7 Home Repairs You Can't Ignore!
Homeowner procrastination can ruin a house.
Don't let water, pests, faulty wiring, dirty chimneys or old
appliances get the upper hand.
By Liz Pulliam Weston
Owning a house is expensive, which is why so many homeowners
procrastinate on repairs. Real-estate agents have a euphemism
for this condition: It's called "deferred maintenance." Some
fixes, however, should never be delayed. Ignoring these problems
can result in much more expensive repairs later on-or even
injury and death.
Here's what home inspectors around the country say you should be
on the lookout for:
A water leak-anywhere
A stain on your ceiling. A toilet that rocks. White powdery
stuff that grows on your bricks or foundation. A musty smell in
your house. Whatever the source, the culprit is water, and the
damage can be severe. "Water is probably the single most
destructive force to a house," said inspector Jeff Del Guercio,
owner of An Objective Inspection in Throop, Pa., and president
of the local National Association of Home Inspectors chapter.
"And a leak can go on for a long time without being noticed."
Left unchecked, leaks can lead to rot, dry rot, mold and termite
infestations. Water can cause roofs to collapse, foundations to
buckle and all manner of expensive repairs. What's more,
water-related problems can get your home blackballed by
insurance companies worried about the soaring number of
mold-related claims nationwide. (See "Insurers keep a secret
history of your home.") The fix: Isn't it obvious? Stop the leak
by any means necessary, repair the damage and take the required
steps to make sure the problem doesn't reappear. Minor roof
leaks, for example, can be patched with roof cement, but if your
roof is aged and failing, you may need to have it replaced.
That's expensive, but not as bad as replacing the trusses and
underlying roof structure that can rot away if not protected.
Flickering lights
Do your lights dim when the fridge switches on or you crank up
the microwave? You may have bad wiring or too many appliances
hooked to one circuit. Either one can cause a fire. "A lot of
older homes have only one or two circuits in the kitchen," said
inspector Jason Farrier of Elite Home Inspections in Phoenix.
"People will update the kitchen but still have all the
appliances running off those two circuits." It's far safer,
Farrier said, to have at least four circuits: two for countertop
appliances, one to run the dishwasher and garbage disposal and
another, dedicated line for the microwave. Flickering lights
also can be a sign of failing connections in aluminum wiring, a
feature in homes built between 1965 and 1973. The fix: You can
try to distribute power-hungry appliances more evenly, by not
running more than one at a time or by plugging some into another
circuit. But the best fix is a cure: Get an electrician to
upgrade your wiring, add more circuits, or both. If you have
aluminum wiring but can't afford to upgrade, the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission recommends making your wiring safer by
using special crimp connectors rather than the usual twist-on
style. For more information, see visit the commission's Web site
(link at left under Related Sites) or consult a professional
electrician.
Rodent incursions
If you hear the pitter patter of little rodent feet, don't turn
up the stereo to drown them out. It's not just that rodents can
carry disease and make a mess nesting in the tax records you've
stored in the attic. Rats, mice and other vermin love to chew
through insulation and wiring, Del Guercio said, and are
suspects in many house fires. The fix: Use traps and bait
products or call in an exterminator. Mice droppings can carry
the deadly Hantavirus, and rodents themselves can carry
everything from salmonella to the plague, so professional help
might be the wisest course.
Soaring fuel bills
If you're paying a lot more for gas or oil and there hasn't been
a rate hike recently, Del Guercio said, the culprit could be
problems with your furnace. This is more than a pocketbook
issue, since poorly functioning systems can cause deadly carbon
monoxide buildup in your home. The Consumer Product Safety
Commission estimates about 200 people die annually from carbon
monoxide exposure in the home, typically from malfunctioning
heating systems. The fix: Have your furnace professionally
cleaned and inspected annually, including the flue. The cost is
usually less than $100. Install UL-approved carbon monoxide
detectors, which cost $25 to $50 each.
Peeling paint
Paint is like a home's skin. It's the first line of defense
against incursions by water and pests. Water that seeps into
wood can lead to rot. At the other extreme, unpainted wood can
quickly get too dry and crack. The fix: Scrape off the old
paint, sand the surface smooth and apply a coat or two of fresh
color. (Be cautious in homes built before 1978, since many still
have lead paint. Dust and chips from such paint can cause
irreversible brain damage in children and nerve damage in
adults. Consider hiring professionals to test your home and
remove any lead paint. Your local or state health department
should be able to provide referrals to testing labs and
contractors.)
Smoky chimney
Here's another way neglect can kill your family, since chimneys
that aren't properly cleaned and maintained can catch fire.
Creosote, a by-product of wood burning, can build up in the flue
and ignite unless removed, said inspector Hy Naiditch of
Accuspect Home Inspection Services in Chicago. The fix: Get your
chimney swept and inspected annually; the cost is about $100.
(You can find certified chimney sweeps via the Chimney Safety
Institute of America, link at left under Related Sites.) Use
only seasoned wood, and build small, hot fires, rather than big
smoky ones. Never burn trash, cardboard or wrapping paper in
your fireplace.
Dirty, or missing, air conditioner filter
This is something Claude McGavic of Inspection Associates in
Bradenton, Fla., sees way too often. Overloaded or missing
filters allow dirt and dust to settle on the air conditioner's
coils. Warm air passing over the coils causes condensation. What
you get is mud-and a perfect medium for mold to grow and be
blown all over the house. Enough gunk can block air from getting
into the system, McGavic said, causing it to catch fire. McGavic,
president of the Home Inspectors Association of Florida, says
many air conditioner failures can be traced to this simple lack
of maintenance. "With a $2 filter," McGavic says, "you can
preserve a $6,000 air conditioning system." The fix: Replace the
filter once a month while the air conditioner is in use. Get
your system checked annually.
Here are some other safety fixes you should consider:
Ground-fault circuit interrupters: These electrical outlets,
with their distinctive red and black buttons, are designed to
prevent deadly shocks. Outlets in bathrooms and those in
kitchens within six feet of the sink should be replaced with GFCI outlets, said Naiditch, president of National Association
of Home Inspectors Illinois chapter. "They're the best $7 you'll
ever spend," Naiditch said. "They're a lifesaver." The
exception: Don't put a refrigerator on a GFCI, Naiditch said. A
fridge's normal on-and-off surges can trip the interrupter and
leave you with an icebox full of rotting groceries.
Flexible gas connectors: Gas appliances installed more than 10
years ago may still have dangerous brass connectors that can
fail, according to the safety commission, leading to fires or
explosions. These should be replaced with an approved connector,
typically stainless steel, Naiditch said. But don't move the
appliance to inspect, since even a slight motion can cause the
weak soldered connection to break. Have a professional appliance
repairperson check and make any changes.
Garage door openers: Yours should have an electric eye that
looks for obstructions and an automatic reverse mechanism to
prevent someone from getting squashed.
Dryer vents: The lowly clothes dryer causes more than 15,000
fires every year, often caused by lint buildup in the duct that
vents to the outside. Clean the ducts regularly and replace
plastic ducts with metal versions.
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