Protect your home with regular maintenance
The Tennessean • June 6, 2008
Owning a home is wonderful, but it comes with responsibilities — and one of the big ones is home maintenance. Today's squeaky attic fan could be next year's roof replacement. But if you spend a little time and money now, you can prevent big repairs later.
Regular maintenance might not cost as much as you think, maybe $500 a year, says Ray Baird, owner of RCI Services, who has spent 12 years inspecting homes and 34 years as a builder. Other experts suggest setting aside 1 percent to 3 percent of your home's value every year for maintenance costs.
"It's not that expensive if it's done regularly," Baird says. "The problem comes in with 'deferred maintenance.' "
The point is to know your home, inside and out, and take the time to look for signs of trouble, says Rick Moewe, owner of Comprehensive Home Inspection.
"You have to catch issues at an early stage before they create big problems," he advises. "It's all about the basics — like keeping moisture out of your house."
Stay ahead of things by taking time in the spring and fall to do a crawl space-to-attic check of the basics.
Check the vapor barrier. That's another name for anything that prevents ground moisture from evaporating underneath the house, penetrating the foundation and floorboards. "Keep the space under your house dry, because letting moisture hang around creates a really conducive environment for mold," says John Watkins, owner of Nashville Home Inspection. "Buy a roll of six-mil plastic and spread it across the ground in the crawl space."
Open foundation vents. When weather warms up in April or May, open the vents around the base of the house. "When it gets into the 60s, it's time to open those vents," says Tim Davidson, a sales representative for Clinard Home Inspection. "Otherwise, humidity is trapped under the house."
Look for leaks. Examine the flooring while checking out the crawl space. "Look for water leaks, rotted floor joists, standing water," says Duane Enoch, co-owner of home inspection company Pillar to Post. "A simple plumbing leak caught early can save thousands of dollars in the long run."
Do a visual inspection. "Walk around the house and look for cracks in the foundation," Enoch says. "Small cracks can be patched before they get too big, and big ones alert you to problems that can get bigger in the future."
Clear vegetation. "Keep vines off of the house," Watkins says. "They can trap moisture there or be invasive." For a homeowner who wants the look of an ivy-covered wall, he suggests installing a trellis so that the vine is 1 to 2 inches away from the house, leaving room for water to flow behind it.
Repair cracks. Look for cracks in any concrete surface. Gaps allow water to penetrate beneath the slab and weaken the base. "You can buy a tube of crack filler and take care of the cracks easily," Davidson says. "Keep water from infiltrating. It can be very destructive."
Look for openings. Door and window frames are often where air and moisture will leak. Make sure they're airtight. "Check for small gaps around windows and doors; that's where moisture will sit and create mold," Watkins says. "A tube of silicone caulk can fill many gaps. If the weather stripping is loose or missing, that's an easy thing to replace yourself."
Repair chipped paint. "Take a good look at the doorframes, any painted wood on the outside of your home," Davidson says. "If it's showing dampness, if paint is coming off, repaint it. Otherwise, water will be wicked up through the wood and it will rot."
Keep gutters clear. It's a dirty job, but there's no getting around it. All gutters have to be cleared of debris from time to time. "At least once a day I see rotten wood behind gutters," Davidson says. "You have to keep gutters clean. If water can't flow through them and out of the downspouts, it will overflow and cause the wood to rot."
Again, look for leaks. There are several spots where a roof is most vulnerable to water leaks: around chimneys, exhaust vents, plumbing vents, antenna or satellite dish connections. If there's a small gap and the roof isn't too steep, a homeowner can caulk the space. If the leak is substantial, call a professional.
Check insulation. "Time can make cellulose insulation settle," Watkins says. "Make sure there's at least 6 to 8 inches of insulation everywhere."
Make sure vents are working. Several types of vents are used to keep attics ventilated: the most common are power vents, ridge vents, soffit vents and turbine vents. If an attic doesn't have enough ventilation, heating and cooling bills will skyrocket and roof shingles will age prematurely, among other things.
Replace heating/cooling filter. It's a basic job that gets overlooked. Replace the air conditioning filter every 30 days, or the system works harder to suck air through a dusty surface. "Some people do it when they pay their electric bill each month," Davidson says. "Anything that helps you remember."
Keep faucets and sinks watertight. "Recaulk around bathtubs, sinks and faucets," Enoch says. "Prevent water intrusion now to prevent water leaks later."
Although it looks like a long list, checking off these maintenance items shouldn't take more than a few hours twice a year. And that will, most likely, save a lot of time and money later.
"Simple things can end up costing a fortune if you put them off," Enoch says.
Davidson puts it more directly. "Pay me now or pay me later," he says. "It's your choice."
