Owning a property comes with substantial responsibility. Not only do you have to pay the bills, but you also have to ensure that the building survives intact. And that’s not always a straightforward matter. What seem like minor maintenance issues can often balloon into enormous jobs that wind up costing you thousands of dollars.
In this post, we look at some of the big property maintenance mistakes owners are still making in the 2020s. Check them out below.
Failing To Service The Boiler
The boiler is probably the most expensive and energy-intensive device on your property. Modern units use the latest in material science to hum along efficiently for a decade or more.
Failing to maintain the boiler, however, can lead to all types of problems. Neglecting to carry out an annual service causes damage to accumulate and dramatically shortens the unit’s life. After just a few years, it can putter out completely, just when you need it to perform the most.
Failing To Address Leaks
A leaking pipe might not seem like much of an issue when you first detect it. Perhaps one or two drops are escaping every hour or so. But if you leave it, it can soon become a much more severe problem.
That small puddle under the floorboards can leak into the drywall and masonry. And once it gets there, it can weaken your property’s structure, causing the walls to crumble and mold to invade.
The lesson is this: if you notice leaks anywhere in your home, plug them immediately. Don’t wait. The longer you allow the problem to fester, the bigger the cleanup costs later on.
Failing To Address Cracks In Your Walls
Hairline cracks in your walls and ceilings might not look significant – and sometimes they’re not – but they could indicate serious issues with your property. Fissures in the brickwork could suggest problems with the foundations.
As industry specialists Pinnacle Foundation Repair point out, cracks in the walls usually indicate subsidence. They reveal that the ground under the property is moving, and it is bringing the foundations and the entire superstructure with it.
Fortunately, there are several ways to solve this problem, whether you have regular slab foundations or you’re using beams. Contractors shore up the building with various methods, and then all you need to do is fill the cracks with putty and continue as normal.
Failing To Maintain Your Guttering
Guttering isn’t the sexiest topic in the world. But when it comes to maintaining your property, it is arguably one of the most important.
We all know that guttering collects water as it runs off the roof and funnels it into a storm drain. But it’s primary purpose is to protect the masonry and foundations below. If water gets into the brickwork or subsurface concrete, it can weaken it, leading to severe structural problems.
If you maintain your gutters, that won’t happen. But if you allow them to fill with leaves and other detritus, they could overflow. And when that happens, water pours over the side to the base of your building, damaging the structure itself.
