For any homesteader, a home is much more than a house. The house is very much the center of the whole operation. As much time as you might spend gardening, harvesting, and looking after animals during the day, the home is where everyone comes back in the evening. Ideally, it should feel cozy, warm, and welcoming. While many homesteads may prize a happy hearth over scrupulous tidiness, you will also want the house to be in order. Fundamental house issues need to be addressed immediately.
As with any home, a homesteader’s house can develop faults and fundamental house issues. These, if left, can become structural flaws requiring a significant level of work. Being able to recognize those faults is essential. Perhaps even more so in the classical rustic type of house that is common in the countryside. Calling out someone to perform the necessary repairs needs to be done in the most timely fashion. So if you see some of the following warning signs, move fast to get them looked after.
Fundamental House Issues
Sagging roof
If the roof in your home seems to be sagging or bowing somewhat, the likelihood is that your house has seen overloading on its internal load-bearing walls. Without speedy action, the sagging is going to get worse. This can go to the point where the roof, and the main house along with it, is at risk of collapse. An early warning sign for this can be when a roof starts to leak due to the outer timbers being pushed outwards. This creates a weakness. If you notice a leak in your roof, call someone immediately; swift action can make all the difference with these fundamental house issues.
Uneven floors
Another area of fundamental house issues involves the floors. The floors in a home rarely get much attention paid to them from a structural point of view. But they can be affected by any unsoundness in the house and become uneven to walk on. If left to themselves can even become a point of failure that will affect the safety of the house. An expert will first look at the damp proofing of the home which may need to be shored up. Then he will check to see if there are faults with the floor joists. At the first sign that there are issues with your floors, contact a structural engineer to diagnose the fault.
Stuck windows and doors
It’s not necessarily something that happens often. The experience of a door or window failing to open when you would expect can be a sign of fundamental house issues. Especially the foundations. If there has been movement in the foundations, it can move the frames and recesses of these areas off-center and cause them to stick. If this is happening, you will need to call out an expert to have a look at it. Failing foundations can cause the entire house to be at risk. If left too long, may reach a point where extensive demolition and rebuilding is the only option left.
Final Thoughts on Fundamental House Issues
The house is the proud center of any homestead. It requires the same care and attention you’ll give all of the other areas of your land. If you notice any fundamental house issues, get to grips with them without delay.