Certain home owner habits might actually be harming the home, and can lead to major home improvement projects later on. This Old House recently featured a list of several bad home owner habits to avoid, including.
Undesirable habits That could Ruin your house
Slamming the front door
Slamming the heavy front door can push it out of alignment. Eventually, the door may get really difficult to open and even have a gap between the trim and jamb that might allow moisture and cold air to seep in.
Fix: Switch the existing hinges of the door with self-closing ones so that the door can softly close without slamming.
Never lifting up outdoor rugs.
Outdoor rugs with rubber or vinyl backings shouldn’t stay in place. They can trap water and produce mold and mildew.
Fix: Select an open-weave rug that permits rainwater to evaporate and air to circulate. Also, rinse the rug using a hose occasionally and after that hang it out to dry.
Failing to clean the gutters.
Fallen leaves, pine needles, branches, and even the neighbor’s tennis ball can wind up clogging your gutter preventing water from properly flowing through. Water could then either back up or dump down the foundation and seep into cracks and crevices.
Fix: Clean your gutters prior to the spring rains. Check them in the winter for any ice or snow damage. Consider mesh gutter guards to help prevent clogs.
Flushing “flushable wipes.”
Pre-moistened, flushable wipes might not be so good to flush down your toilet after all. Flushing them could potentially cause a plumbing problem, according to This Old House. The non-woven fabric from the wipes may collect with grease as well as other materials and can lead to a clog.
Fix: Place a covered trash bin in the bathroom to throw out the wipes instead. Stick to traditional toilet paper.
Closing vents.
Shutting vents to try to push air to other rooms to cool or heat may end up doing more harm than good. You could potentially cause “a pressure imbalance in the ducts that can make the furnace work harder or perhaps the cooling coil freeze over,” in accordance with This Old House article.
Fix: An HVAC contractor can install branch dampers in the primary areas of your duct-work to push cooler air to the second floor in the summer and warmer air to the ground floor in the winter.
Using an excessive amount of drain cleaner.
Clog-dissolving liquids or crystals may help unclog a septic system. But an excessive amount of it may result in less of the essential bacteria needed to break down the waste continually.
Fix: When you first get a clog, pour some boiling water in and flush. For more pesky clogs, try a mechanical cleaning with a closet auger snake – which according to the article is less damaging than drain-clearing chemicals. If you do use drain cleaner, use them sparingly.
