Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Nov 24, 2014 6:03 am First of all hello everyone, been a long time since I've been here, but I require a little assistance from some more knowledgeable minds around here. Recently - beginning of last month, I discovered some mud underneath the cornice in a bedroom wall backing onto an ensuite shower, I had it look at in days and confirmed by my pest control company that it was termites, however they informed me there were no live termites in the area, and I have a letter stating such, I was advised to contact the builder as they had come in via a shower base. Since then we've been going backwards and forwards with everyone handballing it on to someone else, until the builder on Thursday came back and said to contact our home insurance, they'll arrange shower base removal and contact whoever is at fault. Since we've been on the ball with inspections and keeping our reticulation system up to date, I thought we were convered for termite damage, is seeming less the case the further we go along. Now to add insult to injury, I had been semi content to not force the issue with anyone due to the fact the pest controller assured me their were no live termites, on advice from a neighboring builder who had heard about it, I cracked some more gyprock off, and what do you know, live termites. So I guess I have the following questions: 1) The termites entering from the shower base, I believe is classified as a building fault, should this be something that the builder is responsible for in the 7 year warranty? 2) I'm assuming since the termites have entered via shower base, the reticulation system warranty will not cover anything. 3) Is there any recourse that the termite company did not pick up the termites initially in their yearly inspection (July), and again when I called them in October? 4) Any other advice? Or should I suck it up and cop it? Obviously I am about to hit the phones again to all partys as the live termites need to be dealt with immediately, I will also call the insurer as the builder requested, however not expecting anything there. Re: Help Please - Termites Via Shower Base 2Nov 24, 2014 8:50 am Hi Edgecrusher, I can only offer you anecdotes but Building Expert is an accredited pest inspector so it may be worthwhile PMing him. So for the anecdotes.. our pest inspector told us that the first places they check when a house has termites are all the plumbing fixtures as termites are attracted by moisture. Termites should not be able to enter via the shower base, toilets or sinks because termite protection in the form of barriers or other should have been provided. He had a case once where the plumber had made some adjustments which had breached the termite protection and the plumber was liable for the entire bathroom repair because they had had to rip everything up to find the entry point. If your pest inspector has told you the entry point was a shower base then it is up to the builder/plumber to do something about it IM humble O. Re: Help Please - Termites Via Shower Base 3Feb 17, 2015 1:19 pm Liliana Hi Edgecrusher, I can only offer you anecdotes but Building Expert is an accredited pest inspector so it may be worthwhile PMing him. So for the anecdotes.. our pest inspector told us that the first places they check when a house has termites are all the plumbing fixtures as termites are attracted by moisture. Termites should not be able to enter via the shower base, toilets or sinks because termite protection in the form of barriers or other should have been provided. He had a case once where the plumber had made some adjustments which had breached the termite protection and the plumber was liable for the entire bathroom repair because they had had to rip everything up to find the entry point. If your pest inspector has told you the entry point was a shower base then it is up to the builder/plumber to do something about it IM humble O. Thank you, sorry for the belated reply, work has only just commenced rectifying. Shower base came up today, an area of concrete a bit smaller than a football was missing from the slab - the plumbing was out of position and this concrete was removed so that the shower base drain could be run back to the pipe, the pipe riser had one side broken off, and obviously the collar was broken away too. Termites had entered via the area where there was no concrete. Builder is repairing at their cost (agreed to well before this was discovered). I'm now deeply concerned about the other plumbing drains, I'm about to run out of recourse being at my 7 years is about to tick over. Obviously I am not going to mention any names. Re: Help Please - Termites Via Shower Base 4Feb 17, 2015 1:46 pm Hi Edgecrusher, Many thanks for updating us all on what happened. I'm glad this has been sorted and that your builder has taken the responsibility. Given what you found they were obviously in the wrong. You actually have ten years to claim on structural defects depending on which state you are in. Hope they do a good repair job for you. Re: Help Please - Termites Via Shower Base 5Feb 17, 2015 1:49 pm Liliana Hi Edgecrusher, Many thanks for updating us all on what happened. I'm glad this has been sorted and that your builder has taken the responsibility. Given what you found they were obviously in the wrong. You actually have ten years to claim on structural defects depending on which state you are in. Hope they do a good repair job for you. Excellent - 10 years is better piece of mind! Feel like going crazy over the issue, but realize it won't get anywhere. Re: Help Please - Termites Via Shower Base 6Feb 18, 2015 6:43 am Hi again Edgecrusher, I've had a bit of a look through your posts and you seem to be in NSW. I hate to cause you any angst but I know that NSW recently introduced some amendments into their Home Building Act. The best person to ask about your situation would be Andre Adams who is a lawyer on this forum who works in NSW: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=75807&p=1301706#p1301706 Send him a PM and maybe he can post the answer on the forum so other people from NSW know where they stand with a problem such as yours. I have seen poly marble shower bases last in excess of 30 years 1 4504 I've filled, levelled and compacted around 100mm of roadbase in preparation to lay some outdoor court tiles. Prior to doing the final compaction, I dusted the top with… 0 3044 I'll look into different shower heads and ask the plumber about some engineering and see what he says. Thanks 2 9563 |