What Your House May Be Telling You

Nothing can be more frustrating than having to pay out extra money on a home repair that could have been avoided if things were installed properly to begin with. We run across these annoyances a lot when we are asked to evaluate a repair through our handyman services. Case in point, we were asked to replace a window that had moisture issues, when we pulled out the existing window we found dry rot and mold in the window sill, trimmer stud, sheathing and boards. We discovered that the original vapor barrier wrap was installed incorrectly thus creating moisture problems. We then had to pull out the other close by window too, repair the water damaged materials and reinstall and protect correctly.

Many problems go unnoticed simply because you can't see them until they've already done extensive damage. If you do notice something is wrong, don't dismiss it. A harmless watermark may not be that harmless after all. It could in fact be an indicator of a plumbing problem, exterior flashing, or a roof problem that will eventually lead to dry rot, mold, drywall damage, or a problem with structural integrity. It’s just a good reminder to get them checked out and find out for sure; it may save you from having to shell out some big bucks later on!