 |
|
Houston Texas Real Estate Blog > 7 steps to increase the life expectancy of your home7 steps to increase the life expectancy of your homeContributed by Frank Schulte-Ladbeck on December 20, 2007 Every so often, I am asked if home inspectors have a life expectancy chart for a home's equipment and parts. The joke among inspectors is that an appliance will last the life of the warranty plus one day. There really is no way to tell how long a piece of equipment or a material will last on a home. I have seen actuary tables for the life expectancy of certain animals, including humans, and you would think that such a chart could be made for homes. In Japan, it would not be an issue, since many homes are torn down after fifteen years, since land is at a premium. I guess that solves the worries about if that roof would last. The problem with making that determination about a home is that people treat parts of their home so differently. The weather and building techniques also vary. Quality of the equipment and material also plays a big part. The biggest factor has to be home maintenance. About a month ago, I was speaking with a homeowner who proudly stated that she did not need to take care of her roof, because she had bought a special roof. I said that is nice, but I do not think any roof can withstand a thick layer of leaves left on it. No product is designed to take constant abuse. The leaves help keep the moisture in one spot, and they make a great place for insects to house. The material of the covering may be designed to withstand algae build-up, but not the attack of insects, or to resist moisture better than other roof materials. Here are some common items that you can take care of to improve the life expectancy of parts of your home: 1. Clean your gutters. Products which help prevent leaves from collecting in the gutter are good, but even they need to be cleaned at times. Leaves and pine needles that are lumping up on the roof should be cleaned off as mentioned above. 2. Drain tank style water heaters. You have to turn off the pilot light and the water to let the water drain through a garden hose. It takes a while. The minerals in your water will build up in the interior, causing it to work harder. Do this at least once a year, but four times a year is better. 3. Change out or clean filters for the air conditioner and range often. Current thinking says that air filters should be changed out once a month, when it use to be once every three months. Range filters collect grease, which could lead to a fire. 4. Do not let mulch build up over the foundation to touch your exterior wall. This is similar to the roof; moisture and insects can be a major problem. 5. Fix pipe leaks with the proper parts. Pipes under sinks start to leak due to damage received when items are banging against them, when we are placing the objects in the cabinet under the sink. Replacement parts are inexpensive, and they do the job right. 6. Use appliances from time to time. Dishwashers to gas fireplaces need to be used to continue working properly. Gaskets dry out, or dust covers electrical contacts. If you do not use equipment of your home, you may find that you have to repair it when selling. 7. Make repairs when an item breaks. It is easy to let things slide. You do not use a fan often, but the screw holding it tight has loosened, so the fan wobbles. Eventually that wobbling will bring more problems, which could have been resolved by tightening a screw. Basic maintenance is the idea. The above list is from items that I see during inspections that can be performed by most of us, or by a relative. When making repairs take the time to fix it properly. I have seen homeowners repair items by forcing parts back on, and then they break the parts. Fix items that you are comfortable repairing, and find a good how-to book. Comments:No comments have been submitted yet.
|
Recent Blog Posts...Good News and Bad News for Houston Real Estate Comments: 1 CityCentre Walkable Mixed Use Development Replaces Town and Country Mall Comments: 2 Top 10 most expensive homes in Houston Comments: 0 Houston Gardening Tips to increase your homes value by 10% Comments: 1 Green Up...Home Selling Tips for Houston Comments: 0 The Bailout & How It Affects Houston’s Current & Future Homeowners Comments: 1 Housing Market in Houston Stable for the Moment Comments: 0 How will the destruction of Hurricane Ike affect the Houston economy and real estate market? Comments: 1 CityStateRealEstate launches San Antonio real estate site - SanAntonioHomes.com Comments: 0 How Do You Pass a Building Inspection with New Green Systems in Your Home Comments: 0
|
