Paths that slope the wrong way
Ground and paving that fall back towards the house, and why pest inspectors care.
In short: Water that runs to the wall instead of away from it keeps the slab edge damp, and damp ground is what termites look for.
What we found
Side paths and garden beds built up so the ground fell towards the house in several places around one Maidstone home.
Why it is a conducive condition
Wet soil against the slab and wall gives termites moisture and cover right where they enter.
The building side
Ponding at the wall also feeds reactive clay movement, a cause of cracking in Melbourne's west.
On young Fraser Rise lots
The first landscaping often raises the ground. Keep it below the slab edge and falling away.
Fixing it
Regrade the ground, add a drain at the path edge, and keep downpipes discharging into the stormwater, not the garden.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Fraser Rise. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
