The Six House Repairs That Can Cause You a Fortune if You Neglect Them

Last updated 4 months ago

In this economy, you may be tempted to delay or skip minor home maintenance repairs and inspections in your home. Before you start to think about delaying or skipping these repairs, you might want to see the six house repairs not to neglect before they become gigantic, expensive jobs later:

1. Annual HVAC Inspection

The furnace blower is not working properly. Cost to repair or replace: $100-$150. Possible consequences of letting it go: a broken heat exchanger.

Potential savings down the road: $300-$1,000 to replace the heat exchanger or $750-$3,500, depending on the energy efficiency, to replace indoor or outdoor furnace components.

2. Chimney inspection

There's no chimney cap. Cost to add: $150. If you let it go, rain water can get into your chimney, damage the chimney liner and damper, and even saturate mortar joints -- causing mold. Potential savings: $2,000-$4,000 to replace the chimney liner.

3. Termite inspection

An inspection might find subterranean termites that come from the ground or flying termites. If left untreated, these bugs damage framing, trim, drywall, furniture, carpet, copper and other soft metals. Most homeowners insurance does not cover repair of termite damage.

4. Power washing and sealing wood deck

Power washing gets rid of stains, algae, mold, mildew and moss. Algae and mold can make your deck slippery and dangerous, says Justin Lee of JL Power Washing in Williamsburg, Va. Sealing your deck after it is cleaned helps prevent water damage. Wood soaks up rain like a sponge, expands and then shrinks, Lee says. Sealing makes the water bead up and roll off.

5. Dryer vent cleaning

The purpose is to get rid of lint buildup. If your dryer is not on an exterior wall, it's likely that the vent leading outside is clogged up, says Gessner of A Step in Time Chimney Sweeps.

Potential savings: your home, your furnishings, your belongings and your life.

6. Carpet cleaning

If the carpet looks dirty, you've waited too long because some soil can't be removed with vacuuming. This soil will bind to your carpet and dull the texture, shortening the life of the carpet. Your home also will be healthier with pollen, bacteria, insecticides and dirt removed, says Howard Partridge, founder and president of Clean as a Whistle, a cleaning company outside Houston.

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