6 Ways to Save your Home from Hidden Dangers
These 6 ways to save your home from hidden dangers are considered to be a vital check list when you declutter and organize your home on the outside.
Designing, beautifying and attaining the comfortable home of your dreams is a wonderful experience but will only stay in this cherished way if the bricks, the mortar and the framework of the house remain in an excellent condition
SUBSIDENCE
Subsidence is the vertical downward movement of a building foundation. The cause of this is a loss of support of the area beneath the foundation.
Hairline plaster cracks are not usually a worry as these can be caused by normal settlement of the house.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHECKING FOR SUBSIDENCE
Wallpaper scunching or rucking up between the walls and the ceiling or above the doors to the ceiling or above windows to ceiling.
You may notice vertical (upward or downward)or diagonal cracks appearing on the walls on the outside of the house.
WHAT TO DO
If you find you have a problem contact a surveyor. He may ask you, and show you how, to monitor the cracks to see if they are getting larger.
Contact your your home insurance as your contract is likely to cover you for sorting out your subsidence problems.
DEFECTIVE DRAINS
Drains need to be watertight in order to their job efficiently. Leaking drains can effect the foundations of the house, resulting intold damage. the first sign of leaking drains may be the occurrence of cracks appearing on the house walls.
WHAT TO DO
If you suspect a problem with your drains you will need specialist contractors to carry out a drain inspection survey and employ them to rectify the situation.
Your home insurance may foot the bill.
BIG TREES NEXT TO HOUSE
Big trees tend to suck moisture from the soil during the warmer months of the year. This could result in uneven settlement of the ground and could be causing cracks to open on the house wall.
WHAT TO DO
Before doing anything drastic to the tree, check with your local council concerning any tree preservaton order. Always get good advice from a professional arboriculturist who will advise you on the maintenance of the tree.
Sometimes it is wiser to prune or pollard the tree rather than pull it out.
If you are advised to remove the tree, take further advice to see whether it would be wise to replace it with a suitable alternative.
Should you remove a large tree consideration has to be given to the fact that now the tree is gone the ground beneath the house will be wetter!
OVERFLOWING AND CRACKED GUTTERS
When it is raining hard, take an umbrella, go outside and check the gutters and downpipes. Water running down the wall of a house will soak into the brickwork and may cause wet or dry rot, attract fungi and mold and will also encourage insect infestation.
Neglected gutters are the source of many expensive to-put-right problems.
WHAT TO DO
Keep the gutters and downpipes free of leaves, moss and all debris.
Check all pipes for cracks and leaking joints. Mend where necessary.
To be extra cautious, use leaf guards over gutters and downpipes.
WOODWORM INVASION
Woodworm also known as wood boring insects, thrive in damp conditions. The woodworm known as Furniture Beetle love to leave their eggs, that hatch into the damaging wood eating caterpillars, in hard or soft woods. When the grub turns into a beetle and emerges fom its hole, it leaves a 1-2mm hole.
The Deathwatch Beetle favours oak and leaves a larger hole, 2-3mm
The woodworm is active if the dust coming out of the holes is the same colour as the timber when freshly cut.
WHAT TO DO
When buying second hand furniture, check for woodworm. You do not want to infest the house with this insect!
If you find woodworm in your house, ask for professional advice.
Try to get the damage assessed by a chartered building surveyer before calling in remedial contractor.
Getting rid of these pests is vital as if left untreated, woodworm can munch through timber, turning it into dust.
This tiny creature can cause serious damage if it is attacking the joists forming part of the stucture of your house.
WET AND DRY ROT
Both wet and dry rot are found in damp conditions.
Wet rot is more usually found on the outside timbers of the house or shed. The rot causes the wood to become bleached and fibrous.
Dry rot which looks like cotton wool with orange fruits, is found in unventilated areas such as behind the skirting board where the wall behind it is damp or in an unventilated damp cupboard or roof space.
This rot will crack and finally break up the affected timbers.
WHAT TO DO
Discover the cause of the dampness. Check the gutters, pipes and brickwork.
Seek professional advice.
Where necessary, improve ventilation.
Remove and replace any rotton timber and with pre-treated timber and then treat the surrounding area with a recommended specific fungicide.
Photos sourced from Wikipedia Public Domain
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Deterring Household Pests
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Wet and Dry Rot Photo Sachverständigenbüro für Zimmerei und Holzbau Lutz Weidner / Thüringen
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