The Most Common Household Repairs for Homeowners

Homeowners are always on the lookout for excellent opportunities to improve upon their homes. This means renovation projects, DIY building opportunities, and essential repair and maintenance work. For many, this final aspect of the equation is often the toughest. This is because targeting systems, appliances, and amenities that require repairs and maintenance is difficult at the best of times.

With these highlighted in your repertoire, making the necessary repairs on time in order to maintain comfort and a high quality of life in your home can be made easier.

Windows

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Your windows are often a source of trouble, yet many homeowners fail to realize the importance of good window health within the overall project of homeownership. Old windows can create chaos within the home because they are one of the primary culprits when it comes to lagging energy efficiency, heat loss, and much more. Indeed, poor-quality windows can create an additional drain on your energy and financial health that can really damage your home systems and wallet. Old windows can create a heat sink that transfers that all-important warm air outside into the surrounding environment, causing your family to battle the cold all winter long; this can create sizeable overutilization of your air conditioning system as a result. When the AC unit is forced to work overtime, it will cost you more in heating and electrical bills, and your air conditioner becomes more prone to breakdowns.

Window replacement is a must for property owners all across the country, but it’s particularly pressing for those in northern locales where the temperature fluctuation is the greatest. This is because the wild change that occurs throughout the year can create gaps in sealant solutions and wear out the window panes themselves faster than a window in a more stable temperature area. Searching for “window replacement Kalamazoo” or your local area is your best bet when it comes to finding a great window repair or replacement technician with years of experience in the industry and a great track record.

Plumbing

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Plumbing issues are another big area for property owners looking to make significant repairs with big consequences. A leaking tap can erode your financial health, just like an aging window. Unlike the AC issues that arise from window problems, though, a leak can actually damage the foundation and structure of your home if left untreated for long enough. Hiring a plumber to check on your water supply, any drips, and other common issues that signal a larger leak that requires an immediate fix is a great way to stem the problem and move past it. A dripping faucet could amount to a simple nuisance, or it could create a lasting problem in the home that affects virtually every other aspect of your and your family’s lives.

A plumber is the first line of defense here. Many property owners like to take repair works into their own hands—channeling their DIY energy in the process—but plumbing problems are one area in which a professional fix is almost always necessary. A leaking faucet can drain gallons of water out into the ground beneath your home in just a matter of minutes, and for many homeowners, a self-directed solution often makes the problem worse than it already is when it comes to water-based issues. Hire a professional for this job, and you won’t be sorry.

The two problem areas of plumbing and window maintenance are huge in the repairs arena. Homes across the United States experience a wide variety of repair needs, but windows and plumbing troubles are by far some of the most common that people experience. Consider professional help for each of these sticking points, and you’ll have a solution in no time.

How to Decide Whether Your Home’s Loft is Suitable for Conversion

How to decide whether your home’s loft is suitable for conversion

In your mind, a loft conversion could seem like a very exciting prospect. Theoretically, it would let you create a new room – like a bedroom, bathroom, games room or home office – from space already in your home. Still, how feasible would all of this be for you specifically?

Done right, a loft conversion can boost a home’s value by up to 22%, as propertypriceadvice.co.uk reveals. However, you would first need to check whether your particular loft is ripe for conversion.

Have any similar homes on your street had loft conversions?

If so, this would bode well for your chances of successfully converting a loft in your own home. You might be able to tell whether a home has had a loft conversion just by looking at the roof – as some loft conversions require this to be extended so that there will be enough usable space.

You could find that, if you ask any neighbours whether you would be able to take a closer look at their converted loft, they are receptive to the idea.

How much head height does your loft have?

The UK consumer watchdog organisation Which? insists that, for a loft to be converted, it must be at least 2.2 metres in height.

It’s easy to measure a loft’s head height just by heading to the room’s tallest area and there running a tape measure from the floor to the ceiling. Many Victorian homes could lack the required head height, as houses from this era are generally lower than those built in the 1930s or later.

What type of roof does your home have?

To find out, you just have to peek through your loft hatch and check whether the roof has trusses or rafters. The former are supports running through the loft’s cross-section, while rafters instead run along the roof’s edge, leaving most of the underlying triangular space hollow.

A loft conversion is easier when the roof has rafters rather than trusses, which would have to be replaced with extra structural support.

How would you need to change the floor below?

Since you are likely to want to visit a loft more often once it’s been converted, you would be well-advised to have some kind of steps fitted permanently between the loft and the floor below it.

While a staircase would be one option, it could also swallow up a lot of space you won’t get back. A better option might therefore be one of the loft ladders available from Instaloft, as such extendable steps would only take up floor space when strictly necessary.

How much would your loft conversion cost?

The more spacious a loft already is, the less expensive it will be to convert. For example, abundant floor space should ease your efforts to install large beams as necessary.

In the UK, loft conversion costs can fall somewhere between about £18,000 and £65,000, according to Homebuilding & Renovating. If you know you wouldn’t be able to stomach such costs, you might have to forgo a loft conversion altogether.
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Home Renovations You Should Not Do Yourself

Home Renovations You Should Not Do Yourself

Home-Renovation-Image-Julie-WhitmerDo it yourself (DIY) projects are more popular than ever. They’re a great way to ensure you get the exact update you want, and they can save you quite a bit of money in the process.

Paint the walls, switch out light fixtures, and tear out the carpet, but when it comes to other projects, they’re best left to the professionals.

Here are four home improvement projects that you should never do yourself.

