Homes come with a lot of maintenance and upkeep, and every homeowner expects to spend some money each year on repairs and regular maintenance costs. However, it can be hard to stay on top of all of them, especially when bad luck strikes and it seems like everything is in need of repair at once. Everyone is guilty of putting off calling a repairman or technician, hoping the problem will go away or fix itself and that you won’t need to spend the money. Unfortunately, some issues don’t work that way and need immediate attention before getting more problematic and more expensive.
Here are some common home repairs you shouldn’t wait to fix or get looked at.
Leaky pipes
Leaky faucets can seem innocent enough, but if you check more carefully, you may be able to find leaky pipes. Perhaps the pipes behind the wall or under the floor are leaking, which could be worse because you wouldn’t notice right away. Water could be leaking and pooling behind the walls, which can cause serious damage like rotting the wood, causing mold and mildew growth, and make metals rust. It’s in your best interest to get those leaks patched up as soon as you notice water leaking or get someone in to check if the room begins to smell musty, paint is peeling, or the walls, floor, or ceiling are getting fuzzy with mold or mildew.
Dimming lights
If your lights dim or flicker when you plug in an appliance or turn one on, do not wait to call an electrician to check out the wiring of your home. It could just be a repair on the fuse box, or it could be a sign that your home is at risk of an electrical fire. Dimming lights means somewhere there’s a loose connection or wire that’s not working properly, and if it’s in the walls, it could spark and start a fire. Make sure to have it inspected before it becomes a major hazard and a danger to you and your family.
Air conditioning
The most obvious sign of your air conditioning unit malfunctioning is that the unit is running, but the temperature in your home continues to rise. The vents could even be pumping out hot air, the unit may be making a strange noise, there could be water leaking from the unit, or maybe it flat out won’t turn on at all.
If your air conditioning unit isn’t working properly or needs some maintenance, ignoring the problem won’t make it worse, but you can run into an issue with scheduling. Most people who need their air conditioning units repaired don’t think about it until a heatwave is imminent, which means everyone is scheduling calls for technicians to come in at the same time. Likewise, people are calling technicians to install new units either just before or during periods of high or extreme heat, so if you wait until the eleventh hour to get yours repaired, you could be out of luck. Go online and search for “air conditioning service near me” so you can get the jump on the rush and get your air conditioning unit up and running when you need it.
Missing roof shingles
Your roof could be damaged after normal wear and tear, or perhaps by a storm or severe weather, but regardless, ignoring the problem of missing shingles or tiles, it’s crucial to fix the issue as quickly as possible. Your roof is the most important part of your home, as it protects everything else inside of it from the elements. If your roof is compromised, your home could experience leaks and animals could come into your attic.
Patching up a small area is an easy fix and may not cost a lot in the grand scheme of things, but if you ignore the problem and it becomes a major issue, you could possibly be looking at replacing the whole roof and fixing other damage as well, like water damage. In this case, you may have to look for professionals like the Toronto Roofing Repairs contractors.
Foundation cracks
Notice any cracks in the foundation of your home running up the exterior of the walls? Has the foundation separated from the surrounding concrete and is showing gaps? Maybe you notice water pooling in your basement or around the edges of your home after rain. This is a bad sign that your foundation needs repairing, and quick. Foundation repair is complex and can get quite expensive the longer you ignore the problem, and could eventually lead to serious structural issues.
Pests
Termites, cockroaches, bed bugs, ants, mice, squirrels, and raccoons can all do serious damage if left to their own accord to roam free in your home. At the first sight of an infestation, you should call an exterminator to determine the severity of the issue. Waiting it out will only let the problem get worse, and in the case of bugs, it could get exponentially worse in a short amount of time, so get ahead of the issue as best you can.
Home repairs may be the last thing you want to add to your to – do list, but this doesn’t make them any less important! Investing your time and resources into your home will preserve it for the future, and ensure it is a safe and comfortable space for you and your family to spend your time in.
