New research has highlighted contributing factors to water damage and mould include the poor storage of materials during construction.
Commissioned by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) in partnership with the Victorian Managed Insurance Agency (VMIA) and Victoria University, the study was conducted to identify problematic building or plumbing work which could result in water damage and indoor mould.
The research was based on VMIA accepted domestic building insurance claims data between July 2018 and November 2020 alongside VBA data on building surveyors, builders and building permits.
VBA state building surveyor Andrew Cialini said the research would help identify improvement opportunities for building design, construction, certification and regulatory oversight as part of its Proactive Inspections Program (PIP).
“Waterproofing and drainage have been among the top risks highlighted in our quarterly PIP reports – we are sharing these findings with practitioners to better educate the wider industry on how to improve the quality of building and plumbing work in high-risk areas,” he said.
“Practitioners are expected to follow building processes that result in buildings that are durable and resilient to the elements in accordance with the building regulations.
“To protect consumers, the VBA will not hesitate to discipline and penalise poor performers accordingly.”
Consumers are advised to look out for early warning signs of water ingress or moisture damage.
