Common Problems in Homes

Posted by Gary Westernoff at Saturday, March 23, 2024 Costing & Contracting, Online, Planning & Resouces, Self Help 3 Comments 1305

Here is a list of common, but limited to, problems found in Homes. The degree of these problems is based on regional climates, local building codes and age of the building:

• Site Surface Grading/Drainage
  Water intrusion in basements, crawlspace and under slabs on grade. The ground settling around foundations and over utility trenches or in other areas on the property.
• Structural Problems
  Foundation walls pitting, scaling or spalling; and floor joists, rafters, and window and door headers deflecting, buckling or deforming (See Building Ventilation below).
• Exteriors
  Excessive moisture intrusion and air penetration caused by inadequate caulking and/or poorly fitted weather-stripping around doors and windows.
• Roof Damage
  Old or damaged shingles, tiles, flashing and gutters.
• Overall Maintenance
  Inadequate cleaning of windows, components and repainting on a reasonable frequency or lack of occasional touch up painting.
•  Electrical
  insufficient electrical service to the structure, inadequate overload protection to avoid circuit breaker tripping, and amateur and often dangerous or makeshift wiring connections.
• Plumbing
  Old and incompatible piping materials, fixtures, waste lines and makeshift plumbing repairs (See Minimizing or Eliminating Assessments for Plumbing Replacements in Condo Buildings)
• Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning
  Broken or malfunctioning controls, blocked flues, and unsafe exhaust venting.
• Building Ventilation
  Rotting and premature failure of structural and non-structural components caused by over sealing homes.
• Other components and systems
  Broken or malfunctioning Fixtures and Equipment

Here are a few tips for giving you peace of mind and understanding your situation for identifying these problems:

Roles

Here are the possible roles you may fall into for determining who to hire for these problems and questions that should be asked before starting the projects:

Amateur (Usually the typical homeowner)

A person who practices to some extent that which he may not be well informed.  One who practices an art, not professionally, but for the love of it?  Get free advice from Constructionplace.com.

Desperate (A roll you do not want to be in)

A person forced into doing a construction project when time is of the essence.  A scope of work requiring immediate completion, replacement or repair.  A desperate person acts without care and is reckless resorting to a last extreme measure.  Examples causing a desperate situation may include a leaky roof, plumbing leaks, failing retaining wall, broken hot water heater, completion time limitations, etc. Be proactive and establish your list of Service Providers on Constuctionplace.com now.

Don’t overlook simple questions like “is it really broken?”, “should it be remodeled?”, or “do I need a new building?” and solve the problem by determining how to achieve the objective by asking simple questions like:

• Can it be repaired?
• Is remodeling the best or only way?
• How much will it cost?
• How long will it take?
• How will I get it done?
• Do I need a professional Service Provider to handle this project or is it easier and cheaper to do it myself?

Watch for our new blog coming that covers Performance Standards and Quantity Control for Building Projects and to safeguard and be prepared to handle any of these problems as they arise establish your list of Service Providers on Constuctionplace.com.  This service is completely free, serving as a free insurance policy, and giving you peace of mind that when you need the help it will be available in a timely manner. Some content taken from Construction Management Made Easy

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