Whether You're Selling Or Not, Check These 5 Home Trouble Spots
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Don't let problems around the house turn into money drains. To help you protect your most valuable asset -- your home -- Consumer Reports suggests you should be on the lookout for these five potential issues and learn how to fix them:
Hazardous deck.
Look for water stains where the deck ties to the house. Ongoing water leakage can lead to wood decay, weakening the deck structure and the house. If you have any doubt about the structural integrity of the deck, call a professional to investigate. Rid your deck of moss and mold with the help of pressure washers. Remember, if you see wood damage, like raised fibers, increase the distance between the spray nozzle and the decking.
Dirty air conditioner.
Disconnect electric power to the outdoor condenser on your air conditioner and clear it of leaves and debris with a vent brush, power blower, garden hose or the brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner. If the cooling fins are exposed, be careful not to bend them. (If your yard has lots of trees and plants, wrap fiberglass mesh around the condenser coil to capture pollen and leaves. Replace the mesh as needed. Don't allow debris to block airflow.) Vacuum the grille and register inside the home to ensure good airflow. And change your furnace filter.
Foundation fissures.
Hairline cracks in foundation walls might be the result of concrete curing or minor settling and aren't automatically cause for alarm. Mark them with tape and check them again in a few months. If they've worsened, call a structural engineer. If they're stable, fill them with an epoxy-injection system. Also, fill in holes in siding and foundation walls with expandable foam. Check that the ground around the foundation slopes away from the house (about 1 inch per foot). Look for pellet-shaped droppings or shed wings from termites. Clear the area of leaves, in which rodents can nest.
Faulty garage-door opener.
To check that the door is balanced, release it into the manual mode and lift it by hand. The door should lift easily and smoothly and stay open on its own about 3 feet off the ground. If it doesn't, hire a garage-door technician to counterbalance its overhead spring . Next, set the reversing force on the opener as low as possible. Place a 2x4 board on the ground under the door, wide side down. The door should pop back up when it hits the 2x4. If it doesn't, call a garage-door pro. Test the photoelectric eyes by holding the 2x4 between them. The door should reverse direction. If it doesn't, have it checked by a pro.
Leaky roof.
Leaks typically occur around an inadequately flashed chimney, skylight or other opening. They're easiest to spot in the attic; inspect the rafters for water stains. Patching leaks is best left to a professional. While the contractor is on the roof, have him clean leaves from roof valleys. Examine the siding under roof eaves, and the ceilings in the rooms below, for water or discoloration, indications that ice dams might have created leaks along the roof edge. Inspect the roof for cracked, curled or missing shingles. Asphalt shingles typically last 20 years.
By Marshall Loeb