MR. FIX-IT'S NINE THINGS EVERY HOMEOWNER SHOULD KNOW

Lou Manfredini (Bottom Line Personnel)
 
Buy a $25 toaster, and you get an owner's manual. But a $300,000 house doesn't come with instructions. It's easy for homeowners to let small problems turn into big ones. Here are nine "vital signs" every homeowner should monitor…

Furnace, Central Air Conditioning and Water Heater
Most homeowners don't worry until these items stop working.

After 15 years, furnaces and central air conditioning systems are so energy inefficient that they should be replaced. If you spend $1,500 a year on fuel for an old furnace operating at 60% efficiency, a new 90%-efficient model that costs $3,500 will pay for itself in seven years, based on a $500-a-year savings on fuel.

Water heaters should be replaced after seven years. Cost: About $500, including installation.

Attic Insulation
If you don't have enough, you're wasting money on heat and air conditioning. Every home's insulation should be rated at least R-30. (R measures thermal resistance.) That's a minimum of eight inches of standard fiberglass insulation. Homes in colder regions should have insulation rated R-40 or R-50 - a minimum of 12 inches. Take a ruler up to your attic and measure.

Upgrading a typical home from R-15 to R-30 can save hundreds of dollars a year, depending on the cost of heating fuel and local climate. Cost: 80 cents to $2 per square foot, depending on the R value and the construction of your attic space.

Attic Ventilation
On a hot day, hold an outdoor thermometer in the middle of your attic. If it registers more than 20 degrees above the outside temperature, you have a venting problem. Install attic fans or ridge or mushroom vents.

Septic Systems
If your drains have been backing up, the septic tank needs to be pumped. Have this done every three to five years. Cost: About $200 each time.

Don't put it off, especially if you are planning a large gathering. Left unattended, the solids in the tank could spill over into the draining system and clog up the leaching field. You might have to spend thousands to replace the system.

Smart: Don't use drain openers to unclog pipes or chlorine bleach in laundry. These can kill bacteria in the tank that break down solid wastes. Use a snake or plunger instead…or call a plumber.

Sewer
If every drain backs up, the main sewer line is probably clogged. A plumber can feed a camera down the line to spot breaks or blockages. Insist on a live view, not a videotape. An unscrupulous plumber might play tapes of other people's broken sewer lines to home owners who have less serious problems. Cost to repair a sewer line: $500 to $5,000, depending on the problem.

Plumbing
Some homeowners pay plumbers dearly to solve problems they easily could fix themselves…

Low flow from a faucet: This is usually caused by a buildup of sediment inside the faucet's aerator. Just unscrew and wash it off.

Loud banging water pipes: This indicates that all the air has worked its way out of the system. Most homeowners don't realize that water pipes work better when they contain air pockets.

To drain the system: Shut off your main water valve. Open every faucet, and flush every toilet. Reclose all the faucets. Finally, open the main valve. With air back in the system, the banging should stop. If it doesn't, call a plumber.

Lead pipes: Homes built before the 1940's may have lead (not copper) pipes. The word "lead" scares most people, but lead pipes probably don't need to be replaced. Very little lead leaches into running water. Still, you might want to run the tap for three minutes before taking a drink or cooking, to let water that has been in the pipe for several hours flow through. Also: Store clean water in a bottle in your refrigerator. If you are still concerned, take a water sample to an independent testing lab.

Foundation
It is natural for concrete to develop hairline cracks as it dries and settles. A problem occurs when these cracks allow water to enter. Moisture could produce mildew in the basement or rot the wooden structure of the home. Unchecked, a crack could expand, endangering the structural integrity of the house.

Examine the foundation walls in your basement. Cracks smaller than one-half inch that are not letting in water probably don't require action. For larger cracks, call a foundation specialist. For as little as $500, an epoxy injection can bond to the concrete and prevent a crack from spreading.

If your home has a brick or stone foundation, monitor moisture entering through the mortar, especially after heavy rains. Eventually, perhaps even after several decades, it will be necessary to replace deteriorating mortar, a process known as truck-pointing. Expect to pay thousands for a large job.

To find a foundation specialists, ask your real estate or home inspector…or try the Yellow Pages.

Roof
Asphalt shingles last about 15 years. Many homeowners put a layer of shingles on top of an old one instead of replacing the roof. Roofs with multiple layers might have hidden problems, such as leaks and rotted sheathing, in the wood below the shingles. Costs vary depending on the size and location, but the difference is small - for example, $2,500 to $3,000 for a new layer, versus $3,000 to $4,500 to strip off the old and start fresh.

Signs a roof should be replaced: Cracked or buckled shingles, shingles blowing off in storms, granule loss from the surface of asphalt shingles, leaks.

To preserve your roof:

Cut away tree branches that rub against or hang over it.

Remove moss. It can trap moisture and rot shingles in just a few years. Mix equal parts chlorine bleach and water, spray it on the affected area, and scrub gently with a brush. Do this yourself only if you feel comfortable climbing ladders and working on a roof. Check and repeat every four to five years if necessary.

Clean gutters once or twice a year, depending on how often they get clogged with leaves. Or install leafless gutters. Cost: $10 to $20 a foot, versus $4 to $7 a foot for traditional gutters.

Electrical System
Most homes built before the 1950's have inadequate 60-amp service, versus 100 to 200 amps for modern homes. The service rating for your electrical system should be written on a sticker and attached to your circuit breaker box. Expect to pay about $10,000 to update the electrical system in the entire house.

Check the box every few years for rusted circuit breakers. Rust can prevent a circuit from shutting off when overloaded, creating the risk of fire. Call an electrician if you find rust or a breaker that won't budge.
-- This article was originally published in the Heatherwood Happenings Newsletter (September 2002, pp. 6-7).
 

Updated 12/31/08