In theory, you should never put off any home repair. However, there are certain repairs that can be done later on without comprising your home’s safety or increasing your future repair bill. But there are also home repairs that you should never put off unless you want to spend even more later on or introduce potential risks into your home.
With that in mind, here are some of the home repairs that you should never procrastinate on:
1. A broken dryer
A broken dryer can damage your clothes, which is not really ‘dangerous’, per se. However, it’s what has caused your dryer to break that could be hazardous. For example, if your dryer broke down due to an electrical problem, you could be looking at a fire hazard. Or if your dryer failed because of a gas leak, there could be a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning or a house fire.
Call a dryer repair professional as soon as your dryer breaks or shows signs of malfunctioning. Moreover, stop using it until you address the problem–you could risk damaging your clothes or something much, much worse.
2. Pests
Cockroaches, termites, rodents, and other types of pests are more than just annoyances; they are also extremely hazardous to human health and can even cause damage to your home. To illustrate, rats can spread disease and chew up electrical wiring in the house, while termites can cause severe structural damage to your property which could increase the risk of accidents.
If you start seeing pests in your house, address the problem right away. Start by setting traps and blocking their entry points. You can also use insecticides for certain types of pests, but the chemicals in pesticide products can be detrimental to your health. If these DIY measures don’t work or if you already have an infestation, call a pest control service as soon as possible.
3. Mold
When ignored for too long, mold growth can cause serious health issues among the members of your household. At the same time, it can damage the material it’s growing on and ruin the structural integrity of your house.
That said, act quickly at the first sight of mold. Remove the mold growth carefully and find the source of moisture that’s causing it (because when there is mold, there is likely excessive moisture in that spot). Address the moisture issue to prevent mold from growing again. And while you’re at it, replace the material it grew on if it is damaged beyond repair.
4. Leaky roof
A leaky roof can lead to mold, structural damage, loss of property, and even injuries. Hence, it is extremely important to fix your roof as soon as you notice leaks coming from it, even if the leaks are far and few in between. Not only will you avoid a huge repair bill by doing this, but you can also prevent the damage from spreading further and potentially causing your roof to cave in.
5. Plumbing leaks
Many leaks don’t get fixed until they become bigger, which can lead to larger repair bills, more damage to your property, and higher water bills. So, if you are guilty of the habit of ignoring leaks, it’s time to put more effort into maintaining your plumbing.
As soon as you spot a leak coming from your sinks, showers, or pipes, get it fixed immediately. Most small leaks are easy to address, after all, and you can probably accomplish the job yourself with a wrench. However, if the leak has become too big, call in a plumber as soon as possible before your pipes burst or your faucet flies off of the sink.
6. Iced gutters
Gutters that ice over in the winter becomes too heavy and have a high risk of tearing off of the wall. To prevent this type of damage, flush your gutters and downspout to remove the debris before winter comes. Better yet, install gutter guards to prevent twigs, leaves, dirt, and other types of debris from accumulating on your gutters.
7. Chipping or peeling paint
Chipped or peeling paint both inside and outside of your home can promote rot, reduce your indoor air quality, and make your home generally unpleasant-looking. Fortunately, repainting is relatively easy and inexpensive. You can even do it on your own over a weekend or two with just a few basic tools.
Making these repairs may not always be easy, cheap, or quick, but you will save a lot of money and prevent a lot of headaches by tackling them as soon as possible. Furthermore, you can avoid potential risks to your family’s health, safety, and security, all the more reason to stop procrastinating on these home repairs.
