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Independent · Australian English · Est. journal
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Bushfire, flood, cyclone country and older weatherboard — inspecting houses in the Australian landscape.
Australian houses fail in ways that follow climate and era. Ember attack through unsealed eaves, silt in a cavity after an overland flow, missing cyclone straps in a roof space, and restumping a Queenslander are different jobs. A national standard still has to be applied to a local house.
This hub covers bushfire-prone houses and BAL ratings, flood-affected properties, cyclone country roofs, and heritage houses and weatherboard by era.
In the north, the roof is the first thing the wind tests. Inspectors look for straps, screws and rust. They do not certify the house will survive the next cyclone.
Tom Reardon · 22 October 2024
Council maps show where water has been modelled. Skirtings, silt and swollen cabinets show where it has been. Neither is a complete history.
Maya Chen · 17 September 2024
Ember attack, not a wall of flame, is how most houses are lost. A pre-purchase inspector can see some of the risk. A BAL assessment is a different job.
Elena Vukovic · 6 August 2024
A Queenslander, a Paddington terrace and a 1970s brick veneer fail in different ways. Inspection priorities follow the decade the house was built, not the suburb’s asking price.
Priya Nair · 9 July 2024