Water entering residence and ruining subfloor
Slow leaking hot water heater. Ruined carpet and subfloor.
If you own a property then you know how hard it is to maintain it. The more one looks and investigates the property the larger the list of problems grows. But what about the hidden problems? In this blog I will explain how to protect yourself as the property owner from catastrophic home system failures and avoid expensive repairs.
Walking through your property and noting all of the clues that suggest a problem may have occurred is the number one way of protecting your property and investment. The second is using those clues to investigate and remedy potential problems. I suggest that at a minimum one does a home walkthrough on a monthly basis to ensure that all systems are functioning properly. An in depth home walk through starts from the exterior of the property and works in starting with visual inspections of the grounds, foundation, grade, roof, and siding. The interior should include a detailed inspection of the plumbing, heating/cooling, electrical, and detailed inspection of all of the rooms of the residence. During the inspections of all rooms one should look for settling issues, water damage, mold and mildew smell, rotting wood, and any other notable clues of possible issues.
Using the clues found in your walk through can lead you to the root of the problem. An example is the picture that I have attached on a recently completed job that had water damage throughout the home due to failure of the siding and insufficient sealing of the exterior. Wind driven rain then penetrated behind the siding causing water to leak into the residence and ruining the subfloor as well as causing the potential for mold and mildew growth. If a simple walkthrough by someone with experience in home system functions was performed earlier thousands of dollars could have been saved. This particular job resulted in a nearly complete remodel. If you have completed a home walk through and have questions about findings, or you would like to schedule a home walk through feel free to contact 360 Property Maintenance and Repair Inc.