The Tennessean • June 6, 2008
Owning a home is wonderful, but it comes with responsibilities — and one of the big ones is home maintenance. Today's squeaky attic fan could be next year's roof replacement. But if you spend a little time and money now, you can prevent big repairs later.
Regular maintenance might not cost as much as you think, maybe $500 a year, says Ray Baird, owner of RCI Services, who has spent 12 years inspecting homes and 34 years as a builder. Other experts suggest setting aside 1 percent to 3 percent of your home's value every year for maintenance costs.
"It's not that expensive if it's done regularly," Baird says. "The problem comes in with 'deferred maintenance.' "
The point is to know your home, inside and out, and take the time to look for signs of trouble, says Rick Moewe, owner of Comprehensive Home Inspection.
"You have to catch issues at an early stage before they create big problems," he advises. "It's all about the basics — like keeping moisture out of your house."
Stay ahead of things by taking time in the spring and fall to do a crawl space-to-attic check of the basics.
Check the vapor barrier. That's another name for anything that prevents ground moisture from evaporating underneath the house, penetrating the foundation and floorboards. "Keep the space under your house dry, because letting moisture hang around creates a really conducive environment for mold," says John Watkins, owner of Nashville Home Inspection. "Buy a roll of six-mil plastic and spread it across the ground in the crawl space."
Open foundation vents. When weather warms up in April or May, open the vents around the base of the house. "When it gets into the 60s, it's time to open those vents," says Tim Davidson, a sales representative for Clinard Home Inspection. "Otherwise, humidity is trapped under the house."
Look for leaks. Examine the flooring while checking out the crawl space. "Look for water leaks, rotted floor joists, standing water," says Duane Enoch, co-owner of home inspection company Pillar to Post. "A simple plumbing leak caught early can save thousands of dollars in the long run."
Do a visual inspection. "Walk around the house and look for cracks in the foundation," Enoch says. "Small cracks can be patched before they get too big, and big ones alert you to problems that can get bigger in the future."
Clear vegetation. "Keep vines off of the house," Watkins says. "They can trap moisture there or be invasive." For a homeowner who wants the look of an ivy-covered wall, he suggests installing a trellis so that the vine is 1 to 2 inches away from the house, leaving room for water to flow behind it.
Repair cracks. Look for cracks in any concrete surface. Gaps allow water to penetrate beneath the slab and weaken the base. "You can buy a tube of crack filler and take care of the cracks easily," Davidson says. "Keep water from infiltrating. It can be very destructive."
Look for openings. Door and window frames are often where air and moisture will leak. Make sure they're airtight. "Check for small gaps around windows and doors; that's where moisture will sit and create mold," Watkins says. "A tube of silicone caulk can fill many gaps. If the weather stripping is loose or missing, that's an easy thing to replace yourself."
Repair chipped paint. "Take a good look at the doorframes, any painted wood on the outside of your home," Davidson says. "If it's showing dampness, if paint is coming off, repaint it. Otherwise, water will be wicked up through the wood and it will rot."
Keep gutters clear. It's a dirty job, but there's no getting around it. All gutters have to be cleared of debris from time to time. "At least once a day I see rotten wood behind gutters," Davidson says. "You have to keep gutters clean. If water can't flow through them and out of the downspouts, it will overflow and cause the wood to rot."
Again, look for leaks. There are several spots where a roof is most vulnerable to water leaks: around chimneys, exhaust vents, plumbing vents, antenna or satellite dish connections. If there's a small gap and the roof isn't too steep, a homeowner can caulk the space. If the leak is substantial, call a professional.
Check insulation. "Time can make cellulose insulation settle," Watkins says. "Make sure there's at least 6 to 8 inches of insulation everywhere."
Make sure vents are working. Several types of vents are used to keep attics ventilated: the most common are power vents, ridge vents, soffit vents and turbine vents. If an attic doesn't have enough ventilation, heating and cooling bills will skyrocket and roof shingles will age prematurely, among other things.
Replace heating/cooling filter. It's a basic job that gets overlooked. Replace the air conditioning filter every 30 days, or the system works harder to suck air through a dusty surface. "Some people do it when they pay their electric bill each month," Davidson says. "Anything that helps you remember."
Keep faucets and sinks watertight. "Recaulk around bathtubs, sinks and faucets," Enoch says. "Prevent water intrusion now to prevent water leaks later."
Although it looks like a long list, checking off these maintenance items shouldn't take more than a few hours twice a year. And that will, most likely, save a lot of time and money later.
"Simple things can end up costing a fortune if you put them off," Enoch says.
Davidson puts it more directly. "Pay me now or pay me later," he says. "It's your choice."
No comments:
Post a Comment