Are you planning to start a home improvement project soon? You might be planning to replace your old, creaky garage door. Or perhaps you’ve been wanting to renovate your favorite corner of your house for an upcoming party. Which should you start first?
Well, if you have multiple areas at home that you’ve been wanting to fix or improve, a better understanding of essential home improvement projects will help you prioritize tasks appropriately.
To get started, here are more urgent home improvement projects that you should attend to once the involved structures start to show signs of damage or wear and tear.
1. Basement Waterproofing
In layman’s terms, basement waterproofing is a procedure that uses techniques and applications that help prevent water from seeping into the basement. Its main goal is to keep the basement intact and dry so there’s no flooding nor dampness. Otherwise, water will flow and stagnate in the flooring and foundation, which may create cracks over time and cause further structural damage if neglected.
The process requires a pit to be dug up from the foundation, where the draining system will be installed. The basement’s walls are also given a waterproofing treatment to ward off moisture.
After that, a sump pump– which is a battery or electricity-powered machine–will be placed on the pit.
When the water level rises, the pressure will increase and trigger the pump to suck out the water and evacuate it from the basement. To optimize this process, drainage channels are installed to direct the water flow into a separate area that won’t affect the basement.
Because of the complexity of the process and the mechanism involved, waterproofing a basement is better left to the professionals. Seeking professional services will also help you avoid mistakes that may lead to costly damages.
2. Garage Door Repairs
In homes with a garage, the door often wears and tears faster than all the other doors in the house. Garage doors are typically used multiple times a day and are more often exposed to the elements.
However, you can tell it’s time to repair or replace your garage door when it’s gotten difficult to close or open it; or if it opens too easily, which creates a security risk. So, when you start to see signs of damage that compromises safety and security, you should seek the help of a professional to have it checked and repaired properly.
Garage door repairs often include a clean-up of the door’s rollers and tracks. These are the parts that easily collect grease and dirt, which can harden when left too long and keep the rollers from moving as they should. Other parts that are commonly checked for problems and damages are the hinges and tension springs. In the worst cases of damages, your entire garage door will have to be replaced.
However, if you have to choose between an affordable garage repair and an expensive replacement, consider the long-term costs. If the repairs will only last a while, you’ll be needing more repairs in the future, which is going to be more expensive. On the contrary, replacements may be costly, but since they’re a one-off expense, they’re more cost-efficient in the long term.
3. Plumbing System Repairs
Most problems in plumbing systems start with subtle signs that you may not notice if you lack the know-how. But aside from that, plumbing systems are far more complex as they go beyond your faucets and showers. They’re also connected to furnaces, heating systems, and washers.
To help you identify potential problems early enough, here are some common signs that you may have considerable plumbing problems, which you shouldn’t ignore:
A wobbling toilet bowl.
In most cases, this is caused by loose bolts or corroded parts at the bottom of the bowl. However, wobbly toilets should be fixed as soon as possible as the constant movement may eventually lead to more damages and even leaks.
Bubbling on the wall or ceiling paint.
This is a common sign of hidden leaks in pipes. The peeling or bubbling of paints indicates that moisture has seeped into the wall or ceiling.
Drastically increased water bill.
If you haven’t been using more water, chances are you got leaking pipes. However, not all leaky pipes will be easily visible. For example, leaking pipes behind the walls or under the floors, which usually cause mold growth in the structures closest to them.
Minor plumbing problems are easy to fix. For example, tightening or loosening the pipes and bolts, or replacing small fixtures. However, for more difficult plumbing issues such as hidden leaks and sewer odor, you should hire professional plumbing services. Professional plumbers know where to look at and what to look for, which means they can finish more complex plumbing tasks in a significantly shorter time.
4. Roofing Repairs And Replacements
Most homeowners only feel the need to fix their roofs when there are obvious leaks or when roofing parts start to fall apart. Some of the most common signs of damages that require immediate repairs are the presence of asphalt granules in gutters, missing shingles or tiles, and curling of the roof edges. If you notice any of these, try to schedule repairs as soon as possible as it could get worse and become more costly to repair.
However, remember that you don’t have to wait for signs of damage before making a move. Major house structures like the roof must have regular maintenance checks to ensure their integrity at all times. If your roofing has only one damaged shingle or a hole, a roof repair will likely be enough. On the other hand, major roof remodeling and repairs require longer and more extensive work. If your roofing problems are bigger than a hole or the damage goes beyond the shingles, a full roof restoration may be necessary. In this case, you’ll need to contact a roofing restoration service company to do the job.
Prioritizing Your Home Improvement Projects
Each major structure in your house plays an essential role. However, they don’t last forever, and their lifespan will always depend on how well you look after them. Aside from external factors like heat and water exposure that speed up damage, natural wear and tear are also major contributing factors. However, you can prevent or slow the process down with preventive maintenance measures. Routine maintenance will help you discover early signs of damages so you can address them before they get worse. When it comes to home improvement, your priorities should always lie with your house’s integrity, safety, and security, and not just its aesthetic appeal. After all, they’re the very reason houses are built—to shelter us from harm.
