What Can Happen When You Neglect Home Maintenance

One aspect of being a homeowner that people don’t usually talk about is home maintenance. It’s more than just vacuuming and wiping countertops. This involves checking your systems or inspecting the structure of your roofs and windows. Most of these don’t have to be done as often, which is why a lot of people tend to forget it. When that happens, you and your family are left vulnerable to these situations.

Increased bills

The most noticeable side effect of neglecting home maintenance is increased bills. It goes two ways. Either you have higher utility bills than usual, or you are spending more for fixing repairs. Both of these can significantly hurt your wallet depending on what needs to be fixed. HVAC systems are significant because they are one of the most costly things to repair.

Around 20 to 30 percent of air is lost from leaks. That is a significant amount that affects your HVAC’s performance. When air is leaking out, then that means your rooms are being cooled or warmed to their ideal temperature. As a result, your system will have to put more effort into increasing its output to make up for the loss. This will show itself the next time you get your bills.

Aside from this, further neglect would result in more costly damages. The worst-case scenario is that it needs to be replaced entirely. That means paying for installation as well.

Damage to foundation

One of the worst things that can happen is that you incur damages to your home’s foundation. This is generally caused by water that gets into the cracks and walls of your home. It causes mold and fungi to grow. These are the same organisms that also speed up the rotting of wood. Another way that the foundation is damaged is when the soil swells. The result is that the land raises and causes cracks and stress to the flooring.

What’s worrying about this effect is that it can be caused by a variety of things. For instance, leaky plumbing will cause moisture to seep into the walls. Similarly, clogged gutters and drains will also make the water overflow. A damaged roof will also leak and make the interior more vulnerable to water damage.

For this reason, it is essential to check the structures in your home regularly. All the issues above are heightened when weather and seasons are involved. Snow can damage your roof and gutters, while rain will increase clogging and moisture. It is also essential to get new water heaters and plumbing to avoid deterioration.

Contamination

When filters aren’t regularly changed, it can become a health risk to you and those in your home. Water and air filters can quickly contaminate the areas they are supposed to clean. If you live with children or people with weak immune systems, this can be very dangerous. The United Nations says that roughly 297,000 children every year die from water contamination.

HVAC systems with unchanged filters can trigger someone’s asthma. It can make your throat itchy and irritate your eyes. Aside from that, the dust can get stuck in the motors of your system. This will cause it to break down and further reduce its performance. The best practice is to replace it every three months or so if you live at home. If there are more people, more frequent changes may be needed.

Electrical shocks

When you have an old home, the wiring and sockets may have already been damaged over time. While it is easy to ignore by only not using it, this can cause a spark when you least expect it. That is why it is vital to regularly check in with an electrician to see if your wiring is in good condition.

Maintenance for electrical things is relatively easy. You won’t be doing the work of handling it, but you will need to check if things are working. Make sure that you inspect outlets to see if they are performing. Call a professional if you think that the appliances charged on it are overheating. Similarly, inspect lightbulbs if you find that some discoloration or darkening is happening. 

Home maintenance is a tedious task, but we must do it consistently. The longer you postpone such tasks, the higher the risks are. If you want to save yourself from future expenses and health hazards, then you best get to work on these things now. It only takes a short amount of time in your life, and you will likely only ever do it every few months or years.