Most of us don’t realize it, but we usually do a lot of home maintenance daily. Even something as simple as sweeping the floor, disposing garbage on time, or removing some snow on our front porch and hard-to-reach areas, we are doing our part in extending our home’s lifespan.
But when it comes to almost any building and construction material that’s used for homes, it will always have a different lifespan. On average, a typical home that’s owned and built to accommodate a family will have a lifespan of around 50 to 200 years.
But just because homes will last for around this timespan, it does not guarantee that it will be able to protect you from the natural elements. As such, it’s always an excellent choice to look into several aspects of our home to ensure that everything is secure against rain, hailstorms, and storm damages.
Indicators of Age
If you’ve just moved into a new house that was recently owned by another family, it’s always a good choice to look for different signs of age. That will help you paint a bigger picture of the structural soundness and safety of your home.
Gutters
Gutters are essential in redirecting water towards a reasonable distance that’s away from your home’s foundations. It’s also a proper way of indicating the age of your roof. You’ll know that your roof and most parts of your home is already past its lifespan is when you start seeing traces of minerals and pebbles on your gutters. If ever this happens, then it’s imperative to call in a gutter replacement service.
It’s also important to note that thick foliage can cause junk and debris to clog up your gutters. The last thing that homeowners want is a clogged up gutter system since this can cause complications in your home’s foundation.
Exterior
Overhangs and several parts of your wall can be susceptible to rotting in wooden materials. While it’s serving its purpose by shielding your home from rainwater, most overhangs that are made of wood or metal can erode through decades of use. Water will be able to easily seep through the nooks and crannies, which can trap water and compromise your home.
If you’re living in an apartment or your home has a heating and cooling system, you might want to check on your HVAC equipment. Sometimes, HVAC equipment might underperform if they are subjected to different weather changes. The last thing that you want is your air conditioning unit breaking down in the middle of summer. While this may seem like a minor inconvenience, this can affect moisture buildup inside your home, which can lead to the growth of mildews.
Roof
Roofs are usually exposed to different weather conditions since they’re there to protect your home from heavy rain, hail, and even the wind. That said, it needs to have a balance of both lifespan and durability. For most of the roof materials that are used in Australia, they have around an average lifespan of 25 to 50 years.
A major indicator of age in this area is when it starts sagging and warping. In extreme cases, this will lead to your roof caving in on your home. If this is the case, a replacement is in order.
Upgrading Your Home
There might be times that you’ll have to replace certain materials and structures on your home that are either outdated or are already permanently damaged. Don’t fret, though; this is a good time for you to upgrade different areas. Improving your materials, items, and support structures can help extend your home’s structure.
Are your support structures getting gnawed on by pests? Maybe you should consider steel support beams. Light bulbs taking in too much energy? You can use other lightbulbs that are more efficient. Just remember that not everything is set in stone and that everything can still be replaced and upgraded in your home.
Just like our body, it inevitable that it’s going to show signs of aging. But age is only a number, and this is quite true in construction and repair. Restoring homes to their former glory doesn’t need to take a week. Want to have your exterior structures replaced? The latest construction time would be a week.
There’s no be-all-end-all way of increasing the lifespan of your home. If you’re worried that you might have to spend too much when a specific material exceeds its lifespan, there are always less expensive ways. Annual maintenance, repair, and even replacements are a great way of extending the lifespan of your home without the need to spend exorbitant amounts of funds. We understand that you have been investing time and effort in your home, and professionals should be treating it with respect.