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Have you been living in your house for more than 5, 10, or
even 15 years already? Do you feel like your house already needs a renovation,
but you just keep telling yourself that maybe it’s not the right time yet because
you just don’t have the free time yet for it or you don’t have the budget yet, or maybe your
significant other says it’s too early yet?
First of all, for those who are confused on what home
improvement means, according to Wikipedia, the concept of home improvement,
home renovation, or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions
to one's home. Home improvement can consist of projects that upgrade an
existing home interior (such as electrical and plumbing), exterior (masonry,
concrete, siding, roofing), or other improvements to the property (i.e. garden
work or garage maintenance/additions).
Check The Roof
The roof is on fire! Just kidding! One of the most common exterior renovations that I see in
our neighborhood is the roofing. Checking our roof once in a while is very
important and it is advisable to check it especially before the rainy season. Because if
you’re not careful, one rainy night, you might find some leaks on your ceiling
which is unpleasant and inconvenient.
Before you call your friendly neighbor and ask him a favor to fix your roof, the first thing to look at is
your documentation. Do you have all of the paperwork you need because maybe your roof still reaches the warranty period so you don't have to pay much. Do you have the names and contact numbers of the companies
that have been involved with the roof’s installation such as previous
inspectors, roofing contractors, architects, manufacturer technical services?
You should have a copy of all the repair orders and the results of the repairs
made. Finally, there should be a roof plan, drawn to scale, that not only shows
all the equipment on the roof, but also the locations of any leaks and any
repairs made.
Aside from the roof, the walls and glazing should not be
overlooked. Most often, leaks from wall, sealant and window failures are
disguised as "roof" leaks. Look for cracks and water stains that may
be symptomatic of problems in these areas. The worst offenders are pipes,
conduit and other penetrations through the walls. Too often these are left unsealed,
especially when they are installed as retrofits.
Check the Walls
Okay, I don’t want to focus on the roofing too much. Let’s
talk about the exterior walls. Sometimes, it’s easier to spot imperfections on
your exterior walls because they’re too obvious. But do we really have to wait
and see for the imperfections such as cracks and stains before we can repaint
our walls? How often do we have to repaint our walls? According to wow1day.com,
there is no timeline for all, since every home is different. There are some
rough guidelines you can follow, but there are several factors that can change
the timing pretty drastically. For example, for wood siding, it’s every 3 to 7
years, or every 4 years if it’s stained. If the wood itself seems insecure,
then it’s time to call the lumber company like the Decks & Docks Lumber Company and get some fresh new wood.
Exterior painting is a pretty big job, so it’s always best
to hire professional painters. I know it’s an expensive task, but if you can
afford it, see it as an investment for
having a great home. It’s the
best way to ensure you’ll get a quality paint job that will last for years.
I think even a book is not enough to discuss things about
home improvement so I’ll just end it here for now. If you have further questions/suggestions/comments,
please leave them in the comments section below.
