It is common for us to be exposed to regularly without developing any symptoms. The concerns increase, however, when certain materials are disturbed. Often, buyers purchase older homes and renovate them.
During routine home maintenance, identifying and addressing minor issues like gaps around exterior fixtures can prevent unnecessary wear over time. While these gaps are often small, they can be pathways for moisture, potentially leading to subtle damage if left unchecked.
Importance of Regular Maintenance
Keeping up with small maintenance tasks, such as sealing gaps, plays a key role in preserving your home’s integrity and appearance. It’s a simple measure that can prevent the slow ingress of moisture, which, over prolonged periods, might affect the material condition around fixtures.
How to Address the Issue
Sealing these gaps is a straightforward DIY task:
Inspect exterior fixtures for any signs of gaps or separation from the wall.
Choose the right caulking material for outdoor use and for the materials of your fixtures and walls.
Apply the caulk carefully to fill the gaps, ensuring a smooth, waterproof seal.
Check the sealed areas annually as part of your regular home maintenance routine.
Conclusion
By incorporating simple tasks like sealing gaps around exterior fixtures into your home maintenance routine, you can maintain your property’s condition and appearance with minimal effort. Regular attention to such details helps in avoiding the need for more significant repairs in the future and keeps your home looking its best.
Identified Defect: Our recent inspection highlighted the presence of gaps between the trim and masonry around the overhead garage door. While often overlooked, these gaps can be pathways for moisture, potentially leading to damage over time.
Importance and Safety Implications: While the gaps themselves do not pose immediate structural concerns, the potential for moisture intrusion exists. Over time, moisture can compromise the integrity of the surrounding materials, leading to deterioration that, although not structural in nature, may require extensive repairs if left unaddressed. These gaps also offer an entry point for pests, which could lead to further issues within the garage area.
Potential Consequences of Ignoring This Issue: Ignoring these gaps can lead to moisture-related damage above the garage door, a common issue in many homes. While this situation typically does not affect the home’s structural integrity directly, it can lead to unsightly damage and potentially costly repairs down the line. The moisture may also contribute to mold growth, which can have health implications for some individuals.
Addressing the gaps between the trim and masonry is recommended as a preventative measure to avoid moisture-related issues. Sealing these gaps with a suitable sealant can prevent water entry and reduce the risk of pest intrusion. While immediate action may not be necessary, timely attention to this matter can prevent the problem from escalating, making it a wise maintenance decision. For best results, homeowners may consider consulting with a professional to ensure the use of appropriate materials and techniques for a durable and effective seal.
To clean vinyl siding on your house, you can create a simple and effective washing solution using common household ingredients. Here’s a recipe you can try: Ingredients: Instructions: When using the solution, it’s essential to follow proper safety precautions. Wear protective clothing, gloves, and eyewear, and ensure proper ventilation in the area. Pre-wet the vinyl […]
Ever wonder about your house number? Often, the previous owner installed the number and the new owner never had to think about it, leaving them clueless as to why it was placed where it is or why a particular color or size was chosen. These numbers are more important than you probably realize, and a lot of thought goes into making sure they are visible.
House numbers should be clear enough so that police, the fire department, paramedics, etc., can quickly locate properties in an emergency. Numbers are often the only way that first-responders can identify their intended destinations. Your city might even have laws requiring your house number to be of a certain size or color. Also, think of the poor pizza delivery guy who runs late because he can’t find your house, or frustrated party guests who have to knock on neighbors’ doors before they find yours.
Consider the following recommendations:
The numbers should be large, within reason. Try to make them at least 5 or 6 inches tall. Smaller numbers may not be visible from the street if you have a large front yard. Replacement house numbers can be purchased from hardware stores and online.
The numbers should be of a color that contrasts with their background. Reflective numbers are great because they are easier to see at night. Brown on black or white on yellow may look swanky but are bad choices for the purpose.
Try not to put house numbers behind any trees, shrubs, or anything else that may obscure their view from the street.
Make sure that the number faces the street that is listed in the house’s address. It does emergency workers no good if the house number faces a different street than the one the workers are traveling on.
Is your house not visible from the road? Then the number should be placed at the driveway’s entrance.
The next time you hire an InterNACHI inspector, ask him whether your numbers are adequate. Inspectors should know the laws in your area and be able to offer you a professional opinion.
Keep in mind that you may need to make adjustments.
Even if your house number is currently adequate, InterNACHI believes that it might need adjustment in the future. The following are common reasons why you may need to adjust your number in the future:
The addresses assigned to houses by the city occasionally change, and you must adjust your numbers accordingly.
The trees or shrubs in front of your house have grown so much that the number is no longer visible.
House numbers installed in the winter may be visible during that season, but become blocked by budding vegetation by spring or summer.
Maintain your house numbers, along with the rest of your home’s exterior.
Keep your numbers clean. They may not be reflective or contrasting if they are covered in mud.
Trim back vegetation as needed.
Don’t let piles of snow obscure the numbers. If this happens, raise the number so this situation does not happen again.
