7 Repairs You Should Prioritize to Save Money
Repairs are an essential part of owning a home and maintaining its value. However, not all repairs are created equal. Some repairs should be fixed immediately to prevent further damage to your home and multiplied repair costs down the road.
Given that many homeowners delay repairs due to their financial situation, we thought we’d highlight the repairs you should prioritize to save money short and long-term.
Roof Leaks
The water we see coming inside a home from a roof leak has traveled a long way across insulation, plywood, beams, and wallboard before it’s seen, causing water damage in its path. Hence, once there are visible signs of a leaking roof, it is imperative to fix it before it becomes a bigger mess.
If caught early, a leaking roof can usually mean replacing some tar paper or flashing and shingles in a small area to avoid any further leaking.
However, if you wait on repairing a small leak, water damage will occur to larger and larger areas of the roofing structure, ruining the integrity of structural supports, insulation and plywood, and costing up to 7.5 times more than your original leak. It may even require a full replacement of your roof!
Leaks Around Windows and Doors
Evidence of leaking around windows and doors includes cracking, warped or rotting wood around your windows or doors or unusual staining at the bottom corners. You may even see water coming in the home during heavy rainstorms. If you notice extensive leaking, call a professional to take care of it immediately as this can become a larger issue quickly.
For example, leaking from windows and doors can quickly spill forth and damage your flooring, walls and nearby furniture. When caught early, much of this leaking can be managed with simple replacement of weather stripping or new caulking. If left unattended, a window or door leak could result in a full replacement of the window or door and its surrounding casement, adjacent walls, flooring, and more.
Cracks in Your Foundation
Cracks in your foundation can be a sign of many things from poor drainage to shifting soil. While not common, cracks can signal your home is in imminent danger from sinking or a collapsing wall.
If you have cracks in your foundation, call a professional for an assessment. This needs to be an urgent request if the crack is a large gap or is long, located in the middle to lower part of your foundation, leaking water, or growing.
When dealt with early, a professional can mitigate the circumstances causing the cracking quickly and cheaply. However, if you delay, the small crack can swiftly become a large problem that causes significant damage and danger.
Rotting Siding or Fascia Boards
Rotting siding or fascia boards is a sign of gutter or roofing problems causing water to be directed behind your siding or against your fascia boards.
When caught early, this can mean the simple replacement of a few pieces of siding or fascia boards, an adjustment or cleaning of your gutters, or a small repair to your roof. If ignored, they will continue to rot and allow further moisture into the walls behind them, causing rotting and leaks in your interior walls that can also spread and damage floors.
Because rotting siding or fascia boards can be a sign of a problem to the roof as well, refer above to how expensive a delayed roof repair can be. Don’t wait!
Damaged or Loose Roof Shingles
Windstorms, tree limbs and other natural scenarios can easily loosen or damage a roof shingle during its normal course of service. Once a roof shingle is loose or damaged, it is no longer protecting your home from the elements, and will allow water to enter your roof area and invade your home. Minor repairs to a roof including replacement of shingles under a 10×10 area won’t break the bank. When damaged shingles are not replaced in a timely manner, the damage becomes greater by the rain or snowstorm, with water damage exponentially increasing the cost of repair.
Cracked, Loose or Missing Mortar Between Bricks
If you have a brick foundation, chimney, retaining wall or other major structure made of brick around your home where the mortar has become old and has started to crumble, it is important to get this properly fixed as soon as possible.
Mortar is the only substance holding the brick within the structure. As soon as it becomes loose, crumbles, or completely falls out, the brick no longer has anything keeping it in place and is no longer doing its job. Dependent on where brick is used around your home, this can be of significant concern, especially if its job is to keep water out or fire in.
Call a professional to look at the mortar damage and do a quick repair. Small masonry repairs are relatively inexpensive if caught quickly before they spread and become larger problems.
Tree Branches Hanging Over Your Roof or Siding
Many people underestimate the need to maintain trees around the home. Even a healthy tree can crack and fall against a home, crushing walls and caving in a roof. It is crucial any branches hanging over the roof or siding are cut back away from the home to prevent damage. Not only can they fall during a storm, but their shade and leaf debris can start moss and mold on your roof and siding, damaging them and requiring replacement.
Thinking about trimming those trees yourself? Tree trimming is one of the riskiest things you can do. This is typically a scenario where you will want to call in a professional utilizing proper equipment and tree-cutting practices to get the job done safely.
Each day that goes by where you ignore a repair, you are essentially taking dollars out of your pocket. Look at your home today and prioritize these repairs at the top of your list and get them done as soon as possible. To find the best home repair companies near you, sign up with PunchList today!
