Making a House Look Good While Wasting Money: Five Common Repairs Found During Home Inspections
It was a beautiful home; the type that newlyweds would love. Tile floors in the kitchen and dining room, with wood floors throughout the rest of the home. The doors had been updated, and the mechanical systems were kept up to date. The home inspection went well; however, there are always little things that people forget.
While inspecting various homes recently, I noticed that we like to make the house look good, but we forget some small repairs. Our eyes are drawn to appearance. If it looks good, then things must be good. We do not often think of repairs that could save us money. For example, I saw an attic door which would not fully close. The cool air drifted up through the crack to cool the attic, causing the A/C to work harder. An adjustment was needed to fix this waste.
Here is a list of common home inspection noted repairs that could save your home from further repairs:
Caulking roof nails or other fasteners: when the exposed nail head rusts, water can start leaking in. These fasteners will be found on shingles, vents/flashing, and dish supports.
Caulking expansion joints or wall joints were two siding materials join: rain does not only travel straight down. If you have a brick wall which then turns into a wall covered with wood plank siding, there will be a joint, which needs to be caulked.
Ground level coming up to the siding of the house: garden beds or grading for yards brings the earth in contact with the siding. This gives insects cover to come into the home. Water can flow into the house, or just seep into the siding, causing damage.
Having the exterior A/C unit sitting three inches above ground:the compressor/condenser unit needs to be above the ground to prevent water from sitting in the unit, rusting out the parts or causing other damage.
Pruning trees and bushes so that they do not rub against the house: I have a tree branch take off a section of roof. I have seen branches of a bush damage a conduit tube on a home. These plants seem harmless, but they can injure the building during a storm.
These are simple repairs which will prevent larger issues. Water penetrating into the home can cause rot, which leads to weakening of the framing. All of these are fairly easy to do, and they are not expensive, but they can save you money over the long run.
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