I hold a home inspector, mold assessor and mold remediator license in Florida. Through all of the inspection that I have done, I have learned what’s important in keeping a home safe and healthy. Lack of home maintenance is the primary cause of most issues that we see.
The concept is really simple, keep out the water and control the interior environment. That’s it; of course the application of that simple sentence can sometimes be a daunting and expensive task. Maintaining a home is something that must be done, if you can’t afford to maintain your home you really need to sell it before it gets so bad that you can’t. It’s like a car, you have to change the oil, if you don’t, it will eventually break down in a bad and expensive way.
Below I will start with covering the minimum maintenance that needs to be done to keep the structure of your home in good condition. Afterwards we will get into the “other stuff”
Budget for Home Maintenance
Let’s start by not thinking that our insurance company will put on a new roof for me. That’s not their job, their job is to make you whole after an “event”. Our job is to save for maintenance issues. With that being said, let’s talk about the dreaded “budget” word. Believe me you will thank me for this later on.
Basically each of the minimum items below will eventually need to be addressed so you might as well have money for them. Below I am going to give you some examples of how to budget for your home maintenance items. These figures may or may not be correct at the time you read this information, just remember it just about the process, not the actual numbers. You will need to get some basic pricing from some subcontractors in order to get this right.
How To Budget
Let’s say you have a 1000 sf home. The following items will need to be replaced at some interval. Based on the intervals below and the cost for each item, you will need to be saving about $212 per month just for maintenance of these critical items.
- Roof – Replace every 15 years – $12,000 – save $67 per month
- Paint – Repaint / Caulk every 6 years – $7000 – save $98 per month
- Air Conditioner – Replace every 18 years – $10,000 – Save $47 per month
Wow, $212 per month for maintenance? Remember this is just for the really important ones, you still have to deal with plumbing leaks, refrigerator breaking down, washer, range, microwave, etc. A home is not something you buy and forget, you must pay attention to it and it does cost money.
Don’t make the mistake of seeing all that money in a saving account and thinking hey, I can buy a new car and pay cash, Big mistake! The money is for your home and nothing else, only use it for the reason you saved it.
Minimum Maintenance “The Big 3” (Roof, HVAC and Exterior)
Roof
A roof is your home’s primary protection against water entry. In the home inspection business we work with a lot of people that really need to have their roof replaced and they always ask, how long is it going to last? Well, I can guess, based on a normal weather patterns. If you add into that mix major storms, extra hot and sunny days, it all affects the life of a roof. Asphalt based roofs are especially affected by heat and sun. I had a realtor one time that handed me a letter from a roofer that told the home owner that the roof had at least 10 years of life. Then he had a caveat, as long as it didn’t rain. Well, if its not going to rain then why do we need a roof?
Hey, I get it, roofs are expensive. Fact is, the Roof is the number one most expensive maintenance item on a home. Here’s the problem, once you see a leak in the ceiling of your home, the damage is done. The water has already potentially damaged the decking, structure, insulation and ceiling of your home. Now instead of replacing just your roof, you have additional repairs that must be done also.
What Should I do about the Roof
First of all, keep and eye on it. Now I know, you have been around construction forever and you know roofs but let me ask you a question, do you look at 15 to 20 a week? As home inspectors we do. Hire a professional to look at your roof and give you an honest opinion. You want someone without skin in the game. Hire a roof inspector or home inspector, not a roofer. It’s a inspectors job to give you an honest opinion, it’s a roofers job to put on a roof.
Make sure you do your due diligence hiring the inspector. Check references. How long have they been in business – who is the person that will be doing the inspection – are they licensed and insured – make sure they are willing to speak with you about your roof and it’s condition, not just send out a report.
So, I Need A New Roof
Ok, so the inspector says your roof is at the end of it’s life. Start figuring out how to replace it, don’t wait. Remember how important your roof is.
Before calling to get pricing from roofers do your homework. What kind of roof do you want, metal, shingle or tile. If metal do you want a standing seam or a lap seam? If tile, can your structure handle it, tile roofs are heavy, and what type of tile?
For asphalt shingles, do you want a 15 year shingle or a 40 year shingle? What type of underlayment do your want? Do you want gutters? Are there any special situations on your roof that need attention? Do your homework so that when you ask for pricing you are asking for the same thing from every contractor.
You can’t compare a bid that is based on a 15 year shingle with a bid based on a 40 year shingle. You cant compare a bid based on a metal roof against a bid based on asphalt shingle roof, it will not make sense.
Ok, so you have established that you need a roof, and you have the bids. Hopefully if you listened to my advice above and you have the money set aside. Get it done. Don’t Wait!
Paint / Caulking
We can’t discuss home maintenance without discussing caulking and painting. Just as the roof is the most important component to keep water out of your home, the condition of your exterior walls, windows, doors, etc, is next. Don’t underestimate the importance of this maintenance just because you can’t see the damage from inside. Keeping the paint and caulking of the home’s exterior in good condition is similar to the roof. If your paint or caulking reaches the end of it’s life, it starts to allow other damages to happen.