Winterization is the process of preparing a home for the harsh conditions of winter. It is usually performed in the fall before snow and excessive cold have arrived. Winterization protects against damage due to bursting water pipes, and from heat loss due to openings in the building envelope. Inspectors should know how winterization works and be able to pass this information on to their clients
Plumbing System
Water damage caused by bursting pipes during cold weather can be devastating. A ruptured pipe will release water and not stop until someone shuts off the water. If no one is home to do this, an enormous quantity of water can flood a house and cause thousands of dollars’ worth of damage. Even during very small ruptures or ruptures that are stopped quickly, water leakage can result in mold and property damage. Broken water pipes can be costly to repair.
All exposed water pipes in cold areas, such as attics, garages, and crawlspaces, should be insulated. Foam or fiberglass insulation can be purchased at most hardware stores. Insulation should cover the entirety of a pipe.
Plastic is more tolerant of cold expansion than copper or steel. Houses in colder climates might benefit from the exclusive use of approved plastic plumbing.
Water supply for exterior pipes should be shut off from inside the house and then drained.
Sprinkler systems are particularly vulnerable to cracking due to cold-weather expansion. In addition to turning them, it helps to purge the system of any remaining water with compressed air.
Homeowners should be aware that much of the plumbing system travels through areas that are significantly colder than the rest of the house. Because it is impossible to monitor the temperature of every portion of the plumbing system, indoor air temperature should be kept high enough throughout the winter to keep pipes in any unheated places from freezing.
Leaks in the Building Envelope
Leaky window frames, door frames, and electrical outlets can allow warm air to escape into the outdoors.
Windows that leak will allow cold air into the home. Feeling for drafts with a hand or watching for horizontal smoke from an incense stick are a few easy ways to inspect for leaks. They can be repaired with tape or caulk.
On a breezy day, a homeowner can walk through the house and find far more leaks than they knew existed. Leaks are most likely in areas where a seam exists between two or more building materials.
Insulation
Because hot air rises into the attic, a disproportionately larger amount of heat is lost there than in other parts of the house. Like a winter hat that keeps a head warm, adequate attic insulation will prevent warm indoor air from escaping. Attic insulation should be 12 inches thick in cold climates.
Storm doors and windows should be installed to insulate the house and protect against bad weather.
Heating Systems
The heating system is used most during the winter so it’s a good idea to make sure that it works before it’s desperately needed. The following inspection and maintenance tips can be of some help to homeowners:
Test the furnace by raising the temperature on the thermostat. If it does not respond to the adjustment quickly it might be broken.
Replace the air filter if it’s dirty.
If the furnace is equipped with an oil or propane tank, the tank should be full.
Cooling Systems
Use a hose to remove leaves and other debris from the outdoor condensing unit, if the home is equipped with one. Protect the unit with a breathable waterproof cover to prevent rusting and freezing of its components.
Remove and store window air conditioners when they are no longer needed. Cold air can damage their components and enter the house through openings between the air conditioner and the windowpane.
Ceiling fans can be reversed in order to warm air trapped beneath the ceiling to recirculate. A fan has been reversed if it spins clockwise.
Chimneys and Fireplaces
The chimney should be inspected for nesting animals trying to escape the cold. Squirrels and raccoons have been known to enter chimneys for this reason.
The damper should open and close with ease. Smoke should rise up the chimney when the damper is open. If it doesn’t, this means that there is an obstruction in the chimney that must be cleared before the fireplace can be used.
A chimney-cleaning service professional should clean the chimney if it has not been cleaned for several years.
The damper should be closed when the fireplace is not in use. An open damper might not be as obvious to the homeowner as an open window, but it can allow a significant amount of warm air to escape.
Glass doors can be installed in fireplaces and wood stoves to provide an extra layer of insulation.
Roofs
If debris is left in gutters, it can get wet and freeze, permitting the formation of ice dams that prevent water from draining. This added weight has the potential to cause damage to gutters. Also, trapped water in the gutter can enter the house and lead to the growth of mold. For these reasons, leaves, pine needles, and all other debris must be cleared from gutters. This can be done by hand or with a hose.
Missing shingles should be replaced.
Landscape
Patio furniture should be covered.
If there is a deck, it might need an extra coat of sealer.
Adequate winterization is especially crucial for homes that are left unoccupied during the winter. This sometimes happens when homeowners who own multiple properties leave one home vacant for months at a time while they occupy their summer homes. Foreclosed homes are sometimes left unoccupied, as well. The heat may be shut off in vacant homes in order to save money. Such homes must be winterized in order to prevent catastrophic building damage.
In addition to the information above, InterNACHI advises the following measures to prepare an unoccupied home for the winter:
Winterize toilets by emptying them completely. Antifreeze can be poured into toilets and other plumbing fixtures.
Winterize faucets by opening them and leaving them open.
Water tanks and pumps need to be drained completely.
Drain all water from indoor and outdoor plumbing.
Unplug all non-essential electrical appliances, especially the refrigerator. If no electrical appliances are needed, electricity can be shut off at the main breaker.
In summary, home winterization is a collection of preventative measures designed to protect homes against damage caused by cold temperatures. These measures should be performed in the fall, before it gets cold enough for damage to occur. Indoor plumbing is probably the most critical area to consider when preparing a home for winter, although other systems should not be ignored.