This post is in collaboration with Certas Energy.
As homes get older the number of issues they can have also increases. I’m not just talking about super old buildings either, everything has a lifespan and you can often find problems in a house that’s maybe only 15-20 years old.
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As you can see from the infographic below, Certas Energy
have indentified 10 common problems with older homes with a solution on how to
fix each one for their #FixYourOwnHome campaign. As anything to do with home repairs can get quite costly though I’m
going to be looking at some of the problems and sharing ideas on how you could
carry out the repairs whilst not blowing all your savings. What I will say is
when it comes to repairs the best advice I can offer is having someone you know
who is handy and willing to carry out repairs for free or at a reduced price.
Make sure you learn from them along the way though so you can tackle some of
the issues on your own in the future.
have indentified 10 common problems with older homes with a solution on how to
fix each one for their #FixYourOwnHome campaign. As anything to do with home repairs can get quite costly though I’m
going to be looking at some of the problems and sharing ideas on how you could
carry out the repairs whilst not blowing all your savings. What I will say is
when it comes to repairs the best advice I can offer is having someone you know
who is handy and willing to carry out repairs for free or at a reduced price.
Make sure you learn from them along the way though so you can tackle some of
the issues on your own in the future.
Drafty windows
This is actually a problem we had when we moved in to our
house. Over time the ground and therefore the foundations your house is built
on move which sort of throws everything out of whack. Our windows are not hung
very well and as the house has settled over the year we’ve been left with gaps.
The first winter in this house you could really feel the drafts blowing around
the house. I’d say every room needs the windows fixing which adds you to a huge
amount so as a short term solution we’ve resealed the window frames with foam
tape. Is it a long term solution, no but it’s stopped the drafts and heat
escaping whilst we save up for the windows fixing.
house. Over time the ground and therefore the foundations your house is built
on move which sort of throws everything out of whack. Our windows are not hung
very well and as the house has settled over the year we’ve been left with gaps.
The first winter in this house you could really feel the drafts blowing around
the house. I’d say every room needs the windows fixing which adds you to a huge
amount so as a short term solution we’ve resealed the window frames with foam
tape. Is it a long term solution, no but it’s stopped the drafts and heat
escaping whilst we save up for the windows fixing.
Boiler inefficiency
This is another problem we have experience of. When we
bought our house the boiler was around 13 years old and fairly cheap we’d also
been told the boiler regularly broke and had to be repaired 5 times in one
year. I know this may not be what you want to hear but at this point if your
boiler isn’t working correctly and regularly breaks your best bet is to get a
new one. Boiler repairs are not cheap so you’re better of cutting your losses
and getting a new one. It goes without saying you need a professional to do
this, also make sure you get your new boiler serviced yearly.
bought our house the boiler was around 13 years old and fairly cheap we’d also
been told the boiler regularly broke and had to be repaired 5 times in one
year. I know this may not be what you want to hear but at this point if your
boiler isn’t working correctly and regularly breaks your best bet is to get a
new one. Boiler repairs are not cheap so you’re better of cutting your losses
and getting a new one. It goes without saying you need a professional to do
this, also make sure you get your new boiler serviced yearly.
A lack of insulation
Insulation is used to trap heat in the house; it stops the
cold getting in and the warm getting out. You’ll find in wall cavities,
underneath floorboards and in lofts. Insulation is actually fairly easy to
install yourself especially in lofts and can be very drafty. Just make sure you
take the right safety precautions, it’s recommended you cover up with
disposable overalls and a mask to stop the fibres coming into contact with your
skin or breathing them in. These sorts of overalls and masks can be picked up
very cheaply from any DIY store.
cold getting in and the warm getting out. You’ll find in wall cavities,
underneath floorboards and in lofts. Insulation is actually fairly easy to
install yourself especially in lofts and can be very drafty. Just make sure you
take the right safety precautions, it’s recommended you cover up with
disposable overalls and a mask to stop the fibres coming into contact with your
skin or breathing them in. These sorts of overalls and masks can be picked up
very cheaply from any DIY store.
It’s always worth remembering if you really don’t know what
you’re doing and you don’t have any family or friends to who do, call a
professional. You could end up causing more damage and costing yourself more
money. Also never tackle dangerous jobs involving gas or electrics unless
qualified to do so, same goes for harmful substances such as asbestos.
you’re doing and you don’t have any family or friends to who do, call a
professional. You could end up causing more damage and costing yourself more
money. Also never tackle dangerous jobs involving gas or electrics unless
qualified to do so, same goes for harmful substances such as asbestos.
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