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A few things to consider during home project season
By Chris Swenson
As the days start to get warmer and you start thinking about making upgrades to your place of residence consider having a home inspector or general contractor assess the general condition of your home especially if you have lived in your home for a while.
It is also a good idea to have your plumbing and HVAC systems inspected.
There are lots of things to think about when it comes to our homes and I thought I would write this article to mention some of them.
THE ATTIC: Is your attic properly vented? Soffit baffles still in place? Is the insulation in your attic in good condition? Did a small animal spend the winter in your attic? Did that little critter chew any electrical wires?
FENCES AND RAILINGS: Did this winters storms loosen up any fence boards or balcony railings? Does your staircase railing still feel secure? Or do you need one? Perhaps you would like a few grab bars in your bathroom to make the morning a little easier?
OUTSIDE THE HOUSE: Do you have large trees on your property? Consider calling an arborist to check the tree’s condition, maybe remove any large broken branches that are stuck! Is the caulking around your windows still in good condition? Does your deck or outside stairs feel slippery when wet?
ELECTRICITY: Is your house properly grounded to help protect against lightning strikes? Talk to your electrician about surge protectors! If your house has a plastic water service pipe you may need a grounding rod installed! Consider replacing any sloppy outlets that don’t keep your chargers in. If you charge your electric toothbrush in the living room like I do, consider having a GFI receptacle installed in your bathroom.
PLUMBING: Some home insurance policies are not covering flood damage from hot water tanks 10 years or older! Is it time to replace yours? Thinking about finishing your basement? Have the condition of your underground/below cement pipes inspected! Have a sump pump in your basement? Make sure it works and maybe clean out any sediment out of the basin the pump sits in.
HVAC: Is there any furniture sitting over your heat registers? Is it time for your furnace ducts to be cleaned? Chimney to be swept? Is this the summer for air conditioning?
ODDS AND ENDS: Do your smoke alarms work? Is there anything blocking your front or back doors? If you have a green thumb maybe an indoor herb wall would be nice? Fresh mint for Mojitos!
LARGE PROJECTS: Consider having an energy audit done to help assess what upgrades will help the energy efficiency of your house. Some of our older homes may still have products that contain asbestos! So before taking on any demolition work on your own consult a contractor!
Hope this has been helpful!
– Chris Swenson is proprietor of Swenson’s Plumbing Services, based in Kimberley – 250-432-9970.
