What we look for in Ascot Vale
Housing: Edwardian weatherboards and Californian bungalows on the higher ground around Union Road, a large public housing estate, and townhouses and second-storey additions on the sloping streets.
Ascot Vale has Edwardian weatherboards and Californian bungalows on the higher ground around Union Road, with the Melbourne Showgrounds, Fairbairn Park and the Maribyrnong River defining the lower western edge. Properties near the river sit on moist alluvial soil, and this is where the inspector expects the worst subfloor conditions. The bungalows have solid plinths and small vents, so the subfloor is often humid even where the block appears dry. Many homes have had a second storey or rear extension added, and the inspector checks how the new work was tied into the old floor frame and whether any plumbing was rerouted under the house. Retaining walls made from timber sleepers are common on the sloping streets, and they are a frequent source of activity that later spreads to the house. Established gardens along the river reserve have mature eucalypts. Owners should look at gutters and downpipes discharging near walls and confirm that any deck built over the old subfloor still lets it breathe.
We regularly inspect properties around Union Road shopping strip, Ascot Vale Station, Maribyrnong River and Melbourne Showgrounds.