9 Things Every Home Owner Should Know

from Mr. Fix-It

Lou Manfredini

Buy a $25 toaster, and you get an owner's manual. But a $300,000 house
doesn't come with instructions. It's easy for home owners to let small problems
turn into big ones.

Nine "vital signs" every home owner should monitor...

FURNACE, CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING AND WATER HEATING

Most home owners don't worry until these items stop working.

After 15 years, furnaces and central air-conditioning systems are so energy-

inefficient that they should be replaced. If you spend $1,500 a year on fuel for an
old furnace operating at 60% efficiency, a new, 90%-efficient model that costs
$3,500 will pay for itself in seven years, based on a $500-a-year savings on fuel.

Water heaters should be replaced after seven years. Cost: About $500, including
installation.

ATTIC INSULATION

If you don't have enough, you're wasting money on heat and air-conditioning.
Every home's insulation should be rated at least R-30. (R values measure
thermal resistance.) That's a minimum of eight inches of standard fiberglass
insulation. Homes in colder regions should have insulation rated R-40 or even R-
50 -- a minimum of 12 inches. Take a ruler up to your attic and measure.

Upgrading a typical home from R-15 to R-30 can save hundreds of dollars a year,
depending on the cost of heating fuel and the local climate. Cost: 80 cents to $2
per square foot, depending on the R value and the construction of your attic
space.

ATTIC VENTILATION

On a hot day, hold an outdoor thermometer in the middle of your attic. If it

registers more than 20 degrees above the outside temperature, you have a
venting problem. Install attic fans or ridge or mushroom vents.

SEPTIC SYSTEM

If your drains have been backing up, the septic tank needs to be pumped. Have
this done every three to five years. Cost: About $200 each time.
Don't put it off, particularly if you are planning a large gathering. Left unattended,
the solids in the tank could spill over into the draining system and clog up the
leaching field. You might have to spend thousands to replace the system.

Smart: Don't use liquid drain openers to unclog pipes or chlorine bleach in
laundry. These can kill bacteria in the tank that break down solid wastes. Use a
snake or plunger instead... or call a plumber.

SEWER

If every drain backs up, the main sewer line is probably clogged. A plumber can
feed a camera through the line to spot breaks or blockages. Insist on a live view,
not a videotape. An unscrupulous plumber might play tapes of other people's
broken sewer lines to home owners who have less serious problems. Cost to
repair a sewer line: $500 to $5,000, depending on the problem.

PLUMBING

Some home owners pay plumbers dearly to solve problems they easily could fix
themselves...

Low flow from a faucet. This is usually caused by a buildup of sediment

inside the faucet's aerator. Just unscrew and wash it off.

Loud, banging water pipes. This indicates that all the air has worked its
way out of the system. Most home owners don't realize that water pipes work
better when they contain air pockets.

To drain the system: Shut off your main water valve. Open every faucet,
and flush every toilet. Reclose all the faucets. Finally, reopen the main valve.
With air back in the system, the banging should stop. If it doesn't, call a plumber.

Lead pipes. Homes built before the 1940s may have lead -- not copper --
pipes. The word lead scares most people, but lead pipes probably don't need to
be replaced. Very little lead leaches into running water. Still, you might want to
run the tap for three minutes before taking a drink or cooking, to let water that
has been in the pipe for several hours flow through. Also: Store clean water in a
bottle in your refrigerator.

If you are still concerned, take a water sample to an independent testing lab.

FOUNDATION

It is natural for concrete to develop hairline cracks as it dries and settles. A

problem occurs when these cracks allow water to enter. Moisture could produce
mildew in the basement or rot the wooden structure of the home. Unchecked, a
crack could expand, endangering the structural integrity of the house.

Examine the foundation walls in your basement. Cracks smaller than one-half
inch that are not letting in water probably don't require action. But check them
yearly to make sure they aren't growing. For larger cracks, call a foundation
specialist. For as little as $500, an epoxy injection can bond to the concrete and
prevent a crack from spreading.

If your home has a brick or stone foundation, monitor moisture entering through
the mortar, especially after heavy rains. Eventually, perhaps even after several
decades, it will be neces-sary to replace deteriorating mortar, a process known
as tuck-pointing. Expect to pay thousands for a large job.

To find a foundation specialist, ask your real estate agent or home inspector ... or
try the Yellow Pages.

ROOF

Asphalt shingles, architectural shingles, concrete tile and cedar shingles all can
be fine. The real cost of the roof is in the installation.

Slate roofs can last more than 100 years but cost 10 times as much as
traditional asphalt. Quality installation is even more important with slate because
slate is so expensive. Don't jump at the lowest bid.

Asphalt-shingle roofs last about 15 years. Many home owners put a layer
of shingles on top of an old one instead of replacing the roof. Roofs with multiple
layers might have hidden problems, such as leaks and rotted sheathing, in the
wood below the shingles. Costs vary depending on size and location, but the
difference is small -- for example, $2,500 to $3,000 for a new layer, versus
$3,000 to $4,500 to strip off the old and start fresh.

Signs a roof should be replaced: Cracked or buckled shingles, shingles

blowing off in storms, granule loss from the surface of asphalt shingles, leaks.

To preserve the life of your roof...

Cut away tree branches that rub against or hang over it.

Remove moss. It can trap moisture and rot shingles in just a few years. Mix
equal parts chlorine bleach and water... spray it on the affected area... and scrub
gently with a brush. Do this yourself only if you feel comfortable climbing ladders
and working on a roof. Check and repeat every four to five years if necessary.
 Clean gutters once or twice a year, depending on how often they get
clogged with leaves. Or install leafless gutters. Cost: $10 to $20 a foot, versus $4
to $7 a foot for traditional gutters.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Most homes built before the 1950s have inadequate 60-amp service, versus 100
to 200 amps for modern homes. The service rating for your electrical system
should be written on a sticker attached to your circuit-breaker box. Expect to pay
about $10,000 to update the electrical system in the entire home.

Check the box every few years for rusted circuit breakers. Rust can prevent a
circuit from shutting off when overloaded, creating the risk of fire. Call an
electrician if you find rust or a breaker that won't budge.