7 Of The Most Common Home Fixes You Can’t Afford To Ignore

By: John Garcia | Date Posted: November 28, 2021

The Most Common Home Fixes

Homeownership is a huge responsibility. So many things can go wrong in your home that you need to be constantly aware of the dangers, and what you should do when they happen. You need to know how to fix them or at least have someone qualified for the job come by quickly.

There are plenty of problems that can arise in any house, but some require more attention than others. The most common ones are addressed below with tips on how to handle them so they don’t turn into something worse. Take care of these issues before it’s too late!

Leaking Roofs

A leaking roof can lead to extensive water damage, and it isn’t always as obvious as you might think. Make sure that you check your ceilings for stains regularly to make sure there aren’t any developing problems. Protect your roof with the help of professionals from Techline Roofing and Restoration as they can help keep your roof from getting damaged. Water can also seep through window cracks or even open windows, so be aware of all the places where water could enter your home without you knowing about it.

A cheap dehumidifier can help you find out where the water is coming in, but can’t repair the problem for you. You should also avoid getting too close to your AC unit when it is on or use any appliances that give off heat or steam until you get this fixed. If you do not, mold could start growing, which can have dangerous effects if it spreads too far.

Anything Involving Water

Water damage is one of the biggest problems you can face in a home. That’s because water can seep through so many different things and always find its way to low-lying areas where it can cause serious or even irreparable harm if not dealt with right away.

This includes faucets, clogged gutters, broken pipes, hoses, and so on. If you have a leaky faucet, turn off the water supply to that spout right away. If it won’t stop, call a plumber immediately. Don’t waste time calling around for quotes—you need to get the leak fixed as soon as possible!

When gutters are overflowing with leaves and debris, you have a problem that will only get worse every time it rains. When this happens, you’ll need to call on a professional cleanup service or wait for that rainy day when the gutters are just filled with water down to clean them.

Anything Involving Electricity

Finding a problem with your power, especially after you have had an electrician check everything out, can be disastrous. Minor problems can cause serious fires or even electrocution. If your lights are flickering every once in a while or seem dimmer than usual, it is time to get someone to take care of the issue. Your AC unit is also on the list of things that need regular maintenance.

The smell of smoke is a bad sign, but if you smell something burning for an extended period without seeing anything burning, it is time to call your electrician or fire department. Leaks can be hard to notice at first, so make sure you turn on all the lights in the house once a month or so, especially on your electrical panel. You can also turn on any appliances that you have to see if anything is amiss.

If your lights are out entirely, it could be because of another utility issue like water entering an outlet. This is common during flooding and leads to dangerous conditions for all those who are around. Both water and electricity can be lethal, so you should not take this problem lightly.

Broken or Malfunctioning HVAC

HVAC units serve as the heart of your home, cooling you in summer and warming you in winter, so you must maintain them well. If your system doesn’t work properly, it won’t maintain a comfortable temperature in your house, leading to high energy bills if you don’t address the issue immediately.

If you hear strange sounds from your unit, it’s not functioning correctly. The condenser often emits a high-pitched or whining sound, while the fans make whirring noises. You might feel tempted to drown out the noise with another appliance, like a fan or a white noise machine, but this approach simply ignores the problem rather than solving it.

Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

These are things you should have in your house whether or not you have children. Smoke alarms keep you safe from fires and carbon monoxide detectors keep you safe from dying by poisoning. If either of these things happens, the only thing you can do is try to get out of the house, so it is smart to invest in something that will help you do that.

Don’t put it off if your alarm is going off too often or you hear a beeping sound when there isn’t any smoke to signal danger. False alarms happen, but only because the problem could get worse. Carbon monoxide detectors can be problematic because they can go off while you are cooking and this might make you think there is something wrong. This leads some people to just turn the detector off instead of getting it fixed, but that could lead to serious consequences later on.

Darkening Ceilings Near Fireplaces

If you have a dark patch on your ceiling and you aren’t sure where it is coming from, check the fireplace. If soot cakes onto the flu, it might enter the house and regularly cause damage until it accumulates enough to make a noticeable dent in your ceiling. You can clean it or implement measures to protect against the flu, preventing it from getting dirty.

If you own a fireplace, always close the damper when not in use. This action prevents pests from entering your home, as they can cause problems once inside. It also ensures that your chimney doesn’t fill up with anything that could lead to dangerous amounts of smoke pouring into your house.

Replacing Broken Light Fixtures

Loose sockets are a hazard for you and your pets. If they fall completely off, it could even start a fire if there is anything flammable near the socket. It seems simple, but just taking care of your light fixtures will go a long way toward keeping your home safe. You don’t need to hire an electrician to fix it either. All you have to do is unscrew the broken fixture and screw in a new one or find something that fits where the old one was. If you don’t keep up with your home’s maintenance, there will come a day when you need to make major repairs like putting on a new roof after water damage.

The best way to avoid more problems is to take care of the home repairs you need now. However, it can be difficult if you don’t know what needs fixing or who should do it. Luckily, we have listed some common, easy, and inexpensive fixes that you can quickly address.

Thank you for reading!

John
 

John is the founder and chief editor of Homienjoy. With over 15 years of experience in the home improvement industry, John is passionate about helping homeowners confidently tackle their projects. Holding a civil engineering degree and working as a contractor, project manager, and consultant, John brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Homienjoy community.

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