10 Costly and Overlooked Areas of Home Maintenance

1. Water, moisture, mold, and, mildew in attic spaces can indicate potential problems with areas such as ventilation, insulation, and vapour barriers. This can lead to the premature wear of the roof covering, structure and building materials as well as increasing the potential for ice damming.

2. Electrical panels are often not marked, or marked poorly, as to what type of service is present-that is, the amperage size of the main service. Even if it is marked it may not properly reflect the size of the service. This may confuse purchasers more importantly leave the purchaser with an electrical service that does not meet your needs.

3. Rotting wood is something which can occur in many places. For example, window sashes/frames, door frames/sills, siding, decks, fences, and, trim. It's often difficult to detect this without making an examination and sometimes probing the wood to see this is present especially when the wood has been freshly/recently painted.

4. Masonry work and re-pointing of bricks can add up. Not only can it cause problems with water/moisture penetration into the home but could lead to chimneys toppling over onto roofs, clogging chimney's with fallen bricks, and, some limited support problems for other building materials.

5. Foundation/basement areas can be a real concern for purchasers. There could be water/moisture problems or cracked walls. Left unattended, the costs can mount.

6. Heating and cooling systems can make comfort levels just the way you like them. Some furnaces can still be working but be at the end of their economic life. For example, a forced air gas furnace has a typical life span of 15 to 25 years. They can last longer, however. One of the largest single components in a forced air gas system is a heat exchanger that can crack and emit deadly carbon monoxide into the home. These heat exchangers can not be repaired and must be replaced.

7. Over fusing or unsafely fusing an electrical circuit can cause fires. This occurs when more amperage is drawn on the circuit that the wire was intended to carry. Protection comes from properly fusing the circuit. Typically, 15 amp circuits are the most common with larger service for a dryer, baseboard heaters, stoves, etc.

8. Safety is key in any home. Security systems are a good idea but there are several other areas that can increase a home's safety too. For example, proper locks on windows and patio doors, smoke detectors in every bedroom and level of the home, carbon monoxide detectors, and, dead bolts, to mention but a few.

9. The structural integrity of a home is fundamental to a good home. Sometimes problems can arise over time that will require attention. If left unattended further problems may arise.

10. If you don't feel qualified to inspect a home, or aren't sure, chances are you require the service of a professional certified home inspector.