathroom mould and poor paintwork.

These flaws are generally exposed by a Pre-Purchase Building and Pest Inspection.

After finding these flaws, you can either decide not to buy the home, force the seller to amend these issues or compel them to lower the price of the home.

Dedant offers quality Pre-Purchase Building and Pest Inspections from $350. This inspection can save you thousands of dollars when buying a home in Logan.

To book with Dedant, contact us on our website or call us on 07 3807 0122.

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Removing lizards on your property

Lizards are a common sight around Queensland homes. However, not everyone is comfortable having these reptiles around the home. You have many options available for removing lizards.

In this blog, we’re going to share our tips for making sure geckos and skinks leave your home and stay out.

Know the signs

Recognising the signs of a lizard presence if your first step for getting them out of your home.

Geckos communicate with a series of loud clicks and squeaks.

Lizards can drop their tails to distract predators. If you find these tails around your home, this can be evidence that a lizard is occupying your home.

A lizard’s tail after it has fallen off from the body.

Catch and release them if you see them

When removing lizards, it is important not to kill them because some types of lizards are protected species.

Try and catch it and release lizards away from your home if you find them.

If you see a lizard on your wall or on the floor, trap them in a jar and carry them back into the wilderness.

Chopped onions

Driving lizards away from your home is another option.

A natural deterrent to lizards is onions. Lizards cannot stand the smell.

Cut up onions and place them in areas you believe lizards might be. They will flee if they catch wind of the smell.

Alternately, you can use a spray bottle of onion extract and spray it around the home. This will have the same effect.

The smell of cut up onions repels lizards.

Reduce humidity and moisture

Lizards lay eggs and nest in areas with high moisture and humidity.

As such, you should work to improve air circulation to lower moisture. Consider utilising fans and opening doors and windows whenever possible.

Furthermore, to lower moisture you should keep gutters clean, fix leaky pipes, dry laundry outside of the home and use an exhaust fan when cooking.

Lizards will be less likely to enter homes that are drier and cooler.

Get rid of their food source

One of the biggest reasons lizards are attracted to your home is because they find pests there.

This is because they eat ants, larvae, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, termites and other types of pests.

As such, if you remove these pests from your home, lizards will move and look for other areas to find food.

Dedant Building and Pest Inspections offers pest control services that will get rid of all the bugs that lizards feast on.

Call us on 07 3807 0122, through Facebook or on our website to book or to find out more.

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Safety hazards from around the home

Our inspectors at Dedant have seen all manner of houses. There are several common safety hazards that we have found through the years that you should watch out for.

These various defects range from minor to potentially life threatening.

We will go over some of the more prominent ones with you.

No railing on stairs

Every set of stairs need at least one hand railings.

This is because even a small staircase is a major tripping hazard.

More serious trips can cause broken bones, sprains, cuts or potentially even death if you strike your head.

With a handrail to grab on to, you can potentially save yourself from major injury or death.

If you are lacking handrails on any set of stairs, seek to rectify this immediately.

An example of stairs without a hand rail.

Loose railings

One of the more common safety hazards is loose railings.

Loose railings on stairs or balconies are another safety issue that is all too common in houses.

They can potentially break or give way if any weight is put on them. This creates a fall risk.

You should have this addressed immediately.

A loose rail on a balcony.

Uneven pathway

Uneven tiling or brickwork, where some parts stick out into the air and others remain flat, is another major safety issue.

This is because it creates an uneven ground that acts as a trip hazard.

Instead, surfaces should be as smooth as possible to prevent trips, slips and falls.

A raised surface in a residential blog.

Lift off hinges for toilets

The Building Code of Australia specifies that toilet doors should be easily removable.

This is because toilets are often very small rooms where accidents are prone to happen.

In the event someone falls unconscious they may fall against the door and make it difficult to push open.

Thus, lift off hinges should be used instead. Such a hinge would allow for someone to lift and remove a door easily, even if it is blocked from the other side.

This is the sort of room you’ will need lift off hinges in.

Leaning fence

Having a fence with a lean is a major safety issue.

A fence that leans could fall at any given time and potentially injure you or a family member.

Fences tend to lean as a result of rot or stumps becoming dislodged from the ground.

You can stop a leaning fence from getting worse by bracing it with wooden posts to hold it up.

However, this is only a temporary measure and you should seek to fix or replace your fence as early as possible.

Some examples of fences that are dangerous due to leaning.

For inspections and reports contact Dedant

For Pre-Purchase and Pre-Sale Building and Pest Inspections, contact Dedant.

We conduct thorough inspections and give you an easy-to-read report that goes over all major and minor issues.

To inquire, message us on Facebook, get in touch through our website or call on 07 3807 0122.

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