If your East Lansing home is more than 20 years old, congratulations: it has officially reached the age where it may start developing opinions.
A sticky door here. A suspicious basement smell there. Maybe an outlet that only works when Mercury is in retrograde. Most older homes are perfectly safe when they’re properly maintained. But once a house gets into its second, third, fourth—or considerably later—decade, there are a few areas worth watching more closely.
Here are some of the most common safety concerns we see in established East Lansing-area homes.
Water is remarkably patient. Give it a tiny opening and enough Michigan seasons, and it will eventually find somewhere expensive to go.
Around East Lansing, keep an eye on:
Basements are practically a Michigan housing tradition, and a little humidity isn’t unusual. Persistent moisture, however, can contribute to mold growth, wood deterioration, and poor indoor air quality. Check around foundation walls, sump systems, plumbing penetrations and basement windows. Also make sure your sump pump is operating properly. If your sump pump hasn’t been tested since Mark Dantonio was coaching Michigan State, we might gently suggest putting that on the weekend list.
A battery backup can also be valuable during the exact moment sump pumps tend to matter most: a heavy storm accompanied by a power outage.
The original wiring may be completely fine. The bigger question is what various homeowners, relatives and enthusiastic DIYers have done to it since.
Warning signs include:
If something looks questionable, have a licensed electrician evaluate it. Electrical work is one of those areas where “it hasn’t caused a problem yet” isn’t much of a safety standard.
Decks take a beating around East Lansing. Rain, snow, ice, summer heat and repeated freeze-thaw cycles gradually work on fasteners, posts and framing.
Pay particular attention to:
If it moves enough to make you suddenly reconsider inviting people onto the deck, that’s useful information.
Loose handrails and guardrails are among the most common household hazards because people instinctively rely on them when they lose their balance.
Check interior stairs, basement stairs, porch railings and deck railings.
Also watch for:
Smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms tend to receive attention only when they start chirping at 2:13 a.m. Test them regularly and replace units that have reached the end of their useful life.
Carbon-monoxide alarms are especially important around homes with gas furnaces, fireplaces, water heaters or attached garages.
And while we’re talking about combustion equipment, have your furnace and water heater inspected periodically as well. Look for unusual venting, rust, soot or signs of exhaust problems.
Lint buildup in dryer vent systems can become a fire hazard, particularly when the vent run is long, kinked or hasn’t been cleaned in years. If clothes suddenly take two cycles to dry, don’t immediately blame the dryer. Check the vent.
Your dryer may simply be trying to breathe through what has become a four-inch tube of felt.
One of the charms of established East Lansing neighborhoods is mature trees.
One of the less charming parts is when a mature branch decides your garage roof looks like a perfectly reasonable place to spend the night.
Watch for dead limbs over:
Large or questionable trees should be evaluated by a qualified tree professional rather than somebody with a ladder, a chainsaw and unreasonable confidence.
Radon is an invisible radioactive gas that can enter homes through soil and foundation openings. Because you can’t see or smell it, testing is the only practical way to know whether elevated levels are present.
If you have never tested your home—or don’t know when it was last tested—an inexpensive radon test is a sensible precaution.
Homes with basements are particularly worth checking because the lowest portions of the home are closest to the soil.
Take an occasional walk around your home and look up.
Check:
Small maintenance repairs performed early tend to be much friendlier to the household budget.
Look for:
That’s not caulking. That’s archaeology.
Remove the failed material, determine whether moisture has gotten behind it and properly reseal the joint.
Garage doors are large, heavy moving objects that most homeowners barely think about.
Periodically test the automatic reversal system and photo-eye sensors.
Also inspect:
It has served nobly. Let it retire.
A good routine for an older East Lansing home is a walk-through a couple of times a year—particularly:
Spring: Look for winter damage, water intrusion, concrete movement, roof issues and damaged exterior wood.
Fall: Check gutters, downspouts, exterior caulk, railings, smoke/CO alarms and anything you’d rather not discover after the first 8-inch snowfall.
Also investigate problems when the house gives you clues: stains, odors, movement, unusual sounds, sticking doors or suddenly higher utility bills.
Houses usually whisper before they yell.
A 20-, 30- or even 50-year-old East Lansing home can be a terrific house.
