Make something from wood, and it’ll last for years. Make it from stone, and it’ll outlive you and perhaps the whole of human civilization – or at least, that’s what we’ve been taught.
It turns out, though, that homes tend to fall apart much more rapidly than people imagine. When you live in a property, you forget all the little things you do to prevent it from becoming dilapidated. But if you were to truly leave it to its own devices, it’d soon look dreadful.
Have you ever wondered why abandoned houses look so bad? After just a couple of years, they appear sunken, the doors and windows are all hanging off, and there are cracks in the brickwork. They shouldn’t look so bad, but they do. What’s causing this?
It all comes from the fact that one problem usually leads to another which leads to another. When you live in the house, you stop all these minor issues immediately, before they can take hold and cause damage. But if you leave it to its own devices, then these issues just escalate and cause new problems of their own.
Take a leaking pipe, for instance, something that plumbers like Toscano Plumbing fix all the time. A pipe that leaks water for a couple of hours is no big deal. You simply fix the problem, clean up the mess, and put in place strategies to stop it from happening again.
But imagine if you were to leave it leaking. Eventually, the water would get into the brickwork, weakening it and causing mold to build up. Before long, the entire property would become waterlogged, allowing nature to move in and start causing even more damage.
So what can you do to put your home back together when it starts falling apart? Take a look at these ideas:
Solve Problems Immediately
If there’s a problem with your home that you’ve been putting off fixing, don’t continue ignoring it. Do whatever you can to solve the issue immediately. If you don’t, you can wind up in a situation described above. What seems like a small problem can turn into a big one quickly.
If there are leaves clogging your gutters, don’t just let them build up indefinitely so that water leaks down the walls and into your foundations. Take out your step ladder and go up there yourself to eliminate the problem.
If you see a problem with your foundations caused by subsidence, don’t leave it. Call in the foundation experts to dig new piles so that your building stays up.
Focus On The Most Serious Problems First
When you get the feeling your house is falling apart, it can feel like an uphill challenge to solve the issues. There are just so many problems, it’s almost impossible to know where to start.
In a situation like this, prioritizing can help you tremendously. Look at the non-negotiable repairs you need to carry out and start there. Dealing with the most severe issues first will give you peace of mind. It’ll also make any subsequent renovations more valuable.
Start With The Structure And Work Inwards
All of the most severe home maintenance issues involve the structure of the property – the bricks and mortar that comprise it.
If you have problems with these, deal with them first. Start by taking a look at your roof. Is it in good condition? Or are there missing tiles and rafters?
What about your basement? Can you see cracks in the wall? Are they wet?
Once you’ve determined that the outside of your property is secure and robust, the next step is to move your analysis inside. Check the kitchen units, boiler, and other fixtures in your house to ensure that they’re in good working order. Check the radiators and bathroom units too.
Then, once you’ve done that, then you’re ready to sort out the mess and the decor.
Deal With Sloping Or Bouncy Floors Immediately
Your floors shouldn’t slope or be bouncy when you walk on them. They should provide firm support underfoot. If they don’t, then it is an indication of a severe issue with your property.
The most common cause of this effect is termites. They will often find their way under the flaw and start chewing away at the supporting material, leading to bounciness and sloping.
The best way to deal with this is to contact pest control to eliminate the problem and then backfill the destroyed material. Leaving the problem to work itself out is probably a bad idea.
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