Every pipe through a wall is a decision
Sealed, it is a wall. Unsealed, it is a door.
In short: Service penetrations recorded unsealed at lock-up and fixing stage in Austral.
What was recorded
Service penetrations to be sealed and caulked, at an Austral lock-up inspection and again at a fixing stage visit on a different job.
Three problems in one
An unsealed external penetration is a water path, an air path and, in a fire rated wall, a breach of the rating. Which of those matters most depends on the wall.
The pest angle
It is also a concealed entry route. A timber pest inspection records unsealed penetrations as a conducive condition for exactly that reason.
Where they cluster
Around meter boxes, air conditioning line sets, hot water units and waste pipes, which is to say wherever a trade arrived after the bricklayer left.
Fixing it
The right sealant, applied by whichever trade made the hole. It is minutes of work and it is on the builder before handover.
Written by the Owner Inspections team from inspections carried out in Edmondson Park. Licensed building practitioners, NSW Fair Trading licence 366177C.
