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. Village Appliance Service located in the western suburbs of
Chicago will clean the ducts regularly and replace plastic ducts with
metal versions. If you haven't had this done before we recommended
scheduling an appointment with them today.
Village Appliance Service
800-815-FAST (3278) |
|
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