Lots of things can go wrong with our homes. You might think that the worst that can happen to your home is a little mess and clutter. Oh, how wrong you are. You must have experienced the joys of living in a home without household problems. I promise you, at some point your luck will run out. You will be hit by a home disaster like the rest of us that you’ll have to handle. Are you ready? Well, we’re about to find out. On this post, I’m going to look at some of the scariest things that can go wrong with your home and how to handle them. If you already know the answer to these issues, I congratulate you. If not, it’s certainly time you learned.
Flooding, Damp, And Mold
Ah, the big three of the water problems in the home. Usually, you’ll find you have difficulty with at least one of these problems if you live on a floodplain. Or, if you live close to the ocean. But the truth is that any home can be affected by these types of issues. All it takes is the perfect storm of poor insulation and a buildup of condensation. Or, perhaps even just a spot of particularly bad weather. So how do we handle these issues?
Well, the first thing to consider is how to prevent them. If you constantly experience flooding around your property, you might want to do something about that. You can tackle this issue by speaking to a landscaper. They’ll be able to help you with flooding problems by either changing the layout of your garden. Or, altering the foundations around your home. You may also like to consider adding a water pump in your basement if that’s where the water builds. Typically, this will solve most problems with flooding in the home. Unless of course, the flood was caused by an issue with a pipe within your house. If that’s the case, it’s best to hire a good Los Angeles-based plumber to handle the job, or another emergency plumber if you don’t live in the Los Angeles area.
Condensation and mold, however, are another matter entirely. You’ll usually see both in homes with triple glazing windows. Why? Well, the wonderful thing about triple glazing is that your home doesn’t let warm air out. However, it also doesn’t let cold air out and when the two meet you get condensation. This can create a large amount of water in your home and will eventually cause dampness on the walls. To fix this issue, you need to use a dehumidifier. You can get them in all shapes and sizes. They’ll quickly soak up the water in the air.
Mold is another problem but it does have a solution, and it’s quite simple. An antibacterial spray will clean up mold quick as a flash. You want to do this sooner rather than later. Mold spores can actually be a health threat for small children.
Of course, there is another issue with leaving mold to fester. It will attract bugs and beasties.
A Bug Infestation
For me, this would be the biggest home disaster because I think I’d have to vacate the area. I think I’d just give my home to the bugs until I could hire an exterminator. But if you want to fight back you first need to figure out why the bugs arrived in the first place. Bugs don’t crop up for no reason. If you occasionally see one or two around the home, then that’s normal. But twenty or thirty is a sign you’re not looking after the house. Leaving food and crumbs around the home will certainly attract bugs and even little beasts like mice. So, if you want to avoid being stared down by a rat in the basement, keep your house clean.
Now, I have heard that some people don’t mind a few bugs around the home. In fact, they almost expect it during the summer months with a trail of ants occasionally migrating across the kitchen floor. I couldn’t handle it, but if there are people out there who feel this way, know this. Small bugs attract bigger and more frightening bugs like scorpions. Then you do have issues, particularly if you encounter a bark scorpion. The sting in their tail is highly poisonous. If you encounter scorpions in your home, don’t wait. Call an exterminator immediately.
Storm Damage
Finally, if your home is hit by a storm, you could be facing a whole bunch of different problems. The best way to deal with this is to call your insurance company up as soon as possible. They’ll be able to tell you what you’re covered for and pay for the repairs. Then you just need to bring in a crew to fix up your home.
If you haven’t dealt with any of these issues in your home, I’m incredibly jealous But I bet at least one is just around the corner for you so be prepared.
