Super-storm Sandy proves fatal for some on the US East coast

A large tree in Methuen, Mass. Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 lays atop power lines due to Monday's hybrid superstorm Sandy. Sandy caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 6 million homes and businesses. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Written by

Allen G. Breed and Tom Hays

Associated Press

"NEW YORK — Millions of people from Maine to the Carolinas awoke Tuesday without electricity, and an eerily quiet New York City was all but closed off by car, train and air as superstorm Sandy steamed inland, still delivering punishing wind and rain. The U.S. death toll climbed to 39, many of the victims killed by falling trees.
The most devastating storm in decades to hit the country’s most densely populated region upended man and nature as it rolled back the clock on 21st-century lives, cutting off modern communication and leaving millions without power Tuesday as thousands who fled their water-menaced homes wondered when — if — life would return to normal."

http://www.pnj.com/viewart/20121031/HURRICANE/310310034/Superstorm-Sandy-makes-landfall?odyssey=tab|topnews|img|FRONTPAGE

In earlier days rural development would see the house paddocks cleared of trees to make way for the family farm home to be built.  Today in urban areas, trees offer a beautiful asset and increase the value and attractiveness of your street-cape and neighborhood.

Termites, hungry unhelpful Queenslanders

Termites bring alot of pain and cost to Queensland home owners.

Don't let them take your home for lunch. Below is an extract from the Queensland Building Services Authority.

To deter concealed termite entry to the dwelling, regular maintenance is essential. The following list is a guide to what owners should and should not do to protect their home from termites.

❑ Have the building inspected at least annually by a suitably qualified termite management contractor, licensed in Queensland by BSA. A free licence history check can be performed at www.bsa.qld.gov.au. More frequent inspections may be required in high risk areas (such as areas near trees or bush).

❑ Owners should perform their own ongoing inspections between professional inspections.

❑ Owners should be careful not to compromise their termite management system. Termite infestations can occur when a perimeter system has been made ineffective The most frequent cause of termite infestation is where a perimeter system has been bridged or breached, thus rendering it ineffective.

❑ Special care should be taken to protect the ‘weepholes’ (vertical joints between bricks close to ground level that are left open to allow any moisture to escape outside the house). 75mm minimum clearance is recommended from the bottom of any weep hole to the top of the garden bed, concrete or unit paving.

❑ Freestanding structures should be built with a minimum 25mm inspection zone between the structure and the house.

Storm season kick-off

The Gap 2008 Storm damage: ABC News image

Now that Australian AFL/NRL football codes have been settled with Grand final matches, the spring summer seasonal storm period is upon us.

Most structural inspections will focus on defective items or damage that may be present within the house structure.  This is fine however its worth considering items left of field (or backyard) that can cause harm and result in lost of property or even death.