Is your home acting just weird enough to make you think it’s haunted? Strange sounds emanating from the walls, lights flickering, bad water smells. You may not have noticed any of these things when you bought the house but homes age like people do and they need regular checkups also. Here are some of the more popular quirks and how you can get the fixed.
- Flickering Lights. Causes for the flickering could be as simple as a bulb getting ready to blow or it could be more serious like “arcing” of power between wires which can cause fires. But if you are getting dimming when an appliance turns on it may be an overloaded circuit. Solution: Get a licensed electrician to take a look. You really don’t want to DIY electrical problems especially if you intend to sell your home in the future. All electrical work should be done by a licensed professional and the small amount of money you pay to get the problem fixed is better than the bigger bucks for replacing a panel or recovering from a major home fire.
- Exterior Paint Peeling. The biggest reason paint peels is due to moisture trapped or seeping out below it. This can especially happen under leaking gutters or in areas where your bathrooms are located. Solution: First hunt down the source of the moisture and get it stopped. Depending on how long it has been peeling will depend on how much it takes to get the leak stopped. Then once the moisture is stopped, scrape down the peeling paint and apply a primer coat and repaint the area. Don’t delay, you don’t want to have to start replacing siding. And updating your bathroom fans with a moisture sensing fan will help to decrease the moisture getting caught in the walls and sticking around.
- Wall Rustling. The cause of this annoying problem is a bit creepy. It is usually the result of a termite or carpenter ant infestation. If not caught early, these can cost a pretty sum to fix. Solution: Call a local pest control guy and get an inspection performed. He/she can tell you what’s up and suggest a solution.
- Creaking, Popping and Groaning. Hearing these sounds out of your home is a normal part of the ageing process in your home. Fluctuations in temperature and humidity can often make these sounds louder or happen more frequently. Popping could be from nails being forced out of the wood. Solution: There isn’t really anything you can do except perhaps dropping talcum powder into creaking floorboards. But if something doesn’t sound right or is too loud contact a local general contractor, remodeler or structural engineer to give your home a once over.
- Musty Smell. Mildew. Yep I said it. Mildew is the root of all that musty smell that we often associate with old homes. Mildew is a fungus that when left alone will grow uncontrolled and may even cause health issues. Any area in your home that creates moisture is a possible initiator for mildew. Solution: Keep the surfaces of your home dry. By a inexpensive fan to keep air moving in the room, purchase a dehumidifier for areas where you can get a fan, add insulation in the walls or ceiling of your home to make the surfaces warmer. If you do find some mildew, clean it up using a chemical product you can find at Walmart and then spray with an inhibitor. Once dry, prime and paint.
Hope these causes and solutions helped you out. A home is just like a kid, it needs to be looked after and get once or twice a year checkups just to keep everything copacetic. Whether you DIY it or hire it done, getting things like the above mentioned items fixed will keep you and your family happy and healthy for years to come.
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