Lately, I have seen many people wait too long to complete a project on their home. There are some real consequences to waiting. For example, if you put off a roofing project, you may pay far more than what you should have. Once water enters the home, it creates problems and quickly forces you to replace sheet rock, insulation, and possibly mold removal.
In this economy you may be afraid to spend money on home improvements, but if you don’t, you may spend far more. Even if finances are an issue, talk to a contractor who may offer financing. If you have equity in your home, you can also get a loan with a low interest rate. Pay attention to your home, it’s always best to do home repair sooner, than later.
Here are some projects that you should not put off and what to look for:
Roofing:
What to look for: shingles peeling up, moss on the roof, ice dams in the winter, fading, know the life of the roof – don’t wait longer than 25 – 30 years.
Obviously, if you wait too long to replace a roof you may end up with damage to your home. You may have to replace sheet rock, insulation, trim boards, and potentially do mold removal. Save yourself the headache and the money and keep an eye on your roof and interior ceilings and walls.
Painting:
What to look for: peeling paint, bubbles in the paint, and rotten areas.
Quite simply, wood exposed to the elements results in rotten wood. Keep up on painting both exterior and interior to keep these problems at bay.
Windows:
What to look for: joint separation, rotten wood, fogged glass in the winter, and overall function. If the window is hard to open and close, chances are you will have a problem.
If you have old windows, you lose in energy costs and you pay the price if there is water leakage. Sounds like its time to give me a call J, but just like a roof, if water comes in your home you will have to replace trim boards, sheet rock, insulation, and potentially do mold removal. Make sure you are doing the maintenance recommended by the manufacturer.
Siding:
What to look for: peeling or bubbles in the paint, rotten areas (you can replace sections), fading and wavy sections of vinyl siding.
Like a roof, siding is your first line of defense from the elements. It is really important to keep up on the painting of your siding. Siding will rot quickly if not properly maintained. If you have vinyl siding, you don’t have much in the way of maintenance, but know when it was installed because it has a shelf life. The manufacturer will have more detailed information on maintenance.
Mechanical Maintenance:
All I want to say about this is – do not delay scheduled maintenance on your mechanicals including your furnace (and chimney), hot water, septic system etc. etc. etc. It is very expensive for replacements.
I’ve witnessed people wait too long on the above projects and see them pay a lot of money to fix the consequences. Not all problems can be avoided, but some knowledge of what to look for can head off serious problems. Paying good attention to your home can help you maintain and continue building equity.
I hope this helps make Your Home in Maine a better place. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks,
Doug