With family life raging on at a furious pace, it can be easy to forget about the important little things. Our homes are often put on the back burner for other aspects of life; which means that problems go from tiny to titanic before you realize. With some awareness and regular observation, you can limit these problems to a few hours work.
This post will go through some of the common problems people leave to sit in their homes. All of these issues are related to the building itself, so some may not apply to your home. Keep these things in mind on a daily basis, and watch out for the tell-tale signs.
- Cracked Walls and Brickwork
On a lot of houses, you’ll see large cracks and gaps in brickwork. This can be caused by a host of things, including settlement or frost action. Having a few gaps isn’t a problem in the short term, but it can become a true nightmare if left unchecked.
Cracks can lead to further degradation, or even collapse, of the entire wall. Obviously, this is a major issue. But, if you catch it early, it’s easy and cheap to resolve. If you’re concerned, talk to a masonry expert. They can check the existing damage, and repair it if need be. Usually, this sort of work can be completed on the day.
- Woodworm
This is one of the typical building defects found in older homes. In houses with a lot of old wood, you will often see that the surface of the wood itself is littered with tiny holes. You may also find small piles of wood dust below beams. Unfortunately, once your house is infested with woodworm, it’s very hard to remove. Usually, the only effective method is to remove all of the wood within the house. So, if your house shows signs of woodworm, be extra careful to monitor the house. It is worth having regular surveys of the house; to ensure that it is structurally sound.
- Damaged Window/Door Lintels
Lintels are the slabs of stone that you find above windows and doors. They act almost like an arch; providing enough strength for the cutout, so that it doesn’t collapse. Overtime, lintels can start to come loose and even crack. So, you need to keep an eye on them. If they fail completely, it can lead to much more serious problems; like collapse or subsidence. Have a professional inspect any cracks or gaps you have in your lintels, just to be sure.
- Failing Arches
Much like lintels, arches above porches and doors can fail. If you notice gaps between bricks, or cracks in the cement holding them together, you might have a problem. Sometimes these cracks don’t change the strength of the structure, and it will remain strong. But, in some cases, these small cracks can lead to complete collapse.
Don’t leave any of this to chance. Any problem with a house will only get worse until it’s fixed. And worse problems means more expensive work; so get those issues checked as soon as you can. Then keep monitoring the common problem areas, to catch things early.