Publication date: 05/04/2012

Click here for a printer-friendly version

Recognize when your home makes a plea for help

When a ship's captain or an airplane pilot says "mayday" over their radio, it means they are in distress and need immediate emergency assistance. Your house could also be in distress, and it is important to know the warning signs and fix any problems promptly before they turn into an emergency.

You hear me say often that "water always wins" and that is even more prophetic when it comes to homes in distress.

Mike Goewey, president of Property Facts Home Inspections, (734) 207-9004, www.propertyfactsinspections.com said signs of water penetration are the biggest clues that a home could be in distress.

"One of the first things I look for is drainage problems around the foundation or flashings pulling apart on the roof were water can get into the home and cause mold and indoor air quality issues," Goewey said. "In general, I find if a home's exterior has been maintained properly, it usually doesn't have any serious problems."

Bob Genord, president of Foundation Systems of Michigan, (877) 379-6424, www.drymich.com, agrees that leaks can be a major concern, especially in the basement.

"Anytime you have even a small crack it needs to be repaired immediately," Genord said. "Unfortunately, too many people tell me they have had these same cracks for 15 years and they haven't gotten any bigger so they didn't do anything about them. But those cracks do get bigger and the leaks can do some serious damage to the basement."

Genord said if homeowners have the cracks repaired when they first appear, they may pay around $2,800 for a waterproofing job. But if they let them continue to grow, he said it could cost 10 times that amount to rebuild the bottom of the foundation due to all the water damage.

Having a quality, well maintained roof is one of the best ways to protect your home from major problems like roof leaks, but too often people don't notice the obvious signs that your roof is in need of repair.

"There are a few problems that homeowners can see by looking at their roof with binoculars, such as missing, curled or cracked shingles," said Gary Kearns of Kearns Brothers, (888) 355-6700, www.kearnsbrothers.com. "Unfortunately, there could be issues with an improperly installed roof valley that may be harder to spot without getting it checked by a qualified roofing contractor."

In all cases, a distressed roof can lead to leaks that can cause mold in the attic and even cause damage to ceilings. "If a home has insufficient roof and attic ventilation that can also cause serious condensation problems in the attic, which can contribute to mold, can decrease the efficiency of the home's attic insulation," Kearns said. "And if the attic gets to warm due to lack of air circulation, that could cause your baking on the underside of your shingles and invalidate your manufacturer's shingle warranty."

Your home's electrical system can also give warnings it is need of serious attention. And avoiding the signs of distress could lead to very serious consequences.

"In older homes, the braided cloth jacket around the electrical service cables gets frayed and water can seep into the electric panel, causing corrosion in the breakers that leads to bad connections, arcing and even fires," said Mike Bratcher or Bratcher Electric, (877) 722-0037, www.bratcherelectric.com. "If people see these signs, they need to replace the cables and get a new service panel to avoid serious problems."

In addition, Bratcher also said the insulation around wires connected to outlets and light fixtures get frayed over time, and arcing can occur when using the outlet. Unfortunately, some people don't get things fixed when this occurs.

"I have known people that had smoke coming from an outlet they were using and just unplugged the appliance and opened a window instead of getting it fixed," Bratcher said. "Obviously they are lucky the wood in the walls around the outlet didn't catch fire."

Spend the time to inspect your home for distress signals and fix the problems now so you can avoid making that mayday call to a contractor.

To suggest a question for this column, email askglenn@masterhandyman.com. To talk to Glenn Haege personally, call his “Handyman Show” on WJR-AM (760) at (866) ASK GLENN, (866) 275-4536 from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Note: This article was accurate at the date of publication. However, information contained in it may have changed. If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.

20 most recent Handyman Columns