Your homestead is like any other item or purchase. To keep it in tip-top condition it needs a little tender loving care. You need to make sure that you are looking after your property otherwise issues with the home will get worse and could ultimately lead to disaster. You might think that problems with the home develop because it has not been looked after properly. But actually, this isn’t the case at all. Instead, home issues will typically develop regardless due to age. It’s just up to you to make sure you note the issues and take action to correct them. What type of problems are we talking about here and what are the solutions? Let’s address the issues of your aging home.
Issues Of Your Aging Home
Replacing Old Appliances
There are two appliances we are thinking about here in particular. These are your washing machine and your dryer. Both, if left poorly maintained can cause terrible problems. One will be a fire hazard, and the other could cause flooding in your home.
Did you know troublesome washing machines cause 170 million dollars in damages in the USA alone every year? It’s true, and that is why you should keep a check on the connections to your washing machine. Make sure that there are no cracks and that pipes haven’t corroded. Replacing the pipes at the back of your washing machine will cost you just twenty dollars, and it could be the difference between a dry home and one that’s flooded with water.
As for your dryer, experts believe these cause about fifteen thousand home fires annually. You don’t want your home to be on this list. That’s why you should be checking the dryer regularly for issues such as a build-up of lint or dents in the fan.
Fix Up Those Window Wells
Typically, older homes have window wells that are not suitable to protect your home against flooding. When you think about it, window wells are always going to cause a danger of flooding unless they have been properly built in and maintained.
You can get your window wells maintained and renovated by an expert, and this is well worth doing. That way, you will be able to make sure that they are not a flooding hazard. You can also guarantee that they look great on the exterior of your home as well.
Crumbling Mortar
Finally, we need to think about the mortar that makes up your home. Have you noticed it starting to crack? You might have seen small shards of it in your garden around your home. Or, perhaps you have noticed that wasps are becoming more common. Wasps like to nest in cracks in mortar so if this is an issue you can certainly expect to see more of that unfriendly insect.
The good news is that it is an easy problem to fix. You can start by grouting, forcing the concrete into the cracks and letting it dry. This will make it far more durable. You may also need to engage in a little tuckpointing, and that is slightly more difficult. For this, it might be best to call in a pro.
We hope you take this advice and make sure you are correcting the issues of your aging home. Do you have other issues that should be addressed? Tell me about them in the comments below.