Mould testing in the Somerset region

Older country homes

Many of the towns’ houses are timber, high-set or on stumps, with long ownership histories and additions from different decades. Typical findings are a back verandah enclosed as a bathroom or laundry without waterproofing, a roof that has been patched rather than replaced, and gutters that overflow onto the walls. Mould shows on the enclosed verandah ceiling, on the inside of external walls and in wardrobes.

Moisture readings around each addition separate an old, dry stain from a current leak, which matters for what a buyer or owner needs to fix first.

River flats and valley fog

Around Fernvale, Lowood and Wivenhoe Pocket, cold air and fog settle along the river on winter mornings. Homes on low ground stay damp longer, and enclosed subfloors and lower-level rooms are slow to dry. Some river-flat properties have also been through floods. An inspection looks at the subfloor, the lower walls and the drainage around the house.

Acreage: name every building

On a rural block, the granny flat, the converted shed and the caravan someone lives in are as important as the main house. Each needs to be listed when booking. Rooms used for sleeping get the same moisture and surface checks as the house; storage sheds can be checked at representative points where belongings are kept.

Suburbs and towns in this council area

Esk · Kilcoy · Lowood · Fernvale · Toogoolawah · Coominya · Linville · Moore · Harlin · Mount Mee · Glamorgan Vale · Wivenhoe Pocket