The best timber pest inspection tool in the business is an enquiring mind! When something unusual is found, you just have to do the “Julius Sumner Miller” and ask, “Why is it so?” Too many things are missed by inspectors that either didn’t understand what they’ve seen, or just simply didn’t bother to check the areas they should have.
The next best inspection tool is experience. With experience comes an ability to find issues (and answers) quicker than most. With over 36 years termite experience, Mark’s well qualified to provide practical advice in the termite issue.
Environpest’s timber pest inspection tool kit includes good quality torches, ladders, screwdriver, knife, magnifying glass etc. The major inspection tools include a Tramex Moisture Encounter moisture meter and a Termatrac machine.
The Tramex Moisture Encounter moisture meter is regarded as the benchmark moisture meter for timber pest inspectors. It non-destructively measures conductivity between two pads, enabling a view to be formed as to the presence of moisture (a symptom of termite attack). Moisture can also be caused by issues like a leaking shower or plumbing, or a poor damp course installation in proximity to a low brick window sill.
Termatrac is a machine that non-destructively looks inside a wall by microwave, and allows us to determine if there is any movement associated with any unexplained moisture found in the course of an inspection. Moisture and no movement suggests the moisture in unrelated to current termite attack. Moisture and movement suggests possible termite activity.
If moisture and movement is found, then it can be recommended that a more invasive inspection of the affected area be undertaken. That invasive inspection can be limited to drilling small holes and looking inside the wall by borescope, or cutting some plaster to physically see what’s behind the plaster.
In a pre-purchase situation, an invasive inspection can only be carried out with the permission of the owner. At Environpest, we don’t reach invasive inspection conclusions easily, and if a vendor is reluctant to provide permission where an invasive inspection is considered appropriate, it may well be time to invest your efforts in another property.
Some inspectors will use thermal imaging cameras in the course of their inspections. We don’t use them in the course of our normal timber pest or pre-purchase timber pest inspections. We are experienced with thermal imaging, and work with arguably the best thermographer in the country, who has the best resolution thermal imaging camera in Australia. He has a track record of finding issues the other thermographers miss. I can’t reasonably justify the cost of these thermal imaging inspections in the course of normal timber pest or pre-purchase timber pest inspections. For more information, have a look at our Thermal Imaging page.
Environpest are not the cheapest timber pest inspection company you’ll find, (and we’re not the most expensive) but as you might have gathered browsing our web site, given what we provide in our inspections and advice, you’ll find we’re incredibly good value. The value of the honest advice you get here will be remembered long after you’ve forgotten the price!
If we can help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to call Leeanne at Environpest on (07) 3219 2777, or e-mail Environpest at info@environpest.com.au.