Prior to renovating, it is important to assess your home properly or have a qualified professional do this for you.
You will be looking for any major underlying problems with your home that need to be addressed prior to or during your planned renovation project.
This will help eliminate any additional costs and surprises that may arise when renovating your home.
Some reasons that people decide to undergo home renovations are: * Upgrade or improve outdated or deteriorated materials * Replacing windows, the outdated furnace, and old flooring and siding are common home improvements.
Maintain and repair various weather beaten building materials * New roofing shingles, fixing a cracking foundation and repairing a driveway are all typical weather beaten materials that can be repaired with a renovation.
Address your lifestyle wants and needs * Converting an unused attic space into a new living space, building a sunroom, and adding a home office are all common home renovations that can increase your current living spaces.
Getting home renovation ideas and assessing your home with a thorough home inspection will help you to assess the condition of your home.
The best place to start your inspection is the basement.
Many of your home's problems start in the basement and it can be a good indicator of problems that originate in other areas of your home.
If your home doesn't have a basement, you can start with the foundation that your home is built on.
Depending on the size of your home renovation project, you may want to hire a qualified home inspector or professional general contractor to help you assess your building and develop a plan of action.
Foundations * Are there any cracks or damage to the concrete walls or floors? * Are there any damp spots, stains, efflorescence, or bubbling paint on the concrete walls? * Does anyone notice bad smells or experience nausea or headaches when in the basement? * Is there a lot of humidity, any condensation or visible mold? Possible problems if you don't address these issues can be minor to severe: * Serious structural problems could cause further damage to your foundation and possibly collapse the structure * Water pressure on the outside of the foundation can cause structural problems and leaks in your foundation.
A sign of this could be standing water on your driveway or excessive standing water on your lawn after a rain * Odors will continue to be uncomfortable and can pose serious health problems when associated with dangerous types of molds * Unresolved water issues can cause any future renovations to deteriorate quickly, whether the water comes from building leaks, plumbing leaks or high humidity * Mold can grow on almost anything and be a source of serious indoor air quality problems Basement ceiling or main floor structure: -Is there enough head room? -Is there rotten material, sagging floor joists, or twisted beams? -Are there any signs of water stains on the main floor structure or finished basement ceiling? Possible problems if you don't address these issues can be: * Unresolved structural problems or poorly planned structure changes may cause future settling or possible collapse of your existing foundation Mechanical and Electrical systems * Are your heating and cooling bills unusually high? * Are your current mechanical systems capable of supplying your needs after your planned renovations? * Is your home too dry or too humid? Are there cold or hot spots in your home? * Do you ever smell smoke or fuel? * Is the electrical service and wiring capable of supplying your current and future needs? * Do fuses keep blowing or circuit breakers keep shutting off? * Do lights ever dim or outlets spark? * Are there any leaky pipes, taps, or toilets? Does the water heater operate well? Finished basement ideas to consider: * Without regular service to your heating and cooling systems, they may gradually deteriorate, leading to serious health and safety concerns * Problems can arise if HVAC system cannot keep up to your needs.
The heating supply must be enough for comfort.
Proper ventilation is needed to control excess humidity * Electrical service, wiring and outlets may be unsafe or inadequate if you choose to increase loads on the electrical system * Plumbing leaks will continue to damage the foundation and structure around the leaks.
These leaks will also contribute to mold growth and IAQ problems General living areas, floors and stairs * Are floors or stairs springy, sagging, warped or squeaky? * Are floor surfaces damaged or carpets musty or deteriorated? * Are handrails or guardrails loose? What could happen if I don't begin to fix these problems? * Damaged or uneven floors and stairs may be unsafe * Musty carpets are usually a source of mold * Loose handrails or guardrails can be a serious safety hazard in your home Kitchens and bathrooms * Is there any water seepage around kitchen fixtures, condensation on the windows, or steady leaking taps? * Are the floors damaged or soft around the bathtub or showers? These can be indicators of some underlying problems that need to be looked at during a kitchen renovation: * The leaks will continue to cause damage and will only get worse in time, costing you more later on * Excess humidity will continue to cause damage and may cause mold growth that could lead to serious health issues Walls and ceilings * Do your walls or ceiling have any cracks, holes, bulges, water stains or peeling finishes? * Are any of your doors or windows hard to open and close? * Are any of your windows drafty or broken? * Is there moisture between the panes of glass? * Are there any water stains or rot in the windows or walls? Simply replacing windows and doors may not resolve the problem and you may need to locate the source: * If the problem sources are not fixed, the cracks and binding doors or windows will continue to occur even with new materials.
You must fix the source prior to replacing any binding doors or annoying cracks * Hiding moisture damage with new paint or wall finishes will only cause continuing deterioration and mold growth * Faulty windows will eventually result in more damage to the walls surrounding the window area, If the windows are leaking down the wall, the problem could result in a total gutting of your home to remove moldy insulation and drywall Attics * Are there water stains on your ceilings or excessive dampness in any areas? * Do you see black mold on any of the roof frames or sheeting? * Does the attic have adequate ventilation? * Are there air leaks in the ceilings of the rooms below the attic? Is the attic hatch sealed? A well cared for attic can save other areas of your home from problems and increase the efficiency of your home * Moisture damage will continue to deteriorate your home, without proper ventilation your attic will allow moisture to build up and cause serious damage.
* Air leaks in the ceilings will reduce heating efficiency and can be sources of foul odors and pollutants.
Roofs * Does the roof have any cracked or curling shingles, bare patches, leaks, moss or damaged flashing? * Do your eaves troughs and downspouts direct water away from the foundation or do you have excessive standing water around your home after a rain? Roofing materials need to be monitored for decay; here are some things to consider: * Most roofing material will deteriorate over time and needs to be replaced when this happens.
Failure to replace your roofing material when it's needed can and often will result in more expensive damage throughout your home * Surface water near your home and foundation will put undue stress on the building foundation material and cause water entry problems Exterior walls Something to consider when walking around the exterior of your home: * Does your home have any blistered paint, rotted wood, buckling siding, stained or deteriorated brick, or damaged stucco on the exterior walls? Keep the outside protected to save your home from preventable repairs: * Water penetration may lead to more serious siding, structural and interior finishing problems * Deteriorating exterior walls will also reduce the efficiency of your mechanical systems as well as the physical appearance of your home Keep your home up to date and well maintained and you will feel the rewards Performing regular maintenance and repair projects such as correcting structure flaws, leaks, and making sure that all services are safe and adequate will make your home safe and more durable for years to come.
After you have ensured the safety of the people living in your home, other renovations can be done to make your home a more pleasant place to live and enjoy your lifestyle.
Always remember to have a contract in place before you begin any work when using a contractor.