Replacing a Roof Home-owners-should-hire-professionals-for-roof-replacements

Roofing systems can be expensive, and it’s easy to see why. They are a home’s first defense against the elements. Unfortunately, many homeowners make the mistake of trying to replace their roof on their own only to end up with the very thing they were trying to avoid—a damaging leak.

It’s really best to hire a professional for the job. They will make sure everything is installed properly. You can even look into roof financing options that will make the replacement more affordable.

Electrical Work

There are some electrical home improvement projects you can do on your own. Changing outlet covers and replacing light fixtures are two DIY projects that most homeowners can handle, but when it comes to in-depth electrical work, you need to hire a professional electrician.

Dealing with electricity can put you in danger of being shocked. A bad electrical job can even cause a fire and destroy your home. If you’re looking to install an outlet or a light fixture where there isn’t one, or the wiring in your home needs an update, don’t do it yourself.

Major Plumbing Repairs

Electrical work is especially dangerous for a homeowner. That isn’t the case with major plumbing repairs, but doing it wrong can end up costing you a lot of money.

Without the right plumbing repair or replacement, you could end up with a leak, or worse yet, flooding your home. All that water can result in mold growth and costly remodeling repairs.

A few plumbing projects that should be left to the professionals include:

  • Toilet installations
  • Shower and tub installations
  • Water heater installations
  • Valve and tube replacements
  • Sewer pipe work

Structural Changes to Rooms

Tearing out a wall sounds like the easiest DIY project of all. You just need a sledgehammer and a strong arm! Unfortunately, it’s not that easy.

Before you tear down the wall, you have to consider what’s inside it. There could be electrical wires or plumbing located in the wall. If you’re living in a two-story home, you could be dealing with a load-bearing wall. In order to make sure you don’t end up with even more costly repairs, it’s best to leave knocking down any walls to the professionals.

When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to call in a professional team to assess your project. It costs less in the long run to do it right in the first place than it does to botch the job and end up calling a professional to fix it anyway.

Related:
What Are The Essential Tools For Home Repairs
14 Roofing Tools: What It Takes To Build A Shed

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4 Home Improvements To Prioritize This Year

One of the major benefits of owning your own home is the ability to upgrade and improve it however you want. What upgrades make the most sense can vary significantly depending on your needs, the type of property you own, and your budget. It’s important to consider both your quality of life and the impact that your renovations and upgrades will have on your home’s value.

While not every upgrade has to be made for financial reasons, you should have a basic understanding of how the changes you’re making will affect the potential sale price of your property. If you’re looking to do some work on your house, read on to learn more about four home improvement projects you should prioritize.

1. Create a healthy home.

Create-a-healthy-home

Creating a safe environment at home can mean a lot of different things, but one important area to focus on is reducing health and safety risks for yourself and your family. While it’s good to invest in catastrophic health insurance, you don’t want to be forced to use it because of a preventable accident at home. If you have children or pets, making sure they don’t have access to any harmful substances is important, as is reducing the number of household hazards that could end in them needing emergency care.

Maintaining good indoor air quality is another area to prioritize, as it provides many essential health benefits. Poor air quality and the toxins that are carried by it can cause health problems from headaches and nausea to conditions as serious as lung cancer, which can have incredibly high medical costs. Even without these incentives, it’s always worth the investment to keep your home healthy and safe.

2. Upgrade your HVAC system.

Upgrade-your-HVAC-system

Using a reputable brand for your heating and cooling needs, like Carrier AC in Indiana, can make a big difference when it comes to the quality of your service and the lifespan of your HVAC system. After historic layoffs of Carrier workers, former United States President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence highlighted the Carrier plant in Indianapolis and brought the brand back into the spotlight.

Carrier remains one of the most reliable and preferred air conditioning brands in the industry. Experienced homeowners know that a heating and air conditioning system operating at peak efficiency isn’t just useful for maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature, it can also reduce your out-of-pocket costs on utility bills.

3. Consider investing in smart technology.

Consider-investing-in-smart-technology

Over the last year, the popularity of smart technology has exploded, and almost everyone has at least one smart device in their home now, whether it’s a smart TV or a home security system. Smart thermostats are a great idea, as they’re programmable and operate on a timer. This ensures that your air conditioner and heating systems don’t operate unless you need them to. Not only can smart devices save you money, but a lot of people looking for a new home are also starting to prioritize properties that have smart and energy-efficient technology.

4. Prioritize your landscape design.

Prioritize-your-landscape-design

You may not realize it, but landscaping has a better return on investment than most home improvement projects. That alone is a reason to move it to the top of your list, but there are also recreational benefits. Building a safe outdoor space gives everyone in your family a new place to relax and play, which can be a huge deal for families looking to get away their children away from their phone screen. Upgrades like a garden, patio, or pool can make having a staycation at home even more enjoyable. Whatever you decide to do, it just makes sense to invest in the exterior of your home.

Health and safety are essential to prioritize when considering home improvement, and there are plenty of projects that can create a better environment for you and your family without breaking the bank, from maintaining good indoor air quality to installing a home security system. A well-maintained heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system is also essential for comfort and health, in addition to being an important part of managing your energy bills.

Other upgrades, like smart devices and exterior design, can make improve your quality of life and raise the value of your home, in case you should choose to sell one day. Ultimately, the best home improvement projects are the ones that combine both recreational and practical value.

Related Home Project:
Home Efficiency Upgrades You Need To Prioritize

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