The key is catching problems while they’re still little problems.
Water stains don’t improve with age. Loose railings don’t tighten themselves. Rotten wood has never once reconsidered its life choices and turned back into good wood.
An occasional home safety and maintenance inspection can uncover relatively simple repairs before they become major projects. It can also help you decide which tasks you can handle yourself and which ones deserve professional attention. After all, preventive repairs are almost always less expensive than emergency repairs.
If your inspection uncovers a few projects that need attention, your local team at Ace Handyman Services Lansing North can help you take them off your list. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
GET AN ESTIMATEA sticky door here. A suspicious basement smell there. Maybe an outlet that only works when Mercury is in retrograde. Most older homes are perfectly safe when they’re properly maintained. But once a house gets into its second, third, fourth—or considerably later—decade, there are a few areas worth watching more closely.
Here are some of the most common safety concerns we see in established East Lansing-area homes.
Q: What’s the first thing I should be concerned about?
A: Water. Almost always water.Water is remarkably patient. Give it a tiny opening and enough Michigan seasons, and it will eventually find somewhere expensive to go.
Around East Lansing, keep an eye on:
- Basement and foundation seepage
- Cracked or deteriorated exterior caulk
- Roof flashing around chimneys and vents
- Gutters that overflow or pull away from the fascia
- Downspouts dumping water too close to the foundation
- Soft or rotted trim around windows and doors
- Water staining underneath sinks, toilets and tubs
Q: My basement smells a little musty. Is that really a safety issue?
A: Potentially. And it’s worth figuring out why.Basements are practically a Michigan housing tradition, and a little humidity isn’t unusual. Persistent moisture, however, can contribute to mold growth, wood deterioration, and poor indoor air quality. Check around foundation walls, sump systems, plumbing penetrations and basement windows. Also make sure your sump pump is operating properly. If your sump pump hasn’t been tested since Mark Dantonio was coaching Michigan State, we might gently suggest putting that on the weekend list.
A battery backup can also be valuable during the exact moment sump pumps tend to matter most: a heavy storm accompanied by a power outage.
Q: What about electrical problems?
A: Electrical systems deserve respect, particularly after decades of modifications.The original wiring may be completely fine. The bigger question is what various homeowners, relatives and enthusiastic DIYers have done to it since.
Warning signs include:
- Frequently tripping breakers
- Warm or discolored outlets
- Flickering lights
- Loose outlets or switches
- Buzzing sounds
- Extension cords being used as permanent wiring
- Missing GFCI protection near water
- Open electrical boxes
- Mystery wiring in basements, garages or attics
If something looks questionable, have a licensed electrician evaluate it. Electrical work is one of those areas where “it hasn’t caused a problem yet” isn’t much of a safety standard.
Q: Should I worry about my deck?
A: If it’s been standing through 20 Michigan winters, give it a good look.Decks take a beating around East Lansing. Rain, snow, ice, summer heat and repeated freeze-thaw cycles gradually work on fasteners, posts and framing.
Pay particular attention to:
- The connection between the deck and the house
- Stair stringers
- Loose railings
- Rotted posts
- Split framing
- Corroded hardware
- Soft deck boards
- Concrete footings that have shifted or heaved
If it moves enough to make you suddenly reconsider inviting people onto the deck, that’s useful information.
Q: My stair railing wiggles a little. How serious is that?
A: More serious than people sometimes think.Loose handrails and guardrails are among the most common household hazards because people instinctively rely on them when they lose their balance.
Check interior stairs, basement stairs, porch railings and deck railings.
Also watch for:
- Loose stair treads
- Uneven risers
- Torn carpeting
- Poor lighting
- Missing handrails
- Open-sided staircases without adequate guards
Q: Are smoke detectors something homeowners overlook?
A: Constantly.Smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms tend to receive attention only when they start chirping at 2:13 a.m. Test them regularly and replace units that have reached the end of their useful life.
Carbon-monoxide alarms are especially important around homes with gas furnaces, fireplaces, water heaters or attached garages.
And while we’re talking about combustion equipment, have your furnace and water heater inspected periodically as well. Look for unusual venting, rust, soot or signs of exhaust problems.
Q: What about my dryer vent?
