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Consumer Reports Magazine Warns of Five Repairs Homeowners Shouldn't
Ignore To Avoid Mold Problems and Other Troubles
June, 2009, issue offers tips to spot trouble areas and avoid costly
repairs
YONKERS, N.Y., May 4, 2009/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Homeowners might be
tempted to put off fixing their home until the economy rebounds. But
Consumer Reports warns that some problems, if left unchecked, can lead to
thousands of dollars in repairs and might even compromise your family's
health.
The trouble signs are easy to spot, provided homeowners know what to look
for. What's more, contractors aren't as busy now, so they're likely to be
more flexible on price. Consumer Reports identifies the five biggest red
flags of home maintenance, and offers advice on how to deal with them:
Runaway rainwater. Gutters, downspouts, and leader pipes collect rainwater
and channel it away from the house. In very wet regions, leaders should
extend at least five feet from the house. Check the entire gutter system
seasonally for proper pitch and for clogs, corrosion, broken fasteners,
and separation between connections and where gutters meet the fascia
board.
CR's Advice: The soil around the foundation should slope away from the
house at least one inch per foot for six feet or more. If you have
planting beds along the foundation, make sure the grading of the bed, its
edging, or the edge of the lawn isn't keeping water from draining away
from the house.
Roof and siding. Roofs are the most vulnerable to water infiltration,
given their exposure to the elements and the laws of gravity. On a sunny
day, use binoculars to spot cracked, curled, or missing shingles, which
are signs that the roof is near its end of life. Also check flashing
around chimneys, skylights, and roof valleys, and the rubber boots around
vents for cracks. Siding is also susceptible to leaks, especially where it
meets windows and doors.
CR's Advice: A $5 tube of caulk might save homeowners thousands of dollars
in structural repairs. Adding attic insulation and sealing gaps around
pipes, and ducts into the attic might help prevent future damming and
lower your heating and cooling bills.
Pest infestations. Termites and carpenter ants gravitate to moist soil and
rotting wood, another reason to make sure your gutters are in good shape
and soil around your foundation is graded properly. Also keep mulch,
firewood, and dense shrubbery away from your foundation. Once termites
infiltrate a home, they can bore through the structure in a few short
years.
CR's Advice: To detect termites, probe the sill plate (also called a
mudsill) that sits on top of the foundation with a screwdriver to check
for rotted wood. To check for carpenter ants, look for piles of sawdust
along baseboards. Termites also shed wings along windowsills, walls, and
other entry points.
Mold and mildew. Even houses in arid climates aren't immune. Hot outdoor
temperatures can drive even small amounts of water trapped in the
structure to condense on colder interior surfaces, leading to mold. Musty
odors, dank air, and family members with chronic runny noses are warning
signs. Check under carpets and around windows for visible mold or mildew.
Also remove cover plates for cable-TV, phone, and Internet connections,
and use a flashlight to peer behind walls and wallpaper for mold.
CR's Advice: Avoid mold tests sold at home centers and online. Each of the
kits CR tested had significant flaws that were serious enough to earn them
a Not Recommended Rating in CR's 2006 tests. If indoor mold covers less
than 10 square feet, treat it with a homemade solution of one cup chlorine
bleach per gallon of water. Be sure to don an N-95 disposable respirator,
goggles, and heavyduty gloves. Professional remediation is required for
larger outbreaks, if the ventilation system is contaminated, or if an
allergy sufferer lives in the home.
Foundation cracks. Some cracks are harmless, but others can mean trouble.
Monitor them using a ruler. Cracks wider than 3/16 inch, even vertical
ones, can be a problem. Mark smaller cracks with tape and monitor their
progress over the coming months. Also be on the lookout for horizontal
cracks or bulging or buckling. Along with expanding cracks, those
conditions require the attention of a structural engineer.
CR's Advice: The longer homeowners wait to correct a problem, the more
costly it could be.
For more on how to spot the trouble signs, simple spruce ups for the home,
and home repair, check out the Consumer Reports June issue, on sale May 5
or visit www.ConsumerReportsenespanol.org.
The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may
not be used for commercial or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports(R) is
published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit
organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe
marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect
themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect. To
maintain our independence and impartiality, Consumers Union accepts no
outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than
the interests of consumers. Consumers Union supports itself through the
sale of our information products and services, individual contributions,
and a few noncommercial grants.
Source: Consumer Reports
CONTACT: Elena Chavez of Consumers Union, +1-914-378-2764,
echavez@consumer.org
Web Site:
http://www.consumerreportsenespanol.org/
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