Builders grade paint has a life expectancy of about 5 years. This can be verified online at any one of the paint manufacturer’s websites. When the paint on the exterior of the home reaches the end of it’s life, it not only looks bad but also starts to allow water to seep through the paint, into whatever surface is painted. Even concrete block can be effected by water.
What Should I Do About The Paint
Similar to the roof, have it inspected by a professional. Most home inspectors can evaluate the paint on the outside of your home to determine the status. When evaluating paint, the professional will be looking for chalking, peeling or damaged substrates. These are all indications that the Paint has reached the end of it’s life expectancy.
If the paint on your home has reached the end of it’s life expectancy, contact several painting contractors in order to get bids on correcting the issues. Some painters will not repair wood damages and you may need to hire a handy man or contractor to fix those prior to painting. Sometimes you can find a painter that can do it all, this is the best of both worlds. I like going this route if I can because if the final product looks bad due to the repairs, then one person or company is responsible. You don’t have to argue with two different companies to get the problem fixed. While getting bids, again, do your homework – what quality of paint do you want – are they going to make the repairs – how long will it be before they can get started – do they understand the manufacturers installation instruction?
Once you decided on a contractor, get it done as soon as possible.
Heat and Air Conditioning
OK, in Florida, it’s great to be cool because it get’s hot here but more importantly, for the health of your home, is keeping the humidity down. Performing maintenance yearly will keep your unit working and in top condition.
Through our mold assessment business, we have seen numerous houses growing mold on the walls because the AC system was not properly operating. The job of an air conditioner is to remove the humidity, humidity is moisture. So quick 101 on mold; it takes 3 things for mold to grow – 1 are spores, which come into our homes anytime we open the door – 2nd is food, food can be wood, leather, paper on drywall, some carpets and fabrics, etc, 3rd is moisture. If any one of these 3 are missing, mold cannot grow.
Now, back to the AC; keeping the humidity levels between 30% and 50% is important according to the EPA and the CDC. Consistent moisture levels above 60% can promote mold growth. If you have an old AC or your AC cannot keep up with cooling your home, you most likely have an issue.
As an AC system begins to reach the end of it’s life, it becomes less efficient and less effective. Hire a good HVAC technician for maintenance on your system. Make sure they also look at your duct work. A larger AC unit is not necessarily the answer. The AC systems must run enough to remove the humidity from the air in the home. If the unit is too big, it will cool so quickly that it shuts off before removing the humidity. If the unit is too small, it will run all the time and never get the humidity levels down to where they need to be.
The Big 3
There you have it, “The Big 3”, the 3 most important home maintenance items that if ignored, will cause additional costly repairs in the long run. Pay close attention to these items and take care of them for both your health and the health of your home.
Regular Home Maintenance.
The Key to regular home maintenance is just taking care of things before they become a big problem.
- Sinks – If you see a leak under the sink, take care of it before it damages your cabinetry and starts to mold.
- Toilets – If they are loose when you sit down, the seal has most likely gone bad, have a plumber repair it.
- Tubs and Showers – If you have leaks at the faucets or shower head, that water can run back into the wall and damage your wall along with grow mold, have it repaired as soon as possible.
- If an electric outlet keeps tripping, have an electrician check it out. It may be a bad breaker or something wrong with the wiring.
- If you have an outlet that is black or burned on the outside, have an electrician check it out.
- If you notice a strong sewer type oder in your home, have a home inspector check it out, it could be a water leak under your flooring or cabinetry.
- If your windows are difficult to operate, have someone lubricate and service them.
- If you see light around your doors, the weatherstripping is most likely bad and is in need of replacement.
- If you smell gas, leave the home immediately and have the gas company check it out.
Give your house a checkup
Your house has indications of it being sick, just like you do.
- Smells – Does your house smell clean or does it have unusual odors such as sour smells, musty smells, rank odors? If it does, these can all be indications of water issues.
- Visual moisture issues – This can come from plumbing leaks, Roof leaks or even Air handler unit leaks.
- Air leaks – This can be indications of weather stripping issues on both windows and doors.
- House does not seem to cool down or has high humidity levels – This can be caused by several issues such as poor insulation in the attic or walls, weatherstripping on doors, old worn out windows, lack of attic ventilation or a poorly operating AC system.
Contact a qualified Home inspector to help you determine what the issues is and how to resolve it.
Ocean Front Property
Property on or near the ocean falls under a different set of rules. Due to the high salt content of the air, you can basically cut all of the life expectancies noted throughout this site in half or more. Roofs last half as long, ACs last half as long, even electrical lasts half as long. Anything outside exposed to the salt air deteriorates very quickly. Electric receptacles will seize up in a matter of a year or less. Corrosion destroys everything. Be aware of this when deciding where to buy a home in Florida. Your maintenance costs will double or may even triple when living on or near the ocean.
THAT’S IT
If you take care of your home, it will take care of you. Maintaining your home is simple. Be consistent and determined and remember these simple steps.
- Budget for home maintenance
- Remember the “Big 3”
- Pay attention to your home’s health.
There is no reason to have major repairs as long as you maintain your home properly.