A cladding gap and a parapet slope
Two compliance questions, answered on their own.
In short: Compliance items examined in an Austral defect investigation.
What an investigation is for
One disputed element, examined properly and set against the requirement it was built to. Two Austral records read exactly like this: a cladding gap and a parapet slope, both under a compliance heading.
Cladding gaps
The junctions and gaps in a cladding system are part of how it sheds water. A gap outside what the system allows is a path behind the cladding, where nothing is designed to catch it.
Parapet slope
A parapet capping sheds water by falling away. Insufficient or reversed slope means water sits, then finds the joint underneath, and the wall below is where it appears.
Why they matter to a buyer
Both are visible from outside if you know what to look at, and both are the sort of item that produces an internal stain two winters later.
What to ask
On any home with cladding or a parapet, ask whether either was ever the subject of a report, and read it if it was.
Written by the Owner Inspections team from inspections carried out in Edmondson Park. Licensed building practitioners, NSW Fair Trading licence 366177C.
