Five Hidden Parts of Your Home That Need Regular Maintenance
The moment you realize how much money you borrowed to buy the house, you magically transform into a jack-of-all-trades, ready to roam around with a hammer and wrench, fixing things before they become huge repair bills . But even the most knowledgeable homeowner tends to focus on what they see and constantly interact with —a leaking roof , faulty air conditioners, etc. However, homes are designed to hide their dirty, filthy insides from you, which means that many important aspects of your home are out of sight and most likely out of mind.
Most of these things are designed to last a long time, but not forever. Homes with concrete foundations and wood frames (the most common type) are designed to last a century or more , but on average last about 50-60 years . Of course, there are many much older homes, but these are the exceptions and are more likely to be well maintained and have many non-original components. Depending on the age of your home when you purchased it, you may have trouble moving forward if you don’t pay attention to this hidden home maintenance.
Wiring
Electrical wiring is one of the most overlooked aspects of a home. After all, if the power turns on when you flip a switch or press a button, why bother? We fix the obvious: If a light, switch or outlet stops working, we replace it. However, like everything else, the wiring hidden in your walls and under your floors has a lifespan: usually around 50-70 years . The copper itself can last more than a century , but the insulation around the wire will deteriorate much faster.
And it’s dangerous because electrical wires get hot when overloaded and can set your home on fire if their insulation frays, melts, or frays. There are approximately 24,000 electrical fires in residential buildings each year, resulting in approximately 300 deaths. This makes checking and maintaining the wiring in your walls a priority. This should be done at least every 10 years by a licensed electrician who can start at your electrical panel and assess the condition of the wiring from there. If you’re not sure how old the wiring in your home is, have it checked immediately and then do it every 10 years or so from now on.
Pipes
Something else we rarely think about until a problem arises is the pipes that carry water through our walls. Depending on when and where your home was built (or last updated), your pipes can last anywhere from 30 years (PEX pipes) to over 50 years (copper or brass). If you bought a home that was built 50 years ago and hasn’t been significantly updated in that time, it’s time to have it inspected by a professional plumber to make sure your pipes aren’t corroded, leaking, or showing other signs of wear and tear. age. In other words, just because water flows when you turn on the faucet doesn’t mean there’s nothing to worry about about your pipes.
This also applies to your sewer pipes. Because they are not pressurized, your sewer pipes may last a little longer than water pipes, but they will still corrode over time, leading to possible failure, which you should guard against by performing periodic inspections and repairs as well. ultimately a replacement.
Insulation
According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, most insulation materials used in homes are expected to last a very long time —more than 100 years if we’re talking about the very common fiberglass batts or rolls, rock wool, or cellulose foam. This makes sense: the insulation is simply found inside the walls, ceilings and under the floors.
However, in practice this is not entirely true. Felt stuffed into voids can fall out due to gravity, absorb moisture from floods or high humidity and become moldy, or become nesting material for rodents and insects. It is generally recommended that whatever insulation material you have in your home, you should start checking it when it is 15 years old or so. You can do this by simply visually checking the condition of the insulation for fallen felts, discolorations that may indicate mold, or damage caused by insects and rodents. You can also use a hygrometer to monitor humidity in attics, basements, and basements.
gutters
On one hand, most homeowners put a lot of thought into their gutters. On the other hand, we tend to think of them only in terms of keeping things clean and removing debris. Otherwise we will forget about them and how old they are. But your gutters can withstand as much as your roof – cold, heat, rain, snow – and depending on the material they’re made from, they can fail in as little as 20 years. If the home you bought is older than this, you may already have rusty, cracked gutters that won’t do their job, even if they’re clear of debris.
Copper gutters will last the longest— more than 50 years in some cases—but are not very common. More common gutters made of aluminum, steel or vinyl can last 20-40 years. But no matter what they are made of, an annual check for damage and faulty connections is mandatory. You can do this yourself if you’re comfortable standing on a ladder – look for rust, cracks or holes, and where gutters come away from the roof. If you see these signs of age, it’s time to call a roofing professional to replace them.
Foundation
The foundation is the foundation of your home, and when it fails, your entire home is at risk. However, we tend to forget about it until something catastrophic, such as a sunken house or water intrusion, brings it to our attention. The fact is that no foundation is designed to last forever: poured concrete foundations, one of the most common foundations in modern home construction, are only expected to last about 80–90 years . Without vigilance and care, the stress of the forces acting on your foundation will eventually undermine its integrity.
To ensure your foundation lasts as long as possible, the most important thing you can do is to have it checked regularly and correct any minor problems as they arise. Signs of water intrusion or condensation mean you may need to install a sump pump and make sure the ground is properly sloped to drain water away from your home. Cracks are also a clear signal: repair any minor cracks that appear and contact a professional to find out why the cracks are forming.