12 Ways To Stop Your Home From Falling Apart

Homeowners in the United States have a lot to worry about. The average homeowner has over $15,000 in-home repairs waiting for them just around the corner. Add another $5,000 if you live in an apartment or condo! No matter where you live, there are always things that can go wrong with your home. From leaks to fires and everything else in between, it’s important to stay informed on what might happen when these disasters occur so that you can be prepared when they do happen. Here are a few ways homeowners can stop their homes from falling apart.

Check Your Plumbing System For Leaks

Many leaks start slowly and grow into huge problems that cause thousands of dollars in expensive repairs and replacement costs. The great news is that you can identify these types of problems quickly by purchasing a $20 leak detector online or at one of your local hardware stores. You just put it into the pipe after flushing and wait for the alarm to go off. If the alarm goes off, you know that there is a slow leak somewhere in your plumbing system.

You can easily fix this by repairing it right away before the problem gets out of control! Doing so will save you thousands of dollars on repairs and replacements later on. You should also use this opportunity to ensure everything else with your water pipes is working correctly. It’s never too late to improve your home’s overall structure!

Flush Out Pipes

Water pipes in your home can rust and cause leaks, or they can calcify and slow the flow of water in your system (both of which are very expensive to fix!). You should flush out your plumbing system at least once a year to prevent this from happening. Start by closing all the taps in your house and letting the water run for about 10 minutes. This will clear any debris slowing down the system (like limescale).

Then turn on every tap one at a time while flushing it with lots of cold water. When each tap is done, check to see if there are any leaks under the sink where the pipe comes through. If you find some leaking coming from your pipes, you should contact a plumber immediately so they can fix the problem before it gets worse!

Recaulk Your Bathtub And Shower

If you don’t already know, recaulking your bath and shower is when the old caulking is removed and replaced with new caulk. The reason for this is that old caulking can become brittle and break off over time, which will lead to cracks in the tub/shower which cause water to become trapped inside of them (and again, this leads to leaks). If you do not remove and replace the old caulk, then water will continue to get trapped within the walls of your tub/shower leading to expensive structural damage.

Remove And Clean Out Your Gutters

Gutters can become clogged with debris like leaves and other things, which will lead to water flowing over the side of your house or down into your walls (both of which cause problems). Make sure that you clean out your gutters every few weeks by removing all the dirt and debris from them. You can also add a Rain-X product to your gutter system so that water will flow off easier. This will keep your home looking nice for years instead of getting damaged by water leaks all year long.

Patch Cracks In The Foundation of Your House

The foundation of your house is vital. If it has any cracks, you should fill them up immediately to prevent water from entering your walls and causing expensive damage. You can use caulk or expanding foam to patch any minor cracks that may appear over time. Larger holes will need a special substance called hydraulic cement which will create an airtight seal around the hole within seconds that won’t ever come apart again. This is especially effective for people that live near oceans because it prevents salt water from entering your home!

Fix Sagging Floors With Wood Floor Straps

If you live in an area where there is a lot of snowfall, or you have children who like to play on the floor, this section is for you. A sagging floor can happen when your wood floors are too heavy for the support beams underneath them. If water gets trapped beneath the boards, it will start to rot and weaken them. You can prevent this from happening by screwing in wood floor straps that go beneath each set of boards (use at least 6 per room). This way, if a board begins to bend or sag too far, then it will hit one of your straps and stop it from going any further!

Maintain Your Roof

Some people think that they don’t need to do anything with their roof because it happened to escape the last hurricane or ice storm just fine. However, if water has ever entered into your roof due to a leaky pipe above you, then there is probably some damage that you can never repair. You should call someone out once every couple of years so they can properly inspect your roof for any problems. If you notice something wrong after they leave, it’s important not to delay getting it fixed because this could potentially lead to your home collapsing altogether!

Install French Drains Around Your House

French drains are great additions to any house because they lead to water running away from your house instead of toward it. This is especially important if you live near a lake or the ocean and experience high volumes of rainwater during storms. French drains can be easily constructed out of large gravel rocks that surround your foundation and eventually lead into the sewer system when the water drains. These do not require very much maintenance at all, but you should check them every once in a while because tree roots can sometimes penetrate through cracks which could cause problems further down the road.

Replace Your Worn Doors And Trim

Doors and trim are easy places for bugs and vermin to hide and make nests. When these insects build a nest within your walls, it can be costly to get rid of them. If you notice spider webs or other small bugs around your doorways, you should immediately treat these areas with an insecticide spray. You will also want to replace any raggedy trim because the small insects will love to make their nests in these spots if they are available. If you have a door with a crack underneath it, don’t ignore this because insects can make their way into your home through any small opening that is available.

Take Care Of Your Electrical Wiring And Plugs

Electrical fires are very common around the holidays because people overload their circuits with electrical decorations. These pose a severe fire hazard to your home, and they should never be plugged in while you are not home. If you want to be able to use your Christmas lights when you leave for work in the morning.

Then you will need to hire an electrician who can install enough outlets on one circuit so that you can plug in all of your stuff at once without creating too much of a load on your fuse box. You can also make sure you are using the right sized plugs by buying them from a hardware store. This way, your plugs will fit snugly into the outlets, and they won’t fall out if there is any movement in your house.

Clean Up Any Mildew In Your Attic Or Basement

Mold and mildew can cause a lot of damage to your house, not only leading to the growth of black mold (which is toxic) but also causing your basement or attic to smell like a musty old cellar. You should try and inspect this area every couple of months and remove any excess moisture if you notice it forming around certain areas in your home. You should treat these spots with an anti-fungal spray before they get out of hand. If you see some mold developing on one of your walls or ceilings, you should have someone come out immediately because getting rid of spots after they’ve formed patches will be very expensive.

Patch Up Your Cracks And Holes In The Walls

Cracks and holes will not have your house falling apart immediately, but they can cause all kinds of problems over time. Just like with the trim around your exterior doors, you must fill in any cracks or indentations in your walls with joint compound or similar material. You should also pay attention to how far the crack has extended into the wall because this could affect your foundation’s stability.

You will also want to pay attention to how wide the crack is and whether or not it is letting in water. If you have a mixture of these things, you might want to sit down with your insurance agent and find out if the damage is covered under your policy since some cracks could be signs that there are larger problems underneath them.

Conclusion

There are a number of things that could happen in your home that will make you worry about it falling apart. You might have a leaky roof or an electrical fire, and it’s important to prepare for the worst-case scenario when these disasters occur. The best thing you can do is stay informed about what can happen in your home and how to prevent it from happening!