A: An underrated one.Lint buildup in dryer vent systems can become a fire hazard, particularly when the vent run is long, kinked or hasn’t been cleaned in years. If clothes suddenly take two cycles to dry, don’t immediately blame the dryer. Check the vent.
Your dryer may simply be trying to breathe through what has become a four-inch tube of felt.
Q: We have several huge trees around the house. Anything to watch there?
A: Absolutely. Welcome to East Lansing.One of the charms of established East Lansing neighborhoods is mature trees.
One of the less charming parts is when a mature branch decides your garage roof looks like a perfectly reasonable place to spend the night.
Watch for dead limbs over:
- The house
- Garage
- Driveway
- Deck
- Power lines
- Sidewalks
Large or questionable trees should be evaluated by a qualified tree professional rather than somebody with a ladder, a chainsaw and unreasonable confidence.
Q: My sidewalk and driveway have shifted. Is that just cosmetic?
A: Not if someone can trip over it.- Michigan’s freeze-thaw cycle isn’t particularly gentle with concrete.
- Walk around the property and look for:
- Raised sidewalk sections
- Uneven porch steps
- Crumbling stoops
- Loose pavers
- Broken stair edges
- Settled concrete
Q: Should homeowners in East Lansing think about radon?
A: Yes.Radon is an invisible radioactive gas that can enter homes through soil and foundation openings. Because you can’t see or smell it, testing is the only practical way to know whether elevated levels are present.
If you have never tested your home—or don’t know when it was last tested—an inexpensive radon test is a sensible precaution.
Homes with basements are particularly worth checking because the lowest portions of the home are closest to the soil.
Q: What exterior problems can become safety issues?
A: Anything that is loose, rotten or slowly detaching itself from the house.Take an occasional walk around your home and look up.
Check:
- Loose siding
- Rotted fascia
- Hanging soffit
- Damaged gutters
- Loose shutters
- Failing porch columns
- Cracked steps
- Deteriorated chimney masonry
Small maintenance repairs performed early tend to be much friendlier to the household budget.
Q: What about bathrooms?
A: Bathrooms are tiny rooms containing an impressive number of potential problems.Look for:
- Loose grab bars or towel bars being used as grab bars
- Soft flooring around toilets or tubs
- Failed shower caulk
- Loose tiles
- Leaking toilet seals
- Poor ventilation
- Missing GFCI outlets
That’s not caulking. That’s archaeology.
Remove the failed material, determine whether moisture has gotten behind it and properly reseal the joint.
Q: Are there any garage hazards worth checking?
A: Definitely.Garage doors are large, heavy moving objects that most homeowners barely think about.
Periodically test the automatic reversal system and photo-eye sensors.
Also inspect:
- Loose garage shelving
- Damaged extension cords
- Improperly stored gasoline or chemicals
- Missing fire separation between an attached garage and the house
- Deteriorated steps leading into the home
It has served nobly. Let it retire.
Q: How often should I inspect everything?
A: You don’t need to conduct a military inspection every Saturday morning.A good routine for an older East Lansing home is a walk-through a couple of times a year—particularly:
Spring: Look for winter damage, water intrusion, concrete movement, roof issues and damaged exterior wood.
Fall: Check gutters, downspouts, exterior caulk, railings, smoke/CO alarms and anything you’d rather not discover after the first 8-inch snowfall.
Also investigate problems when the house gives you clues: stains, odors, movement, unusual sounds, sticking doors or suddenly higher utility bills.
Houses usually whisper before they yell.
Q: What’s the most important takeaway?
A: Don’t panic about owning an older house. Just pay attention to it.A 20-, 30- or even 50-year-old East Lansing home can be a terrific house.
The key is catching problems while they’re still little problems.
Water stains don’t improve with age. Loose railings don’t tighten themselves. Rotten wood has never once reconsidered its life choices and turned back into good wood.
An occasional home safety and maintenance inspection can uncover relatively simple repairs before they become major projects. It can also help you decide which tasks you can handle yourself and which ones deserve professional attention. After all, preventive repairs are almost always less expensive than emergency repairs.
If your inspection uncovers a few projects that need attention, your local team at Ace Handyman Services Lansing North can help you take them off your list. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.