DIYs are a great way to make more out of your existing home. For example, it’s possible to DIY certain pieces of home décor and certain elements of home repair. However, there are some places where DIY simply may not work as well as an expert’s help. In these situations, you typically need to seek an expert’s help to do the project without causing serious damage to your home. Use this home health checklist to see whether you may want to contact an expert to give you more information about a certain portion of your home.
Home Health Checklist Created By: JES
Foundation
Your home’s foundation is extremely tricky. Think about it — whenever you’ve heard the term “foundation” in a metaphorical sense, it’s probably been to discuss something that’s absolutely integral to the functioning of another thing. That comes from the literal function of a home’s foundation, which is to be an integral piece of the process. If you see any of these signs, chances are there’s a problem with your home’s foundation:
- Nail Pops
- Wall Gaps
- Floor Gaps
- Uneven Floors
- Drywall Cracks
- Sticking Doors and Windows
- Bowed Walls, Especially in the Basement
- Chimney Cracking
- Sinking Foundation
- Vertical, Horizontal, or Stair-Step Cracks
- Cracked Bricks
- Cracked Block Foundation
- Cracks in Concrete
You definitely shouldn’t ignore any of these problems, but you also probably shouldn’t try to DIY a fix. Unfortunately, a home’s foundation just isn’t something that you can handle on your own. If you try to DIY a fix on your home’s foundation, you could end up making things much worse and having a serious impact on the structure of your home permanently.
Basement
There are definitely elements of the basement that you may be able to DIY. For example, if you have a finished basement, you can almost certainly DIY certain elements of the décor. The problem comes with truly structural concerns in the basement. If you’re starting to see any of these signs, that may be an indication that your basement needs an expert’s help:
- Poor Drainage
- Musty Smell
- Leaking Water Heater
- Leaking Windows
- Leaking in Basement Cove
- Sump Pump Issues
- Swelling or Warped Doors
- Water Stains
- Efflorescence
- Wet Walls
- Wet Floors
- Wet Carpet
- Wet Drywall
- Condensation on Windows or Doors
In general, you want to talk to an expert any time you see evidence that your basement isn’t as structurally sound as it could be. Structural integrity is crucial in your basement and in the rest of your home and you shouldn’t try to DIY a fix for structural problems.
Crawl Space
Most people don’t go into their crawl spaces very often. However, even if you do end up going into your crawl space, you want to make sure you only use your DIY skills on relatively surface-level problems. If you’re seeing any of these, you should call in an expert instead.
- Standing Water
- Floor Joist Problems
- Wood Rot
- Condensation
- Wet Insulation
- Foundation Cracks
- Open Crawl Space Vents
- High General Indoor Humidity
- Sagging Floors
- Mold
- Unpleasant Odors
- Poor Air Quality
- Rodent or Bug Issues
- High Electric Bills
A crawl space can be very healthy, but you need to put in the work. A healthy crawl space starts with an expert’s help to make it healthy from the very beginning. Don’t skip this step; talk to a crawl space repair expert to make sure the crawl space is healthy and effective.
Conclusion
None of this should dissuade you from trying to DIY certain fixes around your home. For example, if you have an issue with a home faucet, you may be able to put in a replacement on your own. This is a great usage of your DIY skills. The problem typically arises when you try to DIY a problem that has a much deeper concern behind it. If you’re looking for a way to manage your home’s health the right way, talk to an expert whenever you see